Subject: KFY: Mt Vernon Signal Papers, 1897, Rockcastle Co ----------------------- Date: Sat, 6 Jun 1998 From: DBXP64A@prodigy.com (C.L. C_R_A_W_F_O_R_D) ----------------------- OCT 22, 1897 LOCAL AND OTHERWISE Miss Mattie Williams is at he Nashville exposition Jonas McKenzie wants the man who borrowed his Macintosh to return it Judge Carter paid the Mosonic Lodge at Berea a visit on Sautruday last Miss Mattie Williams is in Nashville to see relatives and the exposition Mrs S.C. Franklin and Mrs W.W. Grimes are visiting at Livingston Rev J.C. Carmical left Tuesday for Flat Lick to carry on a protracted meeting for several days Miss Lula Dyer a very pretty teacher of Hansford neighborhood was in town on Saturday last G.W. Baker was in Tuesday and indications are that the ticket will go for Williams McClure and Baker Dr Pennington was over in Clay county Sunday and says he found everybody over there for our own R.G. Williams Harvey Chaney postmaster at Bloss was here Wednesday and said the people generally were for Little Dick and reform This county has a dungeon---for courtesys sake called a jail--which most of our citizens would be willing to trde off for one with a little daylight connected with it. By the way who knows what this dungeon costs this county? Hiram Hurst and Fannie Bird charged with killing Geo Kennedy in Northern parto of the county Sunday night were brought here and lodged in jail Tuesday night. It is said Kennedy was cut with a knife and died next day. There will be about three tickets in the race for town offices this election. The citizens tickets is as follows: For Plice Judge S.C. Franklin, Marshal, R.E. Thompson, Trustees E.A. Herin. D.C. Poynter, J.L. Joplin, P.T. Welsh and G.E. Mccoy. Deputy U.S. Marshal Nelson Griffin with a posse made a raid in the Northern part of the county and Madison a few days since and caputred James Roe, Sr., and Jr. on a charge of illicit distilling. It is said these people have been offenders for years both against the State and Unithed States but all efforts heretofore for their caputr have been futile. Both were held over when their examination took place here before Commissioner White Pat Welsh and son John L. left last night for Louisville. Capt Fitzhugh of Wilmore Ky has been in Jackson fishing and stopped off here for a few days At a call meeting of the Board of Town Trustees held at J. McKenzie's store on Oct 18 with J.C. Carmical, Joshua Boreing and James Taylor preent following gentlemen were put nomination for the following offices For Plice Judge: J.B. FISH H.K. MCKINNEY For Marshal WM. MCCLURE JOS CROMER For Trustee J.C. CARMICAL JOSHUA BOREING J.L. JOPLIN S.C. FRANKLIN S.C. DAVIS OCT 29, 1897 In the Republican of last week the editor attempted to answer the charges we made against D.P. Bethurum. In a blaze of fury the said the carges made are as flase and void of truth as the individual who idited that screed is void of honor and manly principle. In hs rage he carged all Democrats with being kuklux and charged them with all the foul crimes that there were committed in Rockcastle; charge them with killing Charley Bethurum when the writer knew that Bethurum was killed while resisting arrest in Lincoln county. James Bethurum was killed in a fight. The other charges prompted by the spirit of an anarchist and a bomb thrower are so false and the people know it so well that it is unnecessary to waste time in an answer. We call your attention to the fact two years ago 16 parties were charged with kukluxing and that 14 of them were Republicans and that two of the Republicans turned states evidence and swore they were guilty and that one Democrat and one Republican were sent to the penitentiary. We mention this fact not because we believe Democrats less guilty than Republicans but mereley to show that they are not more guilty. It is doubtless true and all seem to agree that memebers of both parties have had something to do with this disreputable business. This we deplore as muchas any man. After accusing Democrats of all mean things known to the balck catalogue. He says; "They are now endeavoring to foist upon the good people of Rockcastle one of their won ilk for judge". Gentlemen of Rockcastle, is this ture? Is it honest in the man who wrote the words? Dick Williams is 27 year old and you know that when the things occurred of which the editor sopke that Richard Williams was but a child. You know that "Little Dick" as they are now pleased to call him, has ever been an honest, sober, truthfu, upright and hardworking boy and young man. And as a result of his faithful labors he easily stood forst in his calass in college and graduatied with the valedictory. He is now recognized by all as an able lawyer, a safe councilor and above all an honest man. The old citizens of the county know that there was a large umber of indictments in the Rockcastle Circuti Clerk's office agains D.P. Bethurum in 1873 and that the office as destroyed by fire and that he was charged and indicted for burning it. You also know that a part of the books and a shot gun of Dock McClary's the clerk was found by James Houls and Ashley Owens in a cve on the Bethurum farm. You know of his violating the law almost constantly since he was 16 yearsl odl. You know that nearly all these charges that you find in this paper to day were made under Judge Randell and Judge Morrow both Republicans and not done for political effect. You know that Judge Barr believed him guilty of forging pension papers and brought about his disbarment. Se certified copy of this disbarment in this paper. But, admit, if you like that he is guilty of all these chargesw we do not object so much on these grounds as we do on account of the way he decides many cases that come before him Voters, What do you think of a judge who tells a litigant how he will decide a case before he has heard the evidenc, and who will turn the guilty loose and hold the innocent? The parties who signed the article that appears in the Mt. Vernon Republican each week as to the character of our county officials, have been asked to make affidavits that any one charge against Bethurum is not true but they refused to do so. In conclusion we appeal to the voters to llk to the characters of Bethurum and Dick Williams. Loat at their walks through life. Look at the example they hav set before your boys and mine and vote for the man whom an honest conscience tells you is the better man. When you do this, Dick Williams will be our county Judge. ********************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free genealogical information on the Internet, data may be freely used for personal research and by non-commercial entities as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may not be reproduced in any format or presentation by other organizations or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for profit or any form of presentation, must obtain the written consent of the file submitter, or his legal representative and then contact the listed USGENWEB archivist with proof of this consent.