xt7f7m03z78k https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7f7m03z78k/data/mets.xml Reynolds, Noah M. 19  books b92-110-27905454 English s.n., : [S.l. : Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Vendetta Kentucky. Crime Kentucky. Criminals Kentucky History of the feuds of the mountain parts of Eastern Kentucky  : lives of Noah and John Reynolds / by Noah M. Reynolds. text History of the feuds of the mountain parts of Eastern Kentucky  : lives of Noah and John Reynolds / by Noah M. Reynolds. 19 2002 true xt7f7m03z78k section xt7f7m03z78k 




Mountain Feuds
of Kentucky

 


    HISTORY of the
Feuds of the Mountain
   Parts of Eastern
      Kentucky



        Lives of
Noah and John Reynolds



     By
Noah M. Reynolds



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 This page in the original text is blank.

 


             INTRODUCTION
  I will now attempt to give the reader a
brief sketch of my fore parents. My grand-
father, Noah Reynolds, was born in Russell
county, Virginia, where he married Chaney
Stone, who was a very small woman, weighing
from seventy-five to eighty pounds.
  To their happy union were born ten children,
five boys and five girls. My father, Henry
Reynolds, being the oldest child, induced his
father to move to Kentucky, where he bought
a small tract of land near the mouth of Boone
Fork, of the north fork of Kentucky River.
This being a very sparsely settled section of
the mountains, game was plentiful. The
coves and small bottoms were fertile, bringing
abundant crops of corn and garden vegetables.
The neighbors being kind and generous-
hearted, would lend a helping hand to any-
thing they could see their neighbor needed,
without the asking, everybody going to church
on Sunday and worshipping God according to
the dictates of their own conscience.
  My father, Henry Reynolds, at the age
of twenty-one years, married my mother,
Matilda Baker, age fifteen years, the daughter
of Henry Baker, a noted Methodist preacher,
to whom were born nine children, three boys
and six girls, of which I (Noah Reynolds) was
the oldest. He being a brick mason by trade,
handed down the same art and skill to his
three sons, the same art and skill he had
acquired from his father (making and laying
brick). Working at his profession, brick lay-
ing, and tilling the soil, he raised his family
to the years of maturity in peace and har-
mony with all mankind.
  I, Noah M. Reynolds, the oldest son of
Henry Reynolds, was born Feb. 13th, 1866.
                     3

 



My brother, John H. Reynolds, whose life
was interwoven so closely with my own, as
the reader will see later on, was born Aug.
29th, 1882.
  I, or we, as all the other small children of
our neighborhood, went to school barefooted,
played ball and such other games as was for
the amusement of school children, and were
surpassed in skill by none.
  Our home was where the mining town Seco
now is. Going three miles to school where
Neon now is, me being the oldest, had to look
after the home affairs, failed to get the edu-
cation my brother John received, he making a
school teacher in later years.
  I want the reader to know and understand
we were raised and instructed by as good
parents as ever lived in the State of Kentucky,
or elsewhere.
  We were taught to do unto all men as we
would they do unto us. I, Noah Reynolds,
being the oldest boy of the family, as I have
stated before, at an early age learned the
brick mason trade, working with my Uncle
Ange Reynolds. We built the first courthouse
that was built at Clintwood, Dickenson county,
Virginia, I being only thirteen years old. At
the age of seventeen, we made the brick and
built the courthouse at Hazard, Perry county,
Kentucky. I also helped to build the court-
house and jail at Whitesburg, Letcher county,
Kentucky, where my brother, William H.
Reynolds, is now jailer. I continued to lay
brick, building chimneys in divers places in
Eastern Kentucky and Southwest Virginia,
farming, trading some in stock, which leads
up to the time of which I am about to relate.



