Click here for a list of my other Pulaski/Rockcastle/Laurel County KY articles
-----------
[October 15, 1875] -
On Monday evening at Ed. Todd's grocery in Madison county, Andy Conn shot and killed John Arnold. We have not heard the particulars of the killing. [1]
---
[October 22, 1875] -
Mr. Andy Conn's trial for the killing of Arnold, on the 11 inst, was held at ---- Chapel, in Madison county, Saturday, Oct. 16th, resulting in his acquittal from the evidence of the Commonwealth's witnesses, (the defence introducing none) the following facts were adduced -- that Conn and Arnold came to Ed Todds grocery together, Arnold riding one of Conn's horses. After their arrival at the grocery Mr. Smith, who was there, asked Arnold where his mother-in-law was at, and on Arnold telling him she was at home, Smith said he was going over to see or court her, that he was out of a house-keeper, and wanted one. It seems as if Arnold took this as an insult, and he and Smith had some words -- Smith apologizing, and saying he meant no insult. Smith left the grocery and went up to Todds house, about fifty yards from the grocery, and Arnold followed him there, and as the lady of the house opened the door for the latter to enter, Smith attempted to pass out but Arnold stopped him, said something to him and slapped him in the face. Smith came on back to the grocery and asked for a pistol saying that Arnold had followed him to the house and slapped him in the face. No one giving him a pistol, he reached Andy Conn's coat and jerked his pistol out of the scabbard. Several then stopped Smith and took the pistol from him, and gave it back to Conn, who put it back in his scabbard. Conn then told Smith to remain there in the grocery and he would go and get John (Arnold,) and take him home. Conn then started from the grocery and met Arnold about ten or twenty steps from the grocery coming from the house -- as he met him said to him -- "what is the matter with you and old man Smith; you ought to let that old man alone and get on your horse and let's go home," whereupon, Arnold said -- "Damn you, do you take it up," and at the same time commenced drawing and did draw his pistol -- Conn grasped at Arnold's pistol and succeeded in catching hold of it and turned the muzzle from the direction of his body -- both parties still hold of the pistol and trying to wrench it from the others hands. Conn then with his other hand drew his own pistol and fired, the ball taking effect in the abdomen. Arnold fell, and his pistol dropped at his feet. Conn helped remove him home.
These are the facts as detailed by the Commonwealth's witnesses and on which facts the Court found their verdict of "not guilty" and discharged the defendant. Mrs. Arnold, mother of the dec'd, said that Andy stayed with John and waited on him until he died, and then had him nicely buried at his (Conn's) own expense. [2]
---
[March 31, 1876] -
Last Wednesday night, 23d inst., about 8 o'clock, Andrew Conn, who resides in the upper portion of Garrard county, about seven miles from this place [East End Lincoln], while intoxicated, in company with one of his friends, went to the house of old man Arnold, an humble, quiet old man, (the father of the young man that Conn killed only a few months ago,) and demanded entrance with the threat that he came to kill the old man and his wife. On being refused Conn broke the door in, and, with pistol in hand, shot at the old man as soon as he entered. Arnold's wife and daughter rushed towards Conn to prevent him shooting the second time, but in this attempt Conn choked the old lady and struck her over the head several times with his pistol. During this struggle Conn shot at Arnold the second time, but both shots missed their aim. About this time Conn's friend had taken a rifle out of Arnold's hands (who was trying to shoot Conn,) and threw it out of the door, and went to the assistance of the two women. In the meantime, Arnold seized an old army musket, went out of a door opposite the one Conn entered, and hastening around to the other door, placed the muzzle of the gun against Conn's neck and fired. Conn fell to the floor and rolled out of the door, expiring without a struggle. Arnold then fled to the woods, bare-footed, remaining several hours before returning to his house, where he found Conn dead, his friend gone, and his wife suffering intensely from fright and the wounds she had received. She is quite feeble, and being between 60 and 70 years old, it is doubtful whether she will survive the terrible shock. Arnold, fearing Conn's friend would come and attack him, left immediately, and walked through snow, waded the river and two creeks, and reached this place Thursday morning, tired, weary, hungry and sick, and gave himself up to Deputy Sheriff Myers. He fears an attack from Conn's friends, as he saw three of them Thursday morning going in the direction of his house. Mr. Arnold has the sympathy of this entire community, as what he did was purely in self-defense. Conn has killed several men, and has lived in defiance of law in the neighborhood where he was killed all his life. In justice to the man who was with him, it is proper to say that he seemed trying to prevent any trouble, but nevertheless he went with him. Conn was said to be a very clever and honorable man when not drinking, but whisky seemed to instill in him the most revengeful and blood-thirsty spirit. [3]
---
[March 31, 1876] -
MANSLAUGHTER. -- We had been promised a full account of the trial of Arnold before the Examining Court, at Lancaster for the killing of Andy Conn, but as the trial was postponed until yesterday, it was too late for our present issue, and we can only give the facts as reported. One night last week, Conn went to Arnold's house and demanded admittance, which was refused, and he forced his way in. A scuffle ensued between the man Conn, and the wife and daughter of Arnold, whereupon, Arnold drew an old musket and shot Conn in the neck, killing him instantly. It is also said that an Irishman was with Conn, who took a rifle from Arnold and threw it out into the yard and then went off. Conn killed a son of Arnold some time ago, and of course there had been a bad feeling between the parties ever since. We abstain from giving further particulars until after the trial. [4]
---
[April 7, 1876] -
Andy Arnold, who killed Andy Conn, in Garrard county, was tried last week and acquitted, as it was clearly proven to be a case of killing in self-defense. Arnold has removed to a place near Crab Orchard, in this [Lincoln] county, as he fears to reside on his little place. We trust that this terrible tragedy is at an end, and that the people in our neighboring county, will have peace in the future. [5]
---
[April 14, 1876] -
The Arnold-Conn Tragedy.
