Kentucky's Famous Feuds and Tragedies: Authentic History of the World Renowned Vendettas of the Dark and Bloody GroundMutzenberg, Charles Gustavus
History
Kentucky's Famous Feuds and Tragedies: Authentic History of the World Renowned Vendettas of the Dark and Bloody Ground
Mutzenberg, Charles Gustavus
Crime -- Kentucky; Vendetta -- Kentucky
Before starting, however, they procured two quarts of whiskey, and
drank about half of it before they left Abe Johnson's, about two
o'clock on Saturday morning. Abe Johnson, Billie Johnson and Willie
Johnson went to Jackson; and the other five men, Dock Smith, Andrew
Johnson, James Deaton, Dan Deaton and Bob Deaton, went toward Long's
Creek. All had guns. Before leaving Abe Johnson's they procured a
bucket of provisions, and went by the home of Granville Johnson,
where they procured another bucket of provisions. There they boarded
Granville Johnson's boat and started down the river, but the boat began
to leak, and being too small to carry them all, they procured another
boat. At the mouth of Long's Creek the boats were abandoned. From there
they went to the home of Willie Deaton, son of James Deaton, to inquire
whether Callahan had returned home, and were told that Callahan had
left the boats and gone home the evening before. After borrowing a gun
from Willie Deaton, Dan and Bob Deaton went to the Grand Sire Rock for
the purpose of watching for Callahan's boats and to kill Anse White,
who had remained in charge of them.
In the meantime Dock Smith, Andrew Johnson and James Deaton went to
the hillside across the creek from Callahan's store, arriving there
shortly before daylight on Saturday morning. They placed themselves at
a point where they could see the front of Callahan's store. Two of them
prepared forks about 18 inches long, which they drove in the ground to
use as rests in shooting, one of them piling up some rocks upon which
to rest his weapon. They watched for Callahan until between nine and
ten o'clock, without catching sight of him.
The front of Callahan's store contained a glass window, and they could
see the outline or form of a man passing behind the window on the
inside of the store. Concluding that the shadow thus cast must be that
of Callahan, they fired six shots through the window, three of them
taking effect and mortally wounding him. Then the assassins became
panic-stricken and left the places of concealment hurriedly, going
through the backwoods to the home of Abe Johnson, where they got their
dinner.
After dinner "Trigger Eye" Deaton carried them across the Middle Fork
River, and from there to John E. Deaton's home, where they arrived
shortly after dark. By devious routes the three assassins reached
Jackson and the home of Fletch Deaton shortly before daylight Sunday
morning. There they found a number of the men present who were to serve
as witnesses to establish an alibi for the slayers.
The alibi was, however completely broken down by witnesses for the
Commonwealth, with the result that a number of the conspirators are now
doing time in the State penitentiary. This closes the chapter on the
Hargis-Cockrell-Marcum-Callahan feud, one of blood, terrorization, Dark
Age savagery in the twentieth century; in the very midst of our country
which prides itself upon a civilization superior to that of other
countries.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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