[February 18, 1881] -
Murder.
A carnival of murder seems to be in progress in the West end of this county, as reference to our Hustonville letter will show. Three men have been killed in one week within two miles of each other, making six in less than a year in one voting precinct! Such a state of affairs is terrible to contemplate, and a sober thought only is necessary to convince any one that a radical change, both in public sentiment and in the administration of the laws, is absolutely needed and at once.
Let us look at the facts in the murders of one week. J. K. McCormack, a native of the county and a Cincinnati drummer by occupation, visits Hustonville on business. He arrives somewhat under the influence of liquor, and in a short tie has a dispute with one of his brothers-in-law. Later in the evening, W. I. Moore, Jr., arms himself with a pistol as if intent on murder, and passes Mr. McCormack and G. W. Drye, who were talking on the street. McCormack made some remark which Drye did not catch, but which others testify was "I'll cut your heart out;" whereupon Moore, although he could see that McCormack was unarmed, turned and fired at him twice, one ball passing through his heart and killing him instantly. This so far as the examining court could ascertain, was the sole cause that lead one brother-in-law to take the life of another.
The second killing is the cowardly assassination of Cam Rowsie by Bill Gresham and John Read. Rowsie was passing along the road from Moreland Station to his home at Milledgeville, when these two fiends, afraid to give their victim a fighting chance, emerge from a thicket and shoot three loads of buckshot into his body before he is hardly aware of their presence. He dies instantly, and the assassins, confident that they will be acquitted because Rowsie had the reputation of a dangerous man, surrender themselves to an officer.
The third murder is by a negro, who, seeing his white brethren so handy in taking the law into their own hands and receiving no punishment therefor, stabs another negro to death. This is the startling record of one week in one precinct! Can the law-loving man contemplate such carnage without shuddering to see to what we are drifting? True, McCormack had killed two men and was considered desperate when drinking. It is equally true that Rowsie was a desperado and had shot one or more men, but these are no reasons that they should be killed like dogs; and but for the law enforcement, or rather no enforcement of the laws, their murderers would not have dared to spill their blood. The Courts, the juries, and last, but at no means least, the Governor, are to blame. The people too should come in for no small part of the responsibility. A maudlin sentiment in regard to murderers, entertained by a majority of the masses, and the hero worship which some men give to such cattle is primarily the cause that induces many to dabble in gore. The Courts have lost their prestige, and the juries, which are not often made up of the best men, are swayed either by a fellow-feeling or a bribe, and in nine out of ten cases, they turn loose the human hyena without sense or reason to prey again on unsuspecting humanity. And, if in the tenth case, a jury is found that is faithful to their oaths, our dear old Governor stands with pardon in hand, ready to thwart both law and justice. This is a plain and unvarnished statement of our condition, and we grieve to know that it is so fearfully true. A gentleman, who has been keeping the count, says that in the six years and six months that he has lived in this county, there have been fifty-four murders! No one has been hanged, and only one (a poor devil who confessed) sent to the penitentiary for life. We hope that the murders of this week will awake our people to the enormity of the crimes committed right under their noses, and that a revulsion in sentiment will follow. A few legal hangings would put an end to this reign of the assassin and lift the "dark and bloody ground" to the position of a law-abiding State, which her education and advantages entitle her. [1]
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[February 18, 1881] -
I suppose you have the facts of the Rowsey tragedy, which came off near Moreland's Station on Saturday afternoon. Cam Rowsey came up on the train, and soon started down the turnpike toward Milledgeville. Wm. Gresham and John Read went down the Railroad in a direction nearly parallel to his, and getting a little in advance, posted themselves near the pike and at a little distance from each other. When Rowsey had reached a point about equally distant from the two, they opened fire upon him simultaneously from a couple of shot guns. They fired across each other making Rowsey the point in which their lines of fire intersected. Of course he was killed instantly. The aggressive parties are under arrest and to be tried on Thursday. I presume the investigation will bring out a delicate fact or two, throwing light on the question of a motive for the act. [2]
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[March 25, 1881] -
Gresham and Read have been indicted for the murder of Cam Rowzie, and their trials set for Monday next at 2 oclock. [3]
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[April 1, 1881] -
Owing to the length of a civil case, the trials of Bill Gresham and John Read, for the murder of Cam Rowzie on the 12th of February last, was not called until Tuesday morning. Considerable difficulty was experienced in getting a jury, and it was not till after 10 o'clock Wednesday that a panel was obtained. About a hundred and twenty-five persons were examined, and both sides had about exhausted their challenges when the last man was accepted. Over a hundred witnesses were sworn in the case, and a rule requiring them to neither hear the testimony nor to converse with themselves about it was granted. Commonwealth's Attorney, R. C. Warren, then delivered a plain, unvarnished statement of the case, and the examination of witnesses began after noon. George Hughes, who was with Rowzie at the time of the killing, was the first witness, and his testimony was in effect about the same as before the examining court, that he and Rowzie were walking from Moreland to Milledgeville, when he looked up to see Gresham and Read with pointed guns that he heard some mumbling sound and in an instant two shots were fire, Rowzie falling riddled with buckshot. Coroner J. P. Goode testified as to the appearance of the man after death. He was shot in the face, head and breast, most of the wounds being singly enough to produce death. Four other witnesses were examined without eliciting any thing new, and the Commonwealth rested in chief. Col. W. G. Welch then made one of the best worded and most telling statements for the defense that we ever heard, and at 5 o'clock the Court adjourned till yesterday at 9. A half a dozen or so of witnesses were introduced to prove the character of Rowzie, and two to prove that the night before the killing, Rowzie and a young woman (Miss Bettie Braxdale) had occupied a room at a Lebanon Hotel as man and wife. The deposition of Mrs. Braxdale was then read, after Judge Owsley had excluded certain portions of it. It was in substance: "I am the mother-in-law of Gresham. The Monday before Christmas Cam Rowzie came to my house yelling and cursing Gresham, and said that he had had a fuss with Gresham, and that Gresham might thank