A Classic & Dramatic Eastern Kentucky Feud

 I want to preface this by saying that I know a lot of my historical blogs have been about shootings, murders, and crimes in the Salyersville / Magoffin County area.  I want to point out that Salyersville and Magoffin County was no more or no less violent than any other Kentucky community back in the early days of our state.  If you browse through old newspaper archives and other historical literature, you will find that pretty much all of Kentucky and Appalachia were violent at that time. 

The reason that a lot of my blogs center around Magoffin County and Salyersville is I lived there for over eight years.  And prior to that, some of my ancestors came from there.  So I have a lot of interest in that area.  And when I post one blog about something that happened in that area, I usually get asked if I can find information about another event.  Such is the case is this one.  I had posted a blog about another murder. John Harper saw it and asked me to research the event that I'm about to cover. 

I just wanted to clear that up. The people of Magoffin County and Salyersville are some of the finest people you will find anywhere.  Sure they have some questionable characters there like any other community.  But for the most part, they are the salt of the earth type people.

Now on to the subject matter at hand.

On July 25, 1911, Leck Whitt, who was described in the Lexington Leader as being an "outlaw and notorious character of the mountains" clashed with his uncle Buddy Whitt and James Harper, who according to some sources, was his son-in-law. The end result ended in murder.  

James Oney, a brother-in-law of James Harper stated that a grudge had existed between Leck Whitt and his Uncle Buddy. The trouble originated in some family difficulty.  That difficulty varies per source.  The Big Sandy News stated that difficulty was over a tract of land.  The St. Louis Dispatch-Post quoted an unidentified businessman as stating that the difficulty was the result of a previous fight between the three. During that fight, one of the men shot Leck in his right arm, paralyzing his arm. 

The Lexington Herald gave another story as told by William Stacy of Cannel City, who spoke to an eyewitness.  Stacy said the trouble between the two Whitts started over a cow.  He also stated that Leck Whitt and James Harper were long time enemies because Harper allegedly had been cutting timber from a piece of ground claimed by Whitt.  He stated that the reason the men were in Salyersville that morning was because of an indictment against Harper over the cutting of the timber.

Yet another source gave a different reason for the trouble between Leck Whitt and James Harper.  James Harper was a friend of Buddy Whitt.  And because of that friendship, he was made an enemy of Leck Whitt, who Oney described as "an outlaw and dangerous man." On the other hand, Oney described Buddy Whitt and James Harper as "law-abiding, peaceable citizens."

 Regardless of the cause of the difficulty, Leck Whitt vowed to kill his uncle.

Magoffin County Courthouse in Salyersville, KY

The morning of July 25, 1911 found Buddy Whitt and James Harper standing in the Magoffin County Courthouse yard in Salyersville discussing some business matters.  Leck Whitt was seen coming up the street towards them.   Leck came within a few steps of where the two were standing, looked Buddy in the face but didn't utter a word.  Leck then turned to walk away. He went a few yards and then turned and opened fire on Buddy and James Harper. 

Stories vary as to the number of shots that were fired.  But Buddy was shot several times in the intestines.  And James Harper was shot in the throat with the bullet lodging in his spine.

With both Harper and Buddy Whitt wounded and unable to return fire, numerous bystanders returned fire.  It was reported that Leck Whitt was shot more than 20 times by bystanders.   One witness told the Lexington Herald that Leck stood still as the shots were fired at him, never once moaning or groaning. And when his body couldn't stand anymore, he fell backwards and died, his empty gun in hand.

Headline from
The Lexington Herald, July 30, 1911

James Harper and Buddy Whitt both were transported over the rough terrain to Cannel City, where they were placed on a train and transferred to St. Joseph Hospital in Lexington, where they both succumbed to their injuries.  

This feud would go down as a classic and most dramatic in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky.