Man Kills Another For Alleged Relationship with His Wife, Rockcastle, 1888

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[December 4, 1888] -

DROPPED DEAD.

A Load of Buckshot Ends the Checkered Career of Lee B. Carter.

The Man Who Killed the Moore Brothers Shot By a Friend He Had Wronged.

Mt. Vernon, Ky., Dec. 3. -- (Special.) -- At 5:10 this evening Lee B. Carter fell with fourteen buckshot in his breast and two through the heart, from a gun in the hands of James Frazer. Carter had had no warning of his impending fate. He, with the proprietor of the Joplin Hotel, had just finished supper and stepped out on the pavement in front of the hotel, when the deadly shot was fired. Not a word was passed after the shot. Carter threw up his hands and ran into the hotel and fell on his left side, expiring immediately. Frazer went to Jailer Arnold and surrendered.

At the Coroner's inquest, the verdict was given according to the facts as above stated. It is thought the trouble originated Saturday night, when Carter remained over night at Frazer's residence, in the east end of town. During the night Frazer woke up and thought he discovered Carter in a compromising position with Mrs. Frazer. He accused Carter of wrongdoing and they quarreled for some time, when Carter left the house, followed by threats from Frazer. The parties had not met until to-night, in front of the Joplin House. Frazer had lain in wait for Carter. Frazer was thought to be intoxicated when the shooting was done. Carter had only been acquitted at Stanford a month since for the killing of Tom Moore, which took place here in July, 1886, when both Jack and Tom Moore fell from buckshot fired by Carter. Frazer is a nephew of the slain Moore boys.

A strange coincidence connected with the killing of Carter is that he was killed by the same kind of gun, buckshot, at the same time of day to almost a minute, and within two hundred feet of where the Moore boys fell. Carter's father, Judge James G., had lately married Miss Marry Miller, an aunt of Frazer, and a sister of the Moores. Lee Carter had lately sold out his possessions here and was to move to Missouri within a few weeks. [1]

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[December 5, 1888] -

Shot Down on the Street.

LOUISVILLE, Ky., Dec. 5 -- At Mt. Vernon, Ky., James Fraser met Lee Carter on the street, and drawing a pistol shot him dead. Fraser claims that Carter had been criminally intimate with Mrs. Fraser. Two years ago Carter had a fight with Tom and Jack Moore and killed both of them. He had been recently acquitted. [2]

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[December 7, 1888] -

Monday night as Lee B. Carter stepped out of the Joplin House at Mt. Vernon, where he had just supped, he was fired on by James Frazer and fell with 14 buckshot in his breast and two thro' the heart. He threw up his hands and staggered back into the hotel, dying in a moment. At the coroner's inquest the verdict was given according to the facts as above stated. It is thought that the trouble originated Saturday night, when Carter remained over night at Frazer's residence in the east end of town. During the night Frazer woke up and thought he discovered Carter in a compromising position with Mrs. Frazer. He accused Carter of wrong doing and they quarreled for some time, when Carter left the house, followed by threats from Frazer. The parties had not met until Monday night in front of the Joplin House. Frazer had lain in wait for Carter. Frazer was thought to be intoxicated when the shooting was done. Carter had only been acquitted at Stanford a month ago for the killing of Tom Moore, which took place in Mt. Vernon in July, 1886, when both Jack and Tom Moore fell from buck shot fired by Carter. Frazer is a nephew of the slain Moore boys. A strange coincidence connected with the killing of Carter is that he was killed by the same kind of gun, buckshot, at the same time of day almost to the minute and within 200 feet of where the Moore boys fell. Carter's father, Judge James G., had lately married Miss Mary Miller, an aunt of Frazer, and a sister of the Moores. Lee Carter had recently sold out his possessions and was to move to Missouri within a few weeks. Tom Moore before he died said that his slayer would die in the same manner before the expiration of three years.  Lee Carter was buried by the mason at Brodhead Wednesday at high 12. A large throng of people were in attendance to hear the impressive Masonic burial rites. [3]

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[December 7, 1888] -

(Special Dispatch to the Interior Journal.)

MT. VERNON, Dec. 6, 4 P. M. -- Frazier's attorneys at his trial to-day waived an examination and by agreement of all parties bail of $1,000 was allowed and given by the defendant. [4]

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[December 13, 1888] -

At Mt. Vernon, James Fraser met Lee Carter on the street, and drawing a pistol shot him dead. Fraser claims that Carter had been criminally intimate with Mrs. Fraser. Two years ago Carter had a fight with Tom and Jack Moore and killed both of them. He had been recently acquitted. [5]

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[March 15, 1889] -

We learn that the defense will prove in the case of Frazier, who killed Lee Carter at Mt. Vernon, that Carter was advancing on him at the time in a threatening manner and that Frazier had the gun with which he did the work, by chance, having been out hunting that afternoon.  These reports, however, do not agree with those sent out at the time of the killing. [6]

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[March 22, 1889] -

Frazer, for killing Lee Carter, is down with pneumonia and had his case continued. [7]

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[April 4, 1889] -

JAMES FRAZER, the man who murdered Lee Carter at Mt. Vernon two months since, was jailed there the other afternoon on account of his mind being deranged. He is as crazy as a March hare, and imagines he can see his victim nearly all the while. He was taken down with what was pronounced pneumonia some days since, which has developed into insanity. [8]

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[1] "Dropped Dead." The Courier Journal, Louisville, KY. December 4, 1888. Page 4. Newspapers.com.

[2] "Shot Down on the Street." The Evening Bulletin, Maysville, KY. December 5, 1888. Page 1. LOC. http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn87060190/1888-12-05/ed-1/seq-1/

[3] Excerpt from "Mt. Vernon, Rockcastle County." Semi-Weekly Interior Journal, Stanford, KY. December 7, 1888. Page 1. LOC. http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85052020/1888-12-07/ed-1/seq-1/

[4] Excerpt from "Mt. Vernon, Rockcastle County." Semi-Weekly Interior Journal, Stanford, KY. December 7, 1888. Page 1. LOC. http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85052020/1888-12-07/ed-1/seq-1/

[5] Excerpt from "The Commonwealth." The Big Sandy News, Louisa, KY. December 13, 1888. Page 4. LOC. http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83004226/1888-12-13/ed-1/seq-4/

[6] Excerpt from "City and Vicinity." Semi-Weekly Interior Journal, Stanford, KY. March 15, 1889. Page 3. LOC. http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85052020/1889-03-15/ed-1/seq-3/

[7] Excerpt from "Mt. Vernon, Rockcastle County." Semi-Weekly Interior Journal, Stanford, KY. March 22, 1889. Page 4. LOC. http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85052020/1889-03-22/ed-1/seq-4/

[8] Excerpt from "The Commonwealth." The Big Sandy News, Louisa, KY. April 4, 1889. Page 1. LOC. http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83004226/1889-04-04/ed-1/seq-1/

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