Mysterious Death  2-26-1925
Foul Play Suspected in Burning of Mrs. Hicks
     On Tuesday night, the 17th, a most mysterious death occurred near Honey Bee, when Mrs. Jane Hicks was burned to death and her home destroyed by fire.
      Mrs. Hicks was of an advanced age, and very feeble.  She lived alone, although she was the head of a large family. 
      Jesse Vanover, her nearest neighbor, noticed a light in the direction of her home on the 17th, so he hurriedly donned his clothing, called three of his neighbors, and hurried up to the house.  They saw the building was affire, and when they arrived on the scene the house had fallen in and they could not tell whether the old lady was inside or not. They went to some of the other neighbor's homes to learn if she had gone to spend the night with any of them, but were unable to locate her.
      They then concluded she was inside the house when it burned, and remained at the ruins, waiting until the embers would cool sufficiently for them to search for her.
      The next morning they started the search, and found her in the fireplace, the chimney had fallen in on her.  Her head was in the back part of the chimney, her body on the hearth.  She was burned to a crisp, her legs and arms were burned off and her face was unrecognizable.  The bedroom of the dwelling place was in the back of the house, and the body was found in the front room of the cabin. 
      It was generally known all over the country that Mrs. Hicks had some money hidden away in her house.  She was moved but the rocks and the position in which she lay was not to be distrubed until the coroner could hold an inquest.  In some manner, however, the rock on which she lay was moved before Squire Freeman could get there. 
      The inquest produced the fact thah there was blood on some of the rocks about the place, and after a thorough examination of the ground and the body the jury decided that Mrs. Hicks could not possibly have fallen into the fire in that manner, so they rendered a verdict of murder, robbery, and arson by an unknown party.
      This is one of the most revolting crimes ever committed in this county, and we trust the guilty parties will soon be apprehended. 
Contributed by:  Della Perez

Deputy Marshal Hiney Arrests 7 in McCreary 1-13-1931
     Deputy U.S. Marshal Ben Hines took to the Somerset Jail last Tuesday seven prisoners whom he had arrested in McCreary County.  Leslie Gilreath was charged with selling liquor, and the following six arrested on charges of moonshining:  Neal Hamilton, Lloyd Hamilton, Henry Lee Taylor, Jim Campbell, Dink Slavey, and T.H. Logan. 
Contributed by:  Della Perez

Liquor Raids Continue to Reap Results 1-13-1931
      One night last week while Deputy Jim Hogue was watching some coal on the siding at Flat Rock, Kerney Upchurch and Neal Rollins came along with four gallons of white "likker" and stopped to warm by the officer's fire.  Mr. Hogue escorted them to Manuel Foster's Hotel at Whitley City where they are presently making their headquarters.
      During the latter part of last week, deputies Hogue, Freeman, Bibb, and Anderson raided a steam outfit about seven miles from Greenwood on Beaver Creek, capturing 13 barrels of mash, 13 gallons of liquor, and Ed Hughes.  Buck Gosset escaped, it is reported, shot in the leg.
Contributed by:  Della Perez

Hit By Automobile 1-20-1931
      Walter Anderson, son of H.W. Anderson, and Glenn Ball, son of Clay Ball, were hit by an automobile driven by Bill Coffey, Saturday while they were playing on the road with their wagon.  Glenn escaped uninjured while Walter suffered scratches about the head and face.  None of his injuries, however, were serious.  Mr. Coffey was driving at a low rate of speed and the accident was unavoidable. 
Contributed by:  Della Perez

NO HEADLINE 1-20-1931
      Sheriffs Hogue, Bibee, and Anderson captured a still near the Bell farm and arrested Levi and Sullivan Smith, brothers, and brought them to the Foster boarding house at the county seat.  
Contributed by:  Della Perez

20 Stills Captured  10-8-1946

Sheriff Douglas Manning stated Saturday that since the 7th of January he and his deputies, Link Bibee and J.O. McDowell, have captured twenty stills and arrested nineteen persons charged with operating stills.  This is quite a record and may account for the recent boom in prices of moonshine and whiskey, if it can be found.
Contributed by: Amy Combs <johnnamy@highland.net>

No Drunks Last Week-End  10-8-1946
Last week-end not a single drunk was arrested or thrown in jail by any of the law enforcement agents in the county.  However, on Friday night of this week Sheriff Douglas Manning placed Barney Roberts of Marshe Siding (how it is written) in jail on a drunkenness charge.
Contributed by:  Amy Combs <johnnamy@highland.net>

Obituary for John Riley Sellers, unknown paper, but reprinted by the McCreary Co. Record on 16 October 1975

PIONEER DIES   10-16-1975 Reprint from an unknown paper 12-17-1925
Obituary for John Riley Sellers, printed originally by an unknown paper December 17, 1925

    One of the best-beloved and well-known characters of this part of the Kentucky mountains has crossed the frontier of the stars, and his going is greatly lamented throughout McCreary.  We refer to Uncle Riley Sellers,
who died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Nickles, at Danville, last Friday, at the ripe old age of 94.  His death was due to the ravages of old age.
    Uncle Riley, as he was familiarly known, came into this part of the country from North Carolina, back in the 40s, and settled with his family on a little farm located where the R. W. Henderson home in Stearns now stands.  His sons and grandsons accompanied him with their families, and they formed a little settlement which they named "Hemlock" and which in the early years of the twentieth century became the town of Stearns.
    His son, Bailey, his grandson, Lemuel, and his great-grandson, Jefferson, all settled in this section and became a factor for good in the community.
    Uncle Riley was a source of much information on early days in the mountains, and his passing takes away another link with the haloed past.
    Thomas Sellers, chief time keeper for the Stearns Company, is the son of Jefferson Sellers, and great-grandson of Uncle Riley.
    Interment took place at the Pine Knot Cemetery on Sunday and a large  attendance was on the ground to pay their respects to one of our pioneer citizens.
    While his age made his death an expected possibility, the loss to the family is great and they have the sincere sympathy of the entire section in their dark hour.
NOTE:  The daughter refered to above is GENETTA "NETTIE" SELLERS, who married BAL WRIGHT NICHOLS.  Her name was misspelled in the obit, and I copied it as written.
Contributed by:  Sherri Hall