We publish, by request, the following [?] of the late tragedy in Garrard, made by the friends of the late Andrew Conn. We have already printed an account of the trouble, as detailed to a correspondent, by old man Arnold. It is fair that both sides should be heard. — Ed. Advocate.
Much has been said and written about the late tragedy resulting in the death of Andrew J. Conn, and the various reports having been, in many instances, inaccurate, we thought that the cause of truth and justice demands that a correct version of the affair should be given.
In the early part of last Fall, Conn shot and killed John Arnold, in Madison county, this State. For this he manifested great sorrow and begged the father and mother of the deceased to forgive him for having deprived them of their son. The mother responded, “We forgive you, as he forgave you on his dying bed, for he said, ‘you was bound to do what you did.’ Conn, after this, furnished the old people with meal, and they visited back and forth, and it was supposed that the whole matter had been fully reconciled. In the mean time, Conn was tried and acquitted on the evidence of the Commonwealth.
Nothing more was heard of the matter until the night of the killing. On that day Conn passed the home of the old people on his way to Berea to attend a suit pending before one of the Justices of that precinct, and while there he was told by the Sheriff of Madison that an attempt was then being made to indict him in the Madison Circuit Court for the killing of John Arnold. He ascertained that Ed. Todd had been summoned before the Grand Jury. Upon learning this fact, he asked John Burnam and Pat McMahan to accompany him to Todd’s house, to which they agreed, and all started, leaving Conn’s brother and cousin, (who would have accompanied him home, or near there,) behind. After they reached Todd’s and had talked with him, Conn insisted upon McMahan to accompany him home, which, after much persuasion, he consented to do. On their road nothing was said about the Arnold affair, but Conn was telling jokes which occurred while he was in the army. After going some distance Conn turned off to one side of the road and started to a house unknown to McMahan at that time, and reaching the fence, dismounting and hitching their horses advanced to the door. When they reached the door Conn commenced to kick the snow from his feet, and some one from within asked, “Who’s there?” Conn responded, “It’s me.” “Who is me?” was the next questions, to which Conn responded, “Andy Conn.” The old lady then said that “he must not come in; she was afraid he would kill them.” Conn responded, “Why, I have been here before and have not killed you. I only want to come in and warm my feet, and talk to the old man about going to Richmond Monday.” The daughter, (Miss Arnold) then said: “Mother, let him come in. He will not hurt us.” Conn then pushed the door open and walked in. As he stepped in the house the old lady was standing by the side of the door, with something in her hand, (the witness could not tell what,) at which Conn grabbed and missed, pushing or slapping the old woman aside. She and the girl then grabbed Conn and threw him to the floor, the old gentlemen springing to his rifle, but was caught by McMahan. While they were struggling over the gun, Conn called to McMahan to get his pistol, which was lying on the floor. McMahan saw the pistol upon the floor, but was unable to pick it up, on account of the struggle for the rifle, and he kicked it towards Conn who picked it up.
