Spotlight on: History of Butler Co., AL - Butler Co., AL ----------------------------------------------------------------------- USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with the USGenWeb policy of providing free information on the Internet, this data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format for profit or other gain. Copying of the files within by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged. ALGenWeb File Manager - Lygia Dawkins Cutts ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Contributed by Mildred S. Brown Sun, 14 Feb 1999 02:26:20 EST Spotlight on: History of Butler Co., AL - Butler Co., AL From Greenville Advocate, Wenesday, August 19, 1998 SPOTLIGHT ON: HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY Murderous rampage ended with lynching in 1892 Hipp and Kelley thought to have carried out five murders in 1800s Special to The Advocate Back in time, back in 1892, gangsters terrorized Butler County for over a year, running free to strike again and again, concentrating in Georgiana and the southern part of the county. The rampage apparently began around 1891, and reached its conclusion in December 1892 when the desperdaos' lives ended with their being lynched at the Court House door. Early on there was the illegal sale of liquor, then a series of robberies and murders. Murder victims included a black woman, a Mr. Dunn, Joseph the double murder of Elisa and Thomas Shepard who were brutally slain with an axe at their home on November 1, 1891. Soon evidence began to place the blame on John Hipp and Charles Kelley. It was just over a year later when another murder occured. The news reached Greenvile on a Saturday morning when Sheriff Barganier received the following telegram: Bolling, Ala., Dec. 17th, J. F. Barganier, Sheriff: Jake Armstrong was assassinated this morning at Panther Creek bridge. J. J. Flowers These few words came like a thunderbolt from a clear sky, and in a very few minutes the town had heard the news. Excitement and indignation ran high and the expression was frequently made that should there murders be captured they ought to be lynched. C. J. "Jake" Armstrong was the County Tax Collector. In those days, the tax collector traveled county wide on horse and buggy all week making collections. Mr. Armstrong was a thoroughtly competent man who had no enemies. He started out on Saturday morning to fill an appointmet at Rocky Creek precinct. He was crossing the bridge over Panther Creek when he was shot. Of course, robbery was the motive. Several ladies heard the report of fire arms and someone screaming. They hurried to the house of Mr. Myrick about a half mile distant and told what they had heard. Mr. Myrick and others immediately ran there, and found Mr. Armstrong still alive, but unconscious. Mr. Brroks, the superintendent at Dunham Mills, about a mile distant on the tram road, was notified. He went and took charge of the body. The fatal bullet entered just above the right eye and penetrated the brain. In all there must have been some twelve or fifteen shots fired. On Saturday night Mr. Armstrong's body ws brought up from Bolling and on Sunday afternoon he was laid to rest in Magnolia Cemetery. Ever since the assassination, Marshall Porterfield, Sheriff Barganier, Mr. Olive Bryant and many others had been constantly on the search from some clue to the murders. It was reported that John Hipp was suspected. It was known that he would be a hard man to capture alive. On Thursday morning, Dec. 22, a posse of about forty men boarded the south bound train to Dunham, the locations of the Dunham Lumber Company's business which owned the railroads operating between the forest and the mill. Hipp lived near the line of that road and it seems that he mad made arrangements to come into Dunham on the engine. Hearing of this, Chief Porterfield went to work to capture him. Barganier, Porterfield and several others secreted themselved on the tender. Hipp came out on the road, signalled for the engine to stop, and got on the cowcatcher. Porterfield fired, striking him in the face with several buck shot, knocking him off the engine. He was then taken up, brought to Dunham and then to Greenville on the 6:20 p.m. train. Physicians were called to see him, and they told Hipp that he could not live. Officers continued the search for Charles Kelley, who was supposed to have assisted Hipp in the assassination. On Christmas Eve, over to the west Monroe County, H. L. Soloman discovered Charley Kelley hiding in his cotton house. Mr. Soloman, with the assistance of friends, was given credit for his capture. Kelley was brought to Greenville and placed in the county jail on Sunday, Christmas Day. On Thursday, December 29, two men with to the home of Sheriff Hill Barganier and said they had a prisoner they wished to have arrested. The Deputy went with the men to the jail at which time masked men began pouring over the fence until he was usrrounded by a mob of about a hundred. With drawn pistols, he was commanded to open the jail doors. Five or six men rushed in and, picking Hipp up, carried him out. The mob then forced Deputy Harrison to open Kelley's cell. Kelley was led out by a rope around his neck. The mob then informated the deputies they were "no longer needd." Friday morning the bodies of Hipp and Kelley were found swinging from the pillars on the second story of the Court House, one on either side of the main entrances. There was no clue as to who took part in the lynching. Later that morning a jury was empannelled by Acting Coroner H. R. Goolsby. An inquest was held, and the following verdict was returned: "We, the jury, find after making an examination, that John Hipp and Charles Kelley came to their death by unlawful hanging at the hands of parties unknown." If ever there was an attempt by City or County Officials to indentify "parties unknow", this 1998 researcher has found no mention of it. Is that an Unsolved Mystery of Butler COunty even after a hundred and six years? It is conceivable that out of a mob of a hundred people no one ever revealed the secret? Or named a name? Did anyone ever talk? Does any ready of this article remember hearing thrue stories about "Who Done It?" "Give us some feedback." Write to us at the Butler County Histroical & Genealogical Society's Library, P O Box 561, Greenville, AL 36037, or come by and read more about it, and talk to us, in our room at the Public Library. Submitted by: Opal Scott, Member, Butler County Historicl & Genealogical Society.