BAD FEELINGS BECOME BAD MURDER

 An apparent familial grudge led to murder on the evening of Sunday, September 6, 1953.

At approximately 9:00 P.M. members of the family of Odell Pennington heard a gunshot. When they went to investigate, they found Odell dead in the smokehouse near their residence. According to the family, Odell had the habit of sleeping in the smokehouse during warm weather.

The Rowan County News, Morehead, KY
September 10, 1953

Beechel Fraley signed a written confession for the crime. His son Clayton was also arrested but later released.

According to Fraley and statement by his son, this is what allegedly happened at the Pennington Family residence, located in the Drewdrop community in Elliott County, Kentucky:

Beechel and Clayton were at the Pennington home from 5:00 PM to approximately 6:30 PM.   The left but returned about two hours later, with the intention of purchasing a half-gallon of moonshine whiskey.

The Fraleys stated that they parked their car some distance from the Pennington house and Beechel went to make the purchase.  

Beechel stated that he yelled before he entered the smokehouse. When he went through the door, he thought Pennington was reaching for a gun. "So I shot him", said Beechel's statement.

Pennington was shot in the back of the head with a .45 caliber automatic colt. The bullet entered the back of the head and emerged near the right eye, causing instantaneous death.

An investigation all through the night lead to the Fraley's being arrested. During the investigation it was discovered that there had been bad trouble between the two families. Clayton Fraley was married to Pennington' daughter, Patty.  Beechel's daughter Bonnie was married to Pennington's son Lindsey.

In October of that year both Fraley's were indicted for willful murder in the death of Pennington. The trial was set for early 1954. Beechel was held without bond in the jail in West Liberty, KY, while Clayton was released on $5,000 bond.

On October 24, 1953, Jailers found 23 feet of rope and five hacksaw blades in Beechel's jail cell. The items were found in a pipe opening left when plumbers had previously removed a commode.

Licking Valley Courier, West Liberty, KY
October 29, 1953.

Beechel Fraley was put on trial in early 1954 and was found guilty. The prosecution had sought the death penalty stating that the murder was pre-meditated and carefully planned. However, the jury handed down a life sentence instead of the death penalty.

The Rowan County News, Morehead, KY
May 20, 1954

At some point, Judge David Davis stated that Beechel had told him the pistol he used was covered up in a potato patch. The judge and others later found the pistol exactly where Beechel had said.  The gun and the bullet from the murder were sent to the FBI for ballistics tests. The FBI concluded that the bullet had come from the pistol in question.

Beecher Fraley did not file a motion for a retrial.

As for his son Clayton, in February of 1955, charges against him were dropped due to a lack of evidence.

The Messenger, Madisonvile, KY,

Wed, Feb 09, 1955

On March 25, 1957, Beechel escaped from the state prison near Danville, KY by jumping from a milk truck and fleeing from the guards. He was recaptured at his home in Elliott County on July 30, 1957.

Licking Valley Courier, West Liberty, KY
August 1, 1957.

Odell Pennington was laid to rest in the Eli Pennington Cemetery at Ault, Kentucky. He left behind his wife, four sons, and four daughters.

Beechel (Bechel) Fraley passed away in 1987 and he is buried alongside his wife in the Elliott County Memory Gardens in Sandy Hook, KY.

Clayton Fraley passed away in 1996 and is buried alongside his wife in t he Vale Cemetery in Springfield Township, Ohio.

Murderous Sunday

One of the greatest crimes in the history of Carter County, KY occurred on the morning of Sunday, February 21, 1926, at the home of Jerry Stidham, located on the Hitchins-Grayson Road about a mile from Grayson.

Jerry Stidham was born on July 12, 1852, in Wise County, Virginia.  He married Elizabeth Addington Stidham, who passed away as the result of cancer on August 12, 1923, at the age of 69.  Three years after her passing, Jerry, age 73 at the time, married 67-year-old Nancy Ann Riddle on October 11, 1925, in Lawrence County, Ohio. Nancy had been married twice previously and had at least five children.

After just four months, this marriage would come to a tragic end on Sunday, February 21, 1926, when Mrs. Stidham was found beaten nearly to death by neighbors after Mr. Stidham summoned them for help.