McMahan and the old man, in their scuffle, got out of the house when the gun was taken from the old man and thrown down the hill. He ran after it and returned with it, when McMahan drew his pistol and compelled him to drop it, again picking the gun up and throwing it down the hill. The old man then ran around to the back of the house, McMahan returning around the back side also, but in the opposite way, and found Conn, the old lady, and the girl struggling over an ax. He asked the old lady "to let go," and she responded, "if she did Conn would kill her." McMahan then remarked that "Conn would do no such thing; that he could have killed her long ago with his pistol if he had wanted to." (Con had hold of the ax with his left hand, and held his pistol with the right.) She then gave up the ax, and McMahan threw it to one side, and started off with Conn to their horses, when the old lady again got the ax, and the girl the corn knife. Conn was walking with McMahan, who said, "Let's leave here," to which Conn consented to and was then doing. He was looking back over his shoulder, telling the old lady and the girl that he did not come there for a difficulty, but only to see the old man on business, then a gun was fired from behind them, powder-burning the neck of McMahan, and at the crack of which Conn jumped up as if struck. McMahan then ran, half-bent, until he reached his mule and mounting it rode around to the front part of the house, and asked for his hat, which, after some trouble he got. He asked where Conn was, and the old lady replied, "He shot me and ran off down the hill." The girl said, "No stranger, he is lying around there dead."
We forgot to mention that when Conn first entered the house, he saw McCoy sitting by the fire and asked him what he was doing there, to which he made some common-place reply, and quickly walked out of the back door.
After the affair had ended as detailed, McMahan went after some neighbors, among whom was Conn's brother and they all returned in about an hour after the killing. When they reached there they found the house deserted, the door taken off the hinges, but the hinges not broken, and Conn lying dead upon the ground near the spot where the shot had been fired. His pistol was near him, and also a musket with the barrel bent, and the stock broken off. Near by, also, lay the ax, corn-knife and a large stick of wood. The barrel and stock of the musket, the ax and the stick of wood were covered with human brains, hair and blood and the head of the deceased was beaten almost to a jelly, some large pieces of the skull lying near. There were also some cuts on his legs, from which no blood had flowed, having evidently been made after the crimson life tide had ceased to run. The old gentleman and McCoy reached Crab Orchard the next morning, and the old man surrendered himself to the Deputy Sheriff. Mrs. Arnold and daughter were arrested near home. They were also subsequently brought to Lancaster, and a trial had, upon which the Commonwealth elicited substantially the foregoing testimony. The gun, ax and corn-knife were exhibited on the trial. McMahan, the chief Commonwealth's witness, was an acquaintance of Conn's, but they were not intimate, and is said to be as truthful and honorable gentleman as lives in Madison county.
It was proven that the musket had been borrowed on the day Conn went to Berea, McCoy stating that he wanted to go rabbit hunting. Upon the testimony stated, on motion of Defendants, McCoy was released and placed upon the [?]. His testimony was very unsatisfactory and contradictory. He stated, however, that in the evening of the day he borrowed[?] the gun and loaded it with buckshot that old Mrs. Arnold gave him, telling him to load the gun to go out hunting with the next day. That Arnold's house was about seventy yards from the road, and that night about eight o'clock he said: "I think I hear somebody talking." He went to the door, saw men on the road, and afterwards returned. He stated that he saw the whole fight, and that he did not [?] the gun broken, or Conn struck in any way with the ax, corn-knife or stick of wood. He also stated that Conn, who he first came in the house, shot at old man Arnold, who was sitting on the bed, and that Conn was standing at the food of the bed; that the old man was not hit. Defendants proved, by one witness that Conn, when drunk, was a dangerous man. Upon this testimony, after argument of counsel, Defendants were discharged.
We have no comments to make upon the matter, but simply given the facts to the reading public as they occurred on the trial. McMahan states that there was but one shot fired in the fight and that was the shot near his neck; and that Conn was not drunk.
JUSTICE.
LANCASTER, April 10th, '76. [6]
---
SEE RELATED: S. Boone Conn Kills Monroe McCoy, Garrard, 1876
---------------SOURCES-------------------
[1] "Garrard County News." The Interior Journal, Stanford, KY. October 15, 1875. Page 3. LOC. http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84038328/1875-10-15/ed-1/seq-3/
[2] "Garrard County News." The Interior Journal, Stanford, KY. October 22, 1875. Page 2. LOC. http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84038328/1875-10-22/ed-1/seq-2/
[3] Excerpt from "East End of Lincoln." Kentucky Advocate, Danville, KY. March 31, 1876. Page 2. Newspapers.com.
[4] Excerpt from Column 4. The Interior Journal, Stanford, KY. March 31, 1876. Page 3. LOC. http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84038328/1876-03-31/ed-1/seq-3/
[5] Excerpt from Column 2. The Interior Journal, Stanford, KY. April 7, 1876. Page 3. LOC. http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84038328/1876-04-07/ed-1/seq-3/
[6] Excerpt from "Communications." Kentucky Advocate, Danville, KY. April 14, 1876. Page 1. Newspapers.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment