From: Sherri Hall [ldrbelties@earthlink.net] Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2003 3:12 AM To: KY-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Subject: [KYF] NEWS: Tidbits, 1895, Perry Co. Submitted by Norma Adams HAZEL GREEN HERALD - Jan. 3, 1895 One of the most prominent attorneys in Eastern Kentucky and one who has held office in the state government, in spaking of the recent troubles at Hazard, Perry County, and the causes leading up to the, said: "Judge W. F. Hall opened court on the morning of December 10th in the courthouse at Hazard, that being the first day of the regular December term of the Perry circuit court, and continued to hold court for six consecutive days without the least hindrance or attempt at molestation, and on Thursday, the fourth day of the term, the grand jury returned an indictment against Jesse Fields and Joe Adkins, charging them with the murder of Judge J. H. Combs, and thereupon the commonwealth's attorney, H. L. Howard, filed a statement that such lawlessness existed in Perry county as to deter the officers from discharging their duties, and the court changed the venue of the case to Knox county, and remanded the prisoners to the custody of the sheriff of Perry county, with orders to deliver them to the jailer of Knox county, at Barbourville, allowing no bail. "While the attorney for Fields and Adkins objected to the change of venue to Knox,and filed affidavits setting forth the causes of their objections, the court promptly ruled upon the motion made by the commonwealth's attorney, granting the change of venue. Other cases against various persons who were charged with felonies in connection with the French-Eversole feud were likewise transferred to Magoffin, Whitley and Bell counties. The judge was determined to rid Perry county of these outlaws, and thinking that he best way to do it was to send them to various counties to be tried where the juries and officers could impartially do their duty, he sent the cases, without favor or affection for any, to the nearest county where complete justice could be had. "I have been practicing law at the Hazard bar for about six years and during all that time no court has been held at that place when I felt that there was more protection to the citizen or litigant than during this term. Judge Hall is fearless in the discharge of his duty as circuit judge and the people of Perry county are with him in his determination to see that the law is faithfully administered. All good citizens of Perry county are anxious to have the murderers of Judge Combs brought to justice, and heretofore those who had sympathized with the cause of B. F. French are now bitterly against him and say that as he has left Perry County, he ought to call off his followers from killing inoffensive citizens. "The killing of Judge Combs has clearly convinced all good citizens that the French crowd are not fighting for protection, but to wreak revenge. Their thirst for blood has dethroned their cunning and now they stand out as bold, open, notorious man-killers for when they cannot plead that their leaer, French, was in danger, they killed one of the oldest and most respected citizens of the county. Not content with causing the death of two of his sons-in-law and leaving upon his hand the care and protection of their children, they slew the old man upon whom these children rested for support. "Can such outlawry be tolerated by the people of Eastern Kentucky? They can and will arise in their might and put a stop to the indiscriminate murder. The people of this mountain country are tolerant, forbearing and long suffering but the time is now at hand when the feudist must go. This country can take care of and govern itself. We are determined to stop crime and with such fearless judges as the Hons. A. H. Clark, W. P. Hall, and D. B. Redwine, men whose characters are without reproach, honest, fearless and impartial, the criminal must go, while the property and lives of the people shall be sacredly guarded. ______________________________