Courtesy of the February 25, 1926, edition of the East Kentucky Journal in Grayson, KY, Mr. Stidham allegedly relayed this story to the neighbors:

"That he, upon starting to the barn soon after rising about 5:30 o'clock Sunday, had been accosted by three men who took his gold watch and $18.00 in money, two of whom tied his hands and told him if he hollowed [hollered], they would shoot him, while the third party went into the house where Mrs. Stidham was in the act of dressing.  Stidham said he heard her exclaim: 'I know you and you'll be handled for this.'  A racket followed and one of the bandits in the yard joined the one who had attacked his wife, Stidham claimed, and the two commenced to beat her.  When they left, after ransacking the place and finding about $100 of her money, Stidham went to the house of a neighbor to get his hands freed."

When Mr. Stidham returned with the neighbors, they found Mrs. Stidham lying on the floor with a handkerchief tied in three knots about her neck, apparently dead.  When one of the neighbors cut the bandages, Mrs. Stidham showed signs of life, and therefore physicians were summoned. Medical attention was given but Mr. Stidham passed away a few minutes past eight o-clock. Until that time, she had laid in a subconscious state of mind.

Immediately a search of the surrounding countryside was initiated by law enforcement in hopes of finding a trace of the alleged attackers.  About three o'clock in the afternoon bloodhounds were brought in. The hounds made numerous trips to the well, the house and the yard, and it was determined that the murderer of Mrs. Stidham was in the crowd! 

The Louisville Courier-Journal reported on February 23, 1926, that when the bloodhounds were present, they kept circling Mr. Stidham. 

The following day officials drained the well and found a gold watch. The hands on the watch had stopped at 6:14 - the time of the crime.

Mr. Stidham  had made several remarks regarding the draining of the well, stating that the officers would not find anything. He went on to tell them that it would go dry next summer and they could see what was in it then.

A blood smeared club was found along with a sweater belonging to Mr. Stidham. The sweater had been partially burned, but the part of the sweater that was soaked in blood had not burned. Also, according to the Courier-Journal, a pair of blood splattered trousers belonging to Mr. Stidham were found. Mr. Stidham tried to explain those by saying the stains were made when he went to his wife's side after he had loosened the ropes with which he had been tied. The Courier-Journal also stated that Mr. Stidham had multiple scratches on the b ack of his hand which he said were inflicted when he was tied.

East Kentucky Journal, Grayson, KY
February 25, 1926

Based on the evidence found at the scene, a warrant was issued by two sons of Mrs. Stidham charging Mr. Stidham with her murder.  Mr. Stidham was immediately taken into custody and brought to the county jail where he was lodged.

The coroner's jury held an inquest at the W.E. Holcomb undertaking business in Grayson, KY. That jury gave the verdict that Mrs. Stidham "came to her death at the hands of persons unknown with murderous intent."

Doctors Stoval and O'Roark both agreed that death was due to the severe beating she had received. Her body was bruised from head to foot. Dr. Stovall also stated that he counted 35  scalp wounds but the skull had not been broken. 

Mr. Stidham's examining trial took place on Monday, March 1, 1926, at the Carter County Courthouse in front of the largest crowd in the history of the county, at least at that time.

East Kentucky Journal, Grayson, KY
March 4, 1926

East Kentucky Journal, Grayson, KY
March 4, 1926

During this trial witnesses told of going to the Stidham home on the morning of the slaying and of finding Mrs. Stidham lying on the floor and of the disorder in the house. Testimony was also given regarding the finding of Stidham's watch in the well, and of finding blood stains on the rope used to draw water. Testimony was also given regarding finding blood on Mr. Stidham's shoes and and trousers.

Mr. Stidham did not furnish witnesses and waived examination himself.  Judge J.R. McGill gave the verdict which held the prisoner without bail for further action of the April term of the Carter Circuit Court. 

It was reported that habeas corpus proceedings would be taken to secure the release of Mr. Stidham.

On Monday, April 5, 1926 Carter County Circuit Court indicted and charged with willful murder.  He was arraigned the next morning and placed under a $10,000 bond to appear for trial on April 15, 1926.

A change of venue motion was entered, which was later denied but delayed the trial until Friday, April 23, 1926.

The day of the trial arrived and once again throngs of spectators packed the courtroom to witness the trial. After all of the preliminary motions were done, the Court ordered the selection of a jury to take up the case. This was taken up Friday and a jury was selected by noon on Saturday, April 24, 1926. One to two hundred men were summoned for the jury before twelve qualified.

The jury consisted of Ballard Hignite, L. George Holbrook, Arthur Berry, Ed McGlone, Perry Hamilton, Kay Reynolds, Dock Barker,  Melvin Bradley, Charles Fannin, Harve Sturgill, Charles Duncan, and D.W. Stillman.

 After the jury selection, the Court was adjourned until Monday to give the attorneys time to prepare their case.

Monday morning the Commonwealth represented by Attorneys Yates, Littleton, and Dysard began examination of its witnesses.  Doctor Stoval was the first   witness called followed by neighbor John Everman.

The Commonwealth's goal was to establish that the motive for the killing was domestic troubles and quarrels. They also claimed they would prove that Stidham drew the sum of $1,000.00 from the bank previous to the murder and no trace of the money had been found since.  They also stated they would prove that the tracks in the yard which were said to have been made by the three bandits were t he identical tracks made by Stidham's shoes.

The defense, ably represented by Attorneys Waugh, Wolfford and Fields stated that they would refuse the theory of domestic discord, producing witnesses to show that Stidham and wife had lived together in harmony, that she had said she made no mistake in marrying him, and that they were planning to build a better home in the near future. The defense also stated that they would prove by witnesses that Stidham had made t he statement to several that he had dropped his watch in the well five weeks or more before the murder.  They also stated that they would prove the three robbers caught a train for Ashland and that neighbors followed the tracks to the railroad.

The Commonwealth used all of Monday to examine its witnesses and then rested it's case.  Tuesday morning, the jury was taken to the Stidham home to view the crime scene.

Stidham then took the stand in his own behalf, relating the same story of the crime that had previously been stated.  He reportedly seemed deeply affected during the recital of the events, and at times wept openly.  

During the cross examination by Attorney Dysard, Stidham denied parts of  the testimony which had been recorded at the initial examining trial.  Throughout Tuesday afternoon, the defense examined its witnesses, among whom were several life-long friends of Stidham. They were summoned to prove his morals and character were of the best.  This was followed by the Commonwealth's rebuttal, then the Court adjourned for the day.

Wednesday was no exception when it came to the large crowd who had come to hear the trial.  

Defense attorney John M. Waugh gave the first argument of the day.  He was followed by H.R.  Drysard, counsel for the Commonwealth, who spoke for ninety minutes.

At 2:30 P.M. on that afternoon the case was given to the jury. They were unable to reach a verdict that day, so the Judge instructed them to think over the case and render a verdict the following day, which was Thursday.

The Eastern Kentucky Journal stated that "Crowds, such as have not been to hear a trial in Court here for years, have thronged the Courtroom during all three days of the trial and hundreds were in town Wednesday to hear the lawyers' argument."

The following day, after deliberating for just an hour, the jury returned a verdict of guilty and sentenced Stidham to fifteen years in prison. Stidham appeared unmoved when the verdict was read.

Messenger-Inquirer, Owensboro, KY

Thu, Apr 29, 1926 ·Page 4

Mrs. Stidham was laid to rest in the Wilson Cemetery at Soldier, Kentucky.  Mr. Stidham would pass away of natural causes just four years after the trial. He is buried at the Wilburn Cemetery in Grayson, Kentucky.

In my research, I never found a clear reason that was given for the murder. In fact, I found only a few witness statements for the defense and none for the Commonwealth.   But regardless of the motive, this crime no doubt was one of the most brutal in the history of Carter County, Kentucky. I cannot even fathom being struck in the head at least 35 times with a club, not to mention numerous blows to the rest of the body, especially at the age of 67. 

It is my prayer that, in death, Mrs. Stidham found the peace that seemed to escape her in her last days of life. And I pray that Mr. Stidham made peace with God before he took his last breath.

Tragedy On The Ohio

 One of the lesser-known tragedies / disasters in Kentucky history was that of the explosion of the steamboat the "A.N. Johnston" of 1847. In fact, I had not heard about it until last night when I just happened to find mention of it online. And given the magnitude of the disaster, there are not a lot of newspaper articles about it either, surprisingly.

The A.N. Johnston was a new boat. It had three boilers and a double engine.  It was built in Wheeling, WV.

On this fateful journey, the boat was traveling from Cincinnati, Ohio to Wheeling, West Virginia. According to a report given to a newspaper by Samuel Harlin, there were 95 cabin and 64 deck passengers.  