4


 



Mountain Feuds of Kentucky



    FRANCH AND EVERSOLE WAR
      IN WHICH ABOUT SEVENTY-FOUR
           MEN LOST THEIR LIVEs
  Commencing in about the year 1882, this feud
existed principally in Perry county, Ky. One of
the worst battles fought during the series of
battles between the factions of this feud was
at Hazard, the county seat of Perry county,
Kentucky, one faction occupying the court-
house which I have mentioned helping to
build, the other was in dwelling houses, stores
and anything convenient for men to get be-
hind for protection from bullets. In this
battle twelve men lost their lives and several
were wounded. There was fighting almost
every day in which some one was either
wounded or killed. In this war, Clabe Jones,
a great mountain feudist, played an im-
portant part. There was also a terrible
feud existing in Rowan county, Ky. More-
head, the county seat, was the center of this
feud, in which there was from eighty-five to
one hundred men killed. The next feud of
note was in Breathett county, Ky., Jackson
being the county seat, and commonly known
as the "Bloody Breathett Feud." In this
terrible feud one side of the participating
factions originally came from Russell county,
Va., the same county my grandfather came
from. There has never been any accurate
account kept of the actual number of men
killed during this great struggle.
                     5

 


MOUNTAIN FEUDS OF KENTUCKY



  THE HATFIELD AND McCOY FEUD
  The next feud of importance was waged
along the Kentucky, West Virginia and Vir-
ginia state lines, known as the "Hatfield and
McCoy Feud. "    This dreadful feud was
fought by heartless and fearless men on both
sides. In not only this but all the other feuds
which I have mentioned I could give the
names of many of the men which we com-
monly call bad men. But for the respect
I have for both the living and the dead I
will leave that part off.

        OLD CLABE JONES AND
        JOHN WRIGHT FEUD
  The next feud of importance, which was
fought mostly under my personal observation,
was fought under the leaderships of "Devil"
John Wright, who commanded one faction,
and old Clabe Jones, commanding the other.
This feud started from the murder of Linvil
Higgins, who was killed at a point where
Hindman, the county seat of Knott county,
Ky., now is. This man Higgins was killed
by three men, one of which was Wm. S. Wright,
who later on was the man who started the
trouble between himself and me, causing his
own death.
  For this Higgins killing, there were several
indictments made.
  Wright and others refused to submit to
the law. Dolph Drawn, a deputy sheriff in
and for Knott county, Ky., organized a band
of men of about thirty in number, marched
into Letcher county, Ky., to apprehend these
parties accused of the killing of Higgins
                    6

 

MOUNTAIN FEUDS OF KENTUCKY



(" Daniels Hill Fight"). On their way they
were fired on from ambush at a point known as
Daniels Hill by the Wrights' band and a
general fight ensued, in which several men
were wounded, one of which (the noted Talt
Hall) received a severe and painful wound
in the shoulder. He belonged to the Wright
faction; and a man by the name of Short,
who was with the Drawn side, was shot with
a shot gun. John Wright commanding his
side of the fight used a shot gun. In this
fight not only were men shot, but several
horses were also shot, one of which, a very
fine horse belonging to Dolph Drawn, was
killed on the spot. Which later on John
Wright paid for-regretting the killing of a
fine horse. The Drawn party, being stampeded,
retreated in bad order, going back to Knott
county, each man by himself. On their
return home they joined Clabe Jones, he
refusing to accompany Drawn on his raid
into Letcher county, because Drawn insisted
on making the raid on horseback in cavalry
form. Clabe being an old mountain feudist
understood the nature of his opponents,
telling Drawn he had better crawl on his
hands and knees into Letcher county, he
knowing the cunningness of John Wright,
Talt Hall, WM. S. WRIGHT, and others of his
gang. After banding under the leadership
of Clabe Jones another raid was planned,
Jones advising and instructing his men as
how he would conduct his warfare, going
after Wrights in the name of the law, while
Wright, as shrewd a craftsman as ever com-
manded a bunch of men in our mountains,
had his men organized in the same manner.
                     7

 


MOUNTAIN FEUDS OF KENTUCKY



Clabe Jones and John Wright each had re-
wards for the other, signed by the governor
of Kentucky. Clabe Jones, mustering his
men together, set out to capture or kill John
Wright and his men. Laden with guns and
ammunition, traveling during the night and
hiding in the mountains during the day.
But on arriving at Wright's stronghold ("Fort
Wright" as it was called), learned that Wright
had gone to Knott county, looking for him.
Jones and his men now, on failing to find
Wright, returned home in the same manner
as they had come-watching for Wright
during the day and traveling by night.

       SECOND RAID BY JONES
          ON "FORT WRIGHT"
  Jones, on arriving home in Knott county,
learned that Wright was also at home on the
head of Elkhorne Creek, in Letcher county.
Wright having failed to find Jones on his raid
had returned home also. Jones takes his men
and traveling by night and laying up by day,
as he had done on the first raid, arrived at
"Fort Wright" in the night. Arranging them-
selves as best they could, concealing them-
selves behind trees, rocks and such other
obstructions that they could find, waited for
daylight to come.
  On the first sight of a man (Bill Bates)
stepping out of the "Fort," Jones and his
men opened fire on him. Talt Hall and
several men who were in the "Fort" held
Jones off until John Wright, who was stopping
with a lady friend some three hundred yards
away, came to their rescue. The shooting
                     8

 


MOUNTAIN FEUDS OF KENTUCKY



lasted for two hours and was almost a con-
tinual roar. Jones, seeing his helpless con-
dition to either kill or capture any of Wright's
gang, retreated! Strange to say, but true,
no one was killed, but some were slightly
wounded. Wright, pursuing Jones, came up
with him on Mill Creek, a tributary of Rock-
house fork of Kentucky River. Here a desper-
ate battle was fought, in which John Wright
lost a man. Wright had this man carried away
and buried, as it was the way each side of
every faction of the feudists to bury their
dead and let nobody know it if possible.
  Each side seeing the great danger and im-
possibility of capturing the other, decided to
rest.
  One of Jones' braves (Bill Cook) surprised
and captured Wash Craft near the mouth of
Millstone Creek. Summoning J. Wash Adams
as a guard, he put Craft on a horse behind
Adams and started on their way to Hindman jail.
Arriving at a point on Rockhouse just below
the mouth of Beaverdam Creek, Craft snatched
a 38 revolver from Adams and fired five shots
in succession, killing Cook instantly, liberating
himself and making his way back to and
joining his friends.
  John Wright, hearing of the capture of
Craft, mustered eighteen men and went in
pursuit of Cook. Going a near way to cut
him off they came across parties carrying
Cook's dead body.
  Learning Craft had killed Cook he went
back with his men to "Fort Wright." This
feud lasted on and on for several years one
and two men meeting at a time and fighting
with guns and pistols, generally to a finish.
                     9

 



MOUNTAIN FEUDS OF KENTUCKY



Continuing on and on, other troubles grew
out of this feud until one hundred and fifty
men or more were killed. I have only men-
tioned a very few of the names of the parties
who took part in this great struggle. It may be
strange to the reader to learn that all parties
tried in court for this trouble came clear.

       ANOTHER BAD TROUBLE
  This happened at mouth of Boone, one-
fourth of a mile up Kentucky River from where
the Daniels Hill fight occurred, which I have al-
ready mentioned as being between Blain Combs
on one side and W. S. Wright on the other.
They met in the night-time. A desperate
battle ensued, in which Combs lost two men.
Then Combs chased Wright one mile up
B3oone's Fork to where Wright lived, the
place where Seco mining town now is.
  The next trouble of particular note was
waged between W. S. WRIGHT on one side, and
Lige and Sam Wright on the other. This
trouble grew out of W. S. Wright accusing
Lige and Sam Wright of killing his dog. W. S.
Wright mustered a band of fifteen men and
went in the night to the home of Sam and Lige
Wright, broke down their door. The fighting,
shooting and killing commenced. Andy Wright
and BIu WRIGHT, known as " Old Bill "
Wright being killed and "Black Bill" Wright
was severely wounded. The W. S. Wright
band ran from the scene of battle, leaving
their dead and wounded laying where they
fell. Sam and Lige Wright were indicted in
court at Whitesburg, Ky. Sam Wright broke
jail. Johu Davis Bentley, deputy sheriff,
                    10

 


MOUNTAIN FEUDS OF KENTUCKY



caught Sam Wright, and on his way to jail
with him, W. S. Wright, hearing of Sam
Wright's capture, waylaid them and shot
the prisoner through the back, severely wound-
ing him.
  Later on Sam and Lige came clear in court.
Then W. S. Wright swore that "Black Bill"
Wright, who was a brother of Sam and Lige,
had betrayed him and got his men killed,
and sent him to the penitentiary for five years.
He died in prison.
  Now, coming to the time in the history of
the lives of myself and John Reynolds. I at
this time, was about nineteen years old.
At this age I married one Miss Maggie Sergent,
she being the same age as myself, the daughter
of Stephen Sergent, who lived on Rockhouse
Creek, and to our happy union there has been
born eleven children, of which we have raised
ten to man and womanhood. After I got
married everything moved along smooth and
nice.
  My father had given me a farm and a branch
called Big Branch, which emptied into Boone.
My uncle, Cuge Reynolds, owned a farm at
the mouth of this branch. Some time later
uncle Cuge sold his farm to one W. S. Wright.
This man, W. S. Wright, was a very determined,
overbearing and vicious man-a man who had
almost done as he pleased with his neighbors,
and ruled the courts, on account of the fear
the people had for him. He could prove what-
soever he wished to carry his case in court,
and if he happened to fail he would resort
to arms. So the people generally were afraid
of him. The sound of his name was a terror
                    11

 



MOUNTAIN FEUDS OF KENTUCKY



to the whole country. After he had moved
to the uncle Cuge farm I was determined to
get along with him and I let him have his way.
For a long time he would do everything he
could think of that he thought would inter-
rupt me. His idea was to get my land for
nothing.

    THE FIRST TROUBLE OF NOTE
  W. S. Wright and Jas. Johnson, his son-
in-law, were cutting timber just below my
house. W. S. Wright called me to come down
where he was; said he wanted to see me on
business. I went down and asked him what
it was. He said, "I understand you claim a
poplar tree that stands near the land line
between you and me." "Yes," said I, "my
father does. It is not mine, as I have not got
my deed from father yet. You and father will
have to settle about the tree, I guess."  "So
far I don't think there is much man in you,
anyway," he said. He knew how to raise a
man's temper. Then said I, "I am a smaller
man than you in size but more man than you. "
  He then said, "You are a liar, and I can
whip you in a minute. " Coming towards
me with a large knife in his hand, I backed
off from him. He followed me to the fence.
I jumped the fence and went on up the road
to my home, with hot blood, but no way to
help it but let time cool it down. We all knew
he was a bad man and consulted together
how to get on with him. We decided to let
him have his way, which was a great mistake.



12

 


MOUNTAIN FEUDS OF KENTUCKY



          THE NEXT TROUBLE
  I had cut some rail timber near the line
between him and me. While I was away
from home he split it into rails and laid them
in his fence. I missed my timber and saw
the rails in his fence. When I met with him
I asked him why he had taken my timber.
He said he had not taken any of my timber.
Then, said I, "I'll see to that. I will just law
you. I didn't think you would steal. I
thought you had hired someone and that they
had gotten them through a mistake. " He said,
"Go on home; I'll be up some of these days
and settle with you about it."
  " No," said I, " if we settle it, it will be
to-day."  "Well, I'll be up this evening and
we will settle." I went on home, believing
I would have trouble with him. Sure enough,
in the evening he came up and called me. I
had heard before this that he had said he
was going to whip me over the timber. I had
a small gun which I dropped into my side
coat pocket, and went on to where he was.
On getting near him I asked him if he was
satisfied he got my timber. "Yes, I hired
one of the Potters. He thought it was my
timber. I will pay you for the timber. How
much is it worth" I told him and he paid
me and said, "You are all the time giving
me trouble. I guess I had as well give you
a good whipping and then you little sorry
thing you will let me alone." Slipping up his
sleeves, he came toward me. I backed a
step and drew my pistol and pointed it at his
face. He threw up his hands and said, " Don't
shoot me; I'll not hurt you." About this time
                    13

 



MOUNTAIN FEUDS OF KENTUCKY



George Vance stepped from a clump of bushes
near by with a revolver in his hand. I jumped
behind a large poplar stump and said, "You
two rascals leave this place or I will kill you
both." They immediately left, and I heard
Wright tell Vance that "That little devil
would have killed me if you had not been
there. "

  SEEKING THE ADVANTAGE OF ME
  Some days later I was passing by his home
the road passed right by his yard gate-he
said to me, "I acknowledge I did you wrong."
I said, "That's all right; the good book
says we must forgive." If this acknowledg-
ment had been real, or from his heart, things
might not have happened as the reader will
see later on. In the fall of 1897, 1 made a
brick-kiln on the lower part of the farm-a
part of the farm my grand-father had given
to his son, Steve Reynolds. We being friendly
at this time, I built him (W. S. Wright) a
chimney and did some other small jobs for
him. That year I was doing some work in
the lower end of the county, and while I was
away from home, he, W. S. Wright, hauled
my brick kiln home. When I came home
I went to his home and asked about my brick.
He pretended to fly mad, stepped into his house,
got his big Winchester and invited me up the
road, which invitation I accepted without
pleasure. I then took a warrant for my
brick and he waived the case to court. The
case came up and I, thinking he had no plea,
made no special preparations for trial, not
knowing much about lawing at that time,
                    14

 


MOUNTAIN FEUDS OF KENTUCKY



being inexperienced. Not thinking he would
swear anything to beat the case, I only had
witnesses to prove he hauled the brick away.
  He went on the stand, swore he had bought
the brick from me when we were all alone,
and beat me out of my whole brick-kiln.
  In this same year W. S. Wright, his wife,
Lettie Wright, and their boys, began killing
my hogs, geese, etc., wherever they could
find them, killing six good hogs and putting
them in a big hollow poplar log.
  A few days later my brother John and I
were repairing some fence when my little boy
came and said, "Wright is killing your big
sow." Not feeling good over the loss of my
other property, which they had killed, brother
John and I took our guns and went down where
Joseph and Johnny Wright, W. S. Wright's
sons, were dogging my hog-had five dogs
on her. I stood nearby with my gun while
my brother John killed three dogs; one dog
running near the Wright boys, I told my
brother not to kill it, being afraid he might
shoot one of the boys.  About this time
Wright hung some gates across our road, which
had been a passway for a good many years.
I appealed to the court to prohibit him from
fastening us up, as we had no other way to
get out from home, except down the hollow
by Wright's house. The court gave me a
right-of-way through his land, but allowed
him to still keep the gates across our road.

         A SHOOTING AFFRAY
  In April, 1898, it was now our time to plow
our corn ground. On returning home fromn
                    15

 


MOUNTAIN FEUDS OF KENTUCKY



the mill, W. S. Wright's boys and Jim Bates,
his nephew, were plowing in a field adjoining
a field which I intended to cultivate in corn.
I was standing in my door-Jim Bates called
me "Old Clabe Jones" (who was a noted
feudist of Kentucky), and said, "What are
you going to do this evening, Clabe" I said
"I am going to plow, but I don't know what
it is to you. " " You will see what it is to me, "
he said, " You will not plow this evening;
I'll see to that."
  I had bought me a 44 revolver. I saw
trouble was coming. I went up to my mother's
home and got my brother John to come and
help me plow. We went to the field to plow
and there was a fence which divided my field
from that of W. S. Wright's. I had my big
pistol buckled on me and John Reynolds had
a small pistol in his pocket. We plowed
several rounds and nothing was said. They
would make it convenient to meet us at the
fence. We all stopped to rest. Jim Bates
said to me, "Clabe, what are you doing with
that big pistol You won't use it. I guess
I had better just come over and take it and
knock your d brains out with it. " I
said, "Me and my pistol is tending to our own
business, and you had better tend to yours."
By this time he had got on top of the fence.
Then said I, "Don't you get inside of my field.
If you do, I will shoot your heart out," taking
my pistol from my holster. He had two rocks
in his hands. He jumped off the fence, and
as he straightened I fired at him, wounding
him in the left shoulder. The blood spurted
when he fell. I turned to shoot Tilden Wright
and he threw up his hands and said, "Don't
                    16

 

MOUNTAIN FEUDS OF KENTUCKY



shoot me; we haven't got any guns." By
this time Bates had recovered and, taking a
new notion, jumped the fence back out of
my field. Then I looked out in the field,
saw W. S. Wright and his wife, Lettie, coming.
He asked if anyone was killed. I told him
"I think not; I have only broke one's wing."
I said, "Mr. Wright, it looks like you could
control yourself and family better than what
you are doing." He then, seeking the ad-
vantage of me, told me that I shouldn't be
bothered any more. They did not law me
for this, but I could catch them trying to get
opportunities to take my life.

TROUBLE OVER SCHOOL ELECTIONS
  Our neighbors and friends insisted on my
brother, Wm. Reynolds, to make the race for
school trustee. He consented, and W. S.
Wright declared himself a candidate against
him. The election went off and my brother
Bill got every vote cast but three. Wright
had three sons-in-laws. I just made the
remark that his sons-in-laws had beat him.
His boy hearing me say this, Wright became
enraged at this and his defeat, and said he
intended his boys to give me a good whipping.
  One day I was passing W. S. Wright's, and
on going through the gate, just in front of
his dwelling, Tilden Wright, the oldest son
of W. S. Wright, was hid behind the gate post.
I had a 44 Winchester rifle, model 73, on
my shoulder. As I opened the gate Jim Bates
attracted my attention, and the first thing
I knew Tilden Wright had grabbed hold of
my gun. Then at it we went. He was much
                    17

 


MOUNTAIN FEUDS OF KENTUCKY



larger than I, and it took every bit of nerve
I could muster to hold on to my gun. A part
of the time he had me down and part of the
time I was on top. It was just who would and
who could. This was a terrible struggle with
me. I thought he was out-winding me.
Almost exhausted in the struggle, I made a
desperate effort to wrench the gun from him
and almost succeeded. Getting enough con-
trol of the gun I got the muzzle turned toward
him-the gun fired, the bullet grazing the
side of his head. Then, somehow, we both
fell, Bates grabbing the gun. He didn't
know how to work the gun and I ran away,
saving my life, and thinking I had probably
killed Tilden. On my way up the branch home
I met my mother. Seeing me muddy and
bloody, she asked what was the matter. I
told her and she went on down where we had
fought. Finding my gun laying on the ground,
she picked it up and brought it back. It was
unharmed.

TROUBLE ABOUT OUR SCHOOL TEACH-
    ER AND JOHN REYNOLDS AND
        WM. WRIGHT'S FIGHT.
  Our school trustee hired my cousin, Morgan
T. Reynolds, to teach our school. W. S.
Wright being mad at the whole generation
of Reynoldses, swore Morgan T. should not
teach the school. Writing Morgan a letter,
he said "If you teach this school you will
teach it over my dead body." Morgan,
knowing the kind of man he was having to
deal with, and knowing his reputation for
having killed several people, his disposition as
                   18

 

MOUNTAIN FEUDS OF KENTUCKY



to having his way in everything he undertook,
bought himself a Winchester, carried it with
him to his school and kept it in a rack made
for the purpose in the school house. My
brother John, now a boy about seventeen
years old, determined to get an education,
started going to school to cousin Morgan.
He had to pass W. S. Wright's house on his
way to and from school, as the reader under-
stands was the only way we could get out
and into our home. On John's return home
from school one evening, Wm. Wright, Jr.,
a second son of W. S. Wright, was on the road.
He said to John, " Hold up, I am going to whip
you, you damned - -," calling him an ugly
name. Wright was a large man and Reynolds
a very small fellow. Wright, having rocks
in his hands, Reynolds said, "William, if you
all don't let us alone some of you will get
killed." Wright, not thinking of Reynolds
having a pistol, made a dash for him. John
drew his revolver and fired, glancing his head.
Wright, falling to the ground, said, "Don't
shoot anymore, I've quit." W. S. Wright
was enraged by this trouble and went to a
justice of the peace and procured a warrant
for brother John, charging him with shooting
and wounding, with intent to maim, disfigure
and kill. John, on hearing of the warrant
being out for him, went and gave himself up
to the justice. The day was set for trial,
witnesses summoned, and everything in readi-
ness for the trial. Wrights failed to appear,
and Reynolds waived his trial to court, awaiting
the decision of the grand jury.
  W. S. Wright mustered fifteen men and went
to the Millstone Gap, expecting us Reynoldses
                     19

 



