Revolting Assassination near Louisville, KY

From the Ledger and Transcript, Philadelphia, PA, on January 7, 1861:

"Revolting Assassination in Kentucky"

Ledger and Transcript
Philadelphia, PA
January 7, 1861

Three Persons Murdered in Cold Blood-- From the Louisville papers of Wednesday we learn the particulars of three horrible murders, perpetrated in the vicinity of that city on Monday night, which are scarcely paralleled in the history of the "Dark and Bloody Ground."  The Journal says,

Three persons, Jesse, William and Russell Hill, were assassinated at their homes, in the vicinity of Lost Island, six or seven miles from this city, on Monday night last.  The assassins, supposed to have been five or six in number, committed the first deed of murder at the residence of Wm Hill, the first attack having been made upon Jesse Hill, whose body was literally riddled with bullets; and to make the assurance of the murder doubly sure, the corpse was horribly cut and mutilated with a knife.  An attack was then made upon Wm Hill, who was in bed at the time with an invalid wife, and he too was mercilessly murdered at his wife's side.  The party then repaired to the residence of Russell Hill, in the same vicinity, and succeeded, after considerable [??], in getting him into their power, and he, too, was sacrificed to the rapacious appetite for blood.  Wm. Hill was thirty-three years of age, and left a family. Russell Hill, a brother of Wm. Hill, was about twenty-five years of age, and also left a wife and child.  Jesse Hill, the first victim, was a single man, about twenty-two years old, and a cousin to Wm. and Russell Hill.

It is generally known that a feud had existed for some time between the Hills and certain other persons in the neighborhood, and that there had been more than one hostile meeting recently between the parties. It is presumed that the terrible tragedy of Monday night is the sequel to former troubles, and individuals connected with the recent affrays in the vicinity are supposed to have been active participants in the horrid tragedy detailed above.  Last evening Jefferson Rogers and Hercules Walker, the latter a city policeman, were taken into custody, on the charge of complicity in the murders.  Others are implicated in the affair, and will no doubt be arrested.

Many of our readers will remember that occurrences of a similar character took place in Garrard county, Ky., about eight years ago, between the Hill and Evans family, in which the latter family was very nearly, if not quite, exterminated.  We are informed that the victims to the assassination of Monday night were of the same family of Hills who were rendered so famous in the warfare against the Evenses in Garrard county.