The boat had stopped to discharge some passengers on the wharf-boat in Manchester, Ohio before resuming its journey.

At approximately 2:00 A.M. on December 29, 1847, the steamboat was 12 miles above Maysville, Kentucky when the boat's boiler burst, causing a catastrophic explosion.

According to reports, the boat's engineer, before he passed, stated that he had previously checked the boilers and found sufficient water. However, one of the ship's clerks reported hearing the engineer complain "multiple times" that the pumps were not functioning properly.

One of the boilers was blown into a cornfield about 200 yards away. Another boiler was blown about 300 yards away into the same cornfield.  The steamer was completely destroyed and burned to the water's edge. 

The loss of life was estimated to be between 60 and 80 people; but remarkably, all the ladies on board (about 6-7) and several children survived. Many others were injured, some severely. Some were so badly injured they stood very little chance of surviving. 

The Louisville Daily Courier, January 1, 1848, stated "The explosion blew up the cabin deck, and when many of the passengers opened the cabin doors to make their escape, they were precipitated into the hold, and there, with twenty-seven horses, were seen writhing in the flames. None of them escaped."

The article went on to say that "One poor fellow was seen caught under a part of the wreck, when it has burnt nearly to the water's edge. Nothing could save him. As he cast his look of despair imploringly on the spectators, the wreck sunk, carrying him forever to the last bourne.

Many were blown into the river, and sunk at once, disappearing forever, perhaps, from those who wish to obtain their last glance of those they love."

The steamer "Boone" from Maysville responded to the scene and brought back thirty-seven of the dead and wounded. Some of the other victims were taken to Cincinnati.  The Blue Ridge, a Kanawha packet also responded to the scene and rescued some of the passengers.

In addition to the loss of human life, twenty to twenty-seven horses were lost along with at least $20,000 in money. The books of the boat were also lost. 

I've included here two different articles listing some of the passengers - one from the Louisville Daily Courier and one from the Wheeling Times and Advertiser.

Louisville Daily Courier, Louisville, KY, January 1, 1848

Wheeling Times and Advertiser, Wheeling, WV, January 4, 1848.


Although not largely known about, and possibly forgotten over time, this tragedy is still one of the most somber tragedies in history.

Slithering Salvation

 On Evans Drive in Middlesboro, KY sits your typical country church. On the outside it doesn't appear to be any different than any other church. It wrapped in white siding; it has a handicapped ramp going up into the church.

The interior of the church doesn't look any different than most country churches - carpeted floors, an altar, a piano, guitars, drums. What separates this church's appearance from the majority of churches in Appalachia - little boxes sitting in the front. Inside those boxes - deadly serpents - copperheads and rattlesnakes.

First Gospel Tabernacle in Jesus Name - Middlesboro, KY

Serpent handling is a religious rite observed in a small number of isolated churches in the United States, primarily in the Appalachian and Southern regions. However the practice plays only a small part in the church services. The practice is most commonly associated with the Holiness and / or Pentecostal movement.

The basis for the practice comes from the scripture found in the King James Bible, Mark 16: 17-18: "And these signs shall follow them that believe: In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues. They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."

But when did the practice begin? And who started it? Let's take a look into that.

Rev. George Went Hensley

The practice of serpent handling first appeared around 1910 and was associated with the ministry of Rev. George Went Hensley. There is some disagreement among scholars as to whether or not Hensley actually started the practice, but they all agree that he played an important role in advancing the practice.

Hensley was an interesting character to say the least.  He came from a large family that had moved between Tennessee and Virginia. Just before George's birth they settled in Tennessee.  They were very religious Baptist family.  However, Hensley would leave the Baptist faith in 1901 when he married Amanda Winniger.

After their marriage, the couple moved to Ooltewah, Tennessee. There Hensley helped in his brother-in-law's lumber business, worked in the local ore mines, and was involved in making moonshine.  Yes, you read that correctly - making moonshine.

 

Hensley was married four times and fathered thirteen children. Three of those marriages ended because of his drunkenness, frequent travels, and inability to earn a steady income. Yes, you read that correctly - because of his drunkenness. 