MOUNTAIN FEUDS OF KENTUCKY



to come back that way. I was sick in bed
with the mumps, unable to go to John's trial.
So Wrights, giving us out, came back that
way, meeting John and mother in the road.
On seeing Wright's band of armed men,
John left the road and took shelter behind a
large oak tree. Wright's men dismounted
from their horses. John raised his gun to
his shoulder, intending to sell his life as high
as he could. Sam Wright, one of W. S.
Wright's old and tried friends, was in the
front ranks. Seeing John's position, he called
to him saying, "Don't shoot; we only want
to talk to you."  John replied, "I have no
talk for you. If you don't mean to hurt me
go on and let me alone." So they went on.
To make it more plain for the reader to under-
stand Wright's intention, will tell you they
didn't want to kill the boy by himself-they
wanted to catch myself, my brothers, William
and John, and our cousin, Morgan T. Reynolds,
in a place where they could waylay and kill
us all together. As I have stated, I was in
bed sick when I heard that Wrights had gone
with fifteen men to waylay my brother. I
got out of bed, buckled on my pistols, laid
my big Winchester on my shoulder and started
in pursuit, not feeling able to stand on my
feet. On my way up the mountain, I had to lay
down several times to keep from fainting.
Meeting my brothers William and John, we
consulted together, they telling me the direction
in which Wrights had gone. We decided to
cut them off before they reached their place
of safety. But they had passed before we
could reach the point where we expected to
encounter them.
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  Court came up. The grand jury investi-
gating John's case, finding no charge against
him he was released.
  Some days after court I was on my way
home from my mother's when in a short
distance of my home a shot rang out and a
bullet, just missing my head, struck a rail in
the fence. Then a second shot was fired,
passing so close to my head that it knocked
me down. Looking in the direction from which
the sound of the shots came could see no smoke.
They were shooting with smokeless powder.
Then I ran as fast as I could towards the
house which, I guess, was a pretty rapid pace.
There were six shots fired at me. As I went
through my yard gate a bullet passed near
me and struck in the ground near my little
boy, throwing dirt in his face and knocking
him down. I never found out for sure who did
this shooting. Soon after this, I received
news that one W. T. Holbrook had joined
Wright's gang.
  One night soon after I had received this
news, W. T. Holbrook called at my gate
about bed time. He hallowed "Hello." I
told my wife to go to the door and see who
it was. She asked him who he was. He
said "A friend; is Noah at home" She said
"Yes." He said, "Tell him to come out.
I want to see him." She asked him again
who he was and he replied, "A friend." I
was standing near a window and raising my
revolver called to him to come in. "I know
who you are. " He said, " Don't go to shooting,
I am your friend." I met him at the door
with my pistol in my hand and took his 12-
gauge shot gun from him and laid it in a rack.
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I told him to take a chair and tell his busi-
ness.
  He began to talk, his voice quivering as
though he knew I was on to his racket. He
said, "Noah, old fellow, I am in trouble. This
evening, while I was sitting on my porch,
some one fired a shot at me, the ball just
missing my head, burying itself in the wall;
and I believe it was W. S. Wright. I knew
you didn't like him-thought you was my
friend and would help me to find out some-
thing about it. I want you to go with me and
eavesdrop his house. If we can not, we will
go on over to Bill Johnson's (a near neighbor
to Wright); you know he is a man that often
makes threats before he does anything. "
  I said, " I can not go. Times are very
critical with me.  I will not go out at
night. I don't wish to take up any more
trouble-I have enough trouble of my own.
You can stay with me tonight and look after
your business in the morning." He said,
" No, I must go back home tonight. They
will be uneasy about me." "I hardly think
so; you will stay with me tonight. It's bed
time and you can lay in that bed and I will
lay in this." I knew he was there to kill me.
I watched him close and neither of us slept
any. Morning came and I was anxious to
get shut of my visitor. While my wife pre-
pared breakfast he tried to talk in a very
friendly way.
  After breakfast he asked me for his gun.
I gave his gun to him and I followed him into
the yard and said to him, "Now you are all
right, I don't want you to bother me any more. "
"What do you mean by that," he said; "I
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am your friend." I said: "I know more about
your business than you think I do. " He turned
pale, and walked off down the road some
distance and darted into the woods.
  In the evening he and W. S. Wright were
seen going down the creek together.
  Soon after this I went to the store at the
mouth of Millstone and returned home a
different way, as providence so decreed. I
soon learned that W. S. Wright, W. T. Hol-
brook and James Johnson had planned to.
waylay me, thinking I would return the way
I had gone. I procured warrants for their
arrest, and after considerable trouble, got
them caught, they refusing to surrender to
the officers. After consulting with "Devil"
John Wright they went with him to town
and surrendered. On having their trial they.
were bound over in a bond of 500 each, on
the confession of Holbrook.
  One m