November 23, 2014

Ku Klux Group Kills Ex-Wife of James Acton, Pulaski, 1883

Previously:

Click here for a list of my other Pulaski/Rockcastle/Laurel County KY articles

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[January 30, 1883] -

KILLED BY KU-KLUX. -- On Thursday last the people of this part of Lincoln were startled with the information that the second wife of Mr. Jas. Acton, who lives just over the line in Pulaski, had been taken out of her own house and beaten to death by a Ku-Klux gang. As far as can be ascertained, the gang was composed of old Jas. Acton's two sons, two brothers-in-law of the two younger Actons, the younger Actons' cousins and another brother who lies in this [Lincoln] county, with other lawless ruffians. This woman was old Jas. Acton's second wife who had to leave him on account of ill treatment. She claimed a third of her husband's property, and the Actons determined to have the old woman out of the way so she could not get it, and called upon the Ku-Klux gang, which I am reliably informed has existed in the neighborhood ever since the war. [1]







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[1] Excerpt from "Lincoln County." Semi-Weekly Interior Journal, Stanford, KY. January 30, 1883. Page 3. LOC. http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85052020/1883-01-30/ed-1/seq-3/

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1 comment:

Unknown said...

Hello Dora,

I am trying to substantiate this story to determine if the James Acton mentioned is or is not my 3rd gr. grandfather.

James Acton,(1807-1899) from Pulaski County was my 3rd gr. grandfather but the specifics of this story does not jive with family records. I cannot find any official state or county documents to connect this murder with the story in the paper. Do you have any ideas how I might find more details about this shocking case?

Thanks for your blog and I look forward to hearing from you.

Rick (rickreganatp@gmail.com)