In the summer of 1909 or 1910 Hensley experienced a religious conversion.  While studying his Bible in Grasshopper Valley, TN, he ran across the scripture Mark 16: 17-18. He interpreted it to mean that Jesus commanded his followers to take up serpents.  So, Hensley hiked up White Oak Mountain and caught a rattlesnake and soon began conducting snake handling services. He traveled through the Southeastern United States teaching a form of Pentecostalism that emphasized strict personal holiness, and frequent contact with venomous serpents.

During the Prohibition Era (1920-1933), Hensley was arrested in Tennessee on moonshine related charges. He was sentenced to a term in a workhouse; however, he escaped and fled the state.

Even though he was illiterate, he became a licensed minister of the Church of God in Cleveland, Tennessee. He traveled throughout Tennessee conducting Church of God sanctioned services before resigning from the congregation in 1922. At first, he was happy with the Church of God, but began to question whether he was living a sufficiently righteous life. Even though he had practiced snake handling while with the Church of God, it is believed that he really didn't ramp it up until after he left the denomination in 1922.

After escaping from the workhouse, Hensley traveled to Ohio where he held revival services. He and his family rarely stayed any length of time in a location.  

He established the Churches of God With Signs Following in Tennessee and Kentucky. Although he conducted many, many services, some of which drew large crowds and lots of media attention, he made very little money.

During the 1930's George traveled the Southeastern part of the United States, resuming his ministry. He preached throughout the Appalachian regions of Kentucky, Tennessee, the Carolinas, Virginia, Ohio, and Indiana. promoting the practice of serpent handling all the way.  Hensley argued that if believers truly had the Holy Spirit, they should be able to handle venomous snakes and drink poison and suffer no harm from doing so.  Due to Hensley, the popularity of serpent handling as a test of faith increased due to Hensley's messages.   As a result, sister churches sprang up throughout Appalachia.

In 1945, Hensley and Ramond Hayes, a follower of Hensley's teaching started a church together, which they named the "Dolly Pond Church of God With Signs Following." Churches influenced by Hensley are broadly known as the "Church of God With Signs Following."

Rev. James M. Miller

But Hensley wasn't the only one who originated serpent handling in church services, even though he is largely responsible.  In Alabama and North Georgia serpent handling originated with James Miller in Sand Mountain, Alabama. Miller was establishing the belief without knowledge of Hensley, even though they were establishing the practice near the same time period.  Miller is believed to have developed his belief independently of any knowledge of Hensley's ministry.

Hensley's ministry was trinitarian whereas Miller's ministry was non-trinitarian. Those churches influenced by Miller are broadly known as the Church of  the Lord Jesus With Signs Following.  This version of the serpent handling faith is the largest of the two. The most known church of this organization is the Church of the Lord Jesus with Signs Following in Jolo, West Virginia.

Church of the Lord Jesus With Signs Following in Jolo, WV

 Each church is independent, and the denominational names are not consistent in all areas, but they are typically some variations of the name "Church of God" (Trinitarian) or "Church of the (Lord) Jesus" (Oneness.)

Followers of the faith are encouraged to lay hands on the sick, speak in tongues, provide testimony of miracles, and occasionally consume poisons, usually strychnine.  Their worship services usually include singing, praying, speaking in tongues, and preaching, and of course serpent handling.

If one should be bitten by a serpent, usually do not seek medical help but look to God for help and healing. And if they die, they are never criticized for a lack of faith; it is believed that it was simply the person's time to die. The exact numbers vary per source, but it is believed that more than 100 people have died as a result of practicing this form of religion.

Sadly, the very same movement that he was instrumental in starting was also the same movement that cost Rev. George Went Hensley his life. Rev. Hensley died following a snake bite received during a service he was conducting in Altha, Florida.  He was bitten on the wrist as he was trying to return the snake back into the can in which it was being held.  He died the next morning - July 25, 1955. His death was ruled a suicide. 

News-Press, Ft. Myers, FL, July 26, 1955

Rev. James M. Miller, the founder of the Church of the Lord Jesus with Signs Following sect of serpent handling, died in 1937 from a work-related injury - not from practicing his faith.

Though slowly dying out, the practice of serpent handling in church is still prevalent throughout the Southeastern portion of the United States despite numerous attempts by lawmakers to make the practice illegal.

In closing - this blog went in a little different direction than I thought it would. And it only skims the surface on the subjects of Rev. Hensley, Rev. Miller, and serpent handling. You could easily write a book on any of those due to the sheer amount of information out there.

The Worth of A Five Year Old's Life? - $500.00 And A Year In Prison

We often hear the question, what is the monetary value of a life? Well according to a 1957 Floyd County, Kentucky jury - the value of the life of a five-year-old boy was not worth a lot - just $500 and a year in prison.

The story began on March 23, 1957, on Little Mud Creek in Floyd County, Kentucky. There, Herbert Salisbury and Kelly Hamilton, two adult males, got into a fist fight. The story, as told to officials, Salisbury hit Hamilton, knocking him into five-year-old Garnie V.  Hunter (also have seen his name as Garney B Hunter in some newspaper reports.) The impact knocked the child down an embankment. As he was rolling down the embankment, he struck a broken fruit jar, cutting his jugular vein. The boy bled to death in less than 20 minutes.

Headline from the Floyd County Times, Prestonsburg, KY, March 28, 1957

According to the Floyd County Times dated March 28, 1957, upon hearing of the tragedy, Sheriff Gormon Collins dispatched five carloads of officers to the Trace Branch of Little Mud Creek. The officers arrested Hamilton and Salisbury, along with 25 others that were present. The 25, one of which was a woman, were arrested on charges of drunkenness.

Hamilton and Salisbury waived examining trials and were charged with Manslaughter and taken to jail on a $5,000.00 bond. 

In September 1957, Herbert Salisbury was convicted of manslaughter and was sentenced to one year in prison and fined $500.00.  In January 1958, Hamilton was acquitted of the charge.

A child lost his life, and the penalty was a mere $500 and a year in prison. 

Little Garnie was the son of Walker and Ruthie Hunter and at the time was survived by ten siblings.   His funeral was held Tuesday, March 26, 1957, at the Regular Baptist Church at Blue Moon (Floyd County), KY. He was laid to rest in the Williams Cemetery at Blue Moon.  I tried to find him on Find-A-Grave but I could not find him, nor could I find a Williams Cemetery at Blue Moon. I did find that there are ten Williams Cemeteries in Floyd County, so I'm unsure which one in which he is buried.

Such a tragedy - a young life cut short by the foolish sinful acts of adults.

Death Certificate for Garnie. Notice the cause of death oddly says "knife wound."

Murder At Waverly Hills Sanatorium

 

Instead of typing out an entire blog on this case, I decided to share the newspaper clipping from the Louisville Courier-Journal, Louisville, KY, March 2, 1954 along with subsequent articles.

Louisville Courier-Journal, Louisville, KY, March 2, 1954 

Louisville Courier-Journal, March 6, 1954.

Louisville Courier-Journal, April 22,1954

A Lynching In Rowan

 The following story was written by Dr. Jack Ellis and published in the Morehead News on July 7, 2000.  The Morehead News is no longer in publication and Dr. Ellis has since passed on.  So to keep this story from being lost to the sands of time, I thought I would publish it here, word for word, just as Dr. Ellis wrote it.

If a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right ... he shall surely live. Eze 18:5,9.

Evidence of early Rowan County's lawless and violent reputation was evident by an article that appeared in the "Bracken County Record" dated April 4, 1877. (Thanks to Nan Lytle for sharing this material)

The crime committed

John R. (Jack) Tabor was a Rowan resident who had resided in the Cranston area of Rowan County. Mr. Tabor had been in trouble with the law on several occasions. He had an unsavory reputation not only in Rowan but also in the neighboring counties. John P. Martin was one of Tabor's neighbors, and a companion in crime.

On a Saturday night in early April 1887 after getting drunk on their homemade moonshine, Tabor and Martin hatched a plan to steal two horses and skip the country. After stealing the horses, the two men headed north toward the Ohio River. On Sunday, they were seen passing through Flemingsburg. By Monday morning they reached the Ohio River at Foster, a small town down river from Augusta in Bracken County. It was their intention to board the Bonanza, a paddle wheeler, headed 42 miles down river to Cincinnati. There they would sell their stolen horses at the stock sales'.

The Bonanza was not 'due at Foster until Wednesday, so the two men camped on the dock waiting for the arrival of the steamboat. Also a part of their plan was for John Martin's wife to come to Maysville and board the Bonanza. She would then meet them down river when the boat docked at Foster. There the three would continue on to Cincinnati together. Martin's wife booked passage on the Bonanza on Tuesday right on schedule. But she evidently caught the attention of the local Marshall since he had just been notified of the two horses stolen in Rowan County. Also he had been told that the woman waiting to board the boat was from Rowan County.

When the Bonanza left Maysville headed down river, Maysville Marshall Heflin and Jail er Weedon were also on board. They were determined to "shadow" Mrs. Martin, believing she was involved in the crime. How did the Marshall in Maysville find out so quickly about the stolen horses in Rowan County? There were no railroads or any form of fast communication in Rowan County in 1877.

The news spreads Warren Alderson, owner of one of the two general stores in Morehead in 1877, was a church-going man. He arose on Sunday morning and attended church services held in the Rowan County Courthouse. As he came out of the meeting, he saw the sheriff ride up on his horse. The sheriff told Mr. Alderson that two horses had been stolen in the Cranston area on Saturday night and described the stolen horses to the storekeeper. He then asked to keep a look for them.

Before daybreak on Monday, Mr. Alderson left Morehead in his wagon on his weekly trip to Maysville, Kentucky hauling freight, mail and passengers. (Later on he hired a driver to make the weekly round trip but in 1877 he was making the run himself.) His wife always ran the store during his absence. When Mr. Alderson passed the Mt. Pisgah Church in northern Rowan County, there was a woman who stopped his wagon and paid her passage to Maysville. Mr. Alderson knew about everyone in the county and recognized her as the wife of John Martin. She told him she was on her way to Cincinnati to meet her husband.

Suspicion aroused

Mr. Alderson always stopped in Flemingsburg overnight and Mrs. Martin stayed at a local inn and Colonel Alderson, famous for squeezing a penny, slept in his wagon while the horses rested that night. They were off again at daybreak on Tuesday morning and arrived in Maysville about noon. Mrs. Martin climbed down from the wagon and walked down to the dock. Warren went to a local restaurant to eat lunch and saw Maysville Marshall Heflin, and told him about the stolen horses in Rowan County and gave him a description of the animals. He also mentioned that his passenger was Mrs. Martin from Rowan County on her way to Cincinnati. Evidently the Marshall knew of Martin's reputation so he became suspicious and he decided to follow her. His suspicions paid off much to the detriment of the two horse thieves.

When the steamboat docked at Foster, Jack Tabor and John Martin boarded with the two stolen horses. After the boat returned to the middle of the Ohio River, Martin and Tabor met with the "suspicious" woman. While they were talking, the Marshall and jailer examined the two horses and they matched the description of the stolen animals.

Criminals arrested

The Marshall then arrested the two horse thieves and ordered the · captain of the sternwheeler to return them to Foster and the Marshall, the jailer, and the two thieves embarked with the stolen horses. The two men and the woman were returned to Maysville on Wednesday night and were placed in jail. However, on Thursday morning the two men consented to return to Rowan County for trial, along with the two horses which were returned to their owners.

Jack Tabor lynched

Evidently people in Rowan County were in no mood for leniency, and Jack Tabor's previous brushes with the law had caught up with him. His punishment was swift and sure. According to a dispatch one week later in the Bracken County Record, Jack Tabor, the horse thief who had been arrested on the steamer Bonanza, was lynched . It cannot be determined for certain that Jack Tabor's death was due to a trial by his peers or taken from the jail and lynched. But it is the writer's opinion that there was not enough time to hold a trial, and the report used the word "lynched." Here are the exact words used in what the Bracken County paper called "A Later Dispatch."

"A report has reached us via Maysville that John R. Tab6r of Rowan County, the horse thief who was arrested here Wednesday on the Steamer bonanza was lynched in Morehead."

It seemed the report reached back to Bracken County in about one week after the men were returned to Rowan County. Also the report used the word "lynched" which was not a word used when prisoner was legally hung as the result of a trial. Therefore, it is this writer's opinion based on the evidence, that Jack Tabor was removed from the Rowan County Jail and lynched by the "Tiger" guard. The Tiger guard was an extreme vigilante radical group of the Home Guard. The Home Guard was a group of citizens in Rowan County organized to protect life and property during and after the Civil War. It could have been that group; or just some citizens who were tired of the criminal element in the county, and they were determined to make an example of Jack Tabor. I'm sure there were other lynchings in Rowan County, but his is the only evidence this writer had found so far of a lynching in Rowan County. Also, please remember that lynching was seven years before the start of the Rowan County War which brought this county its reputation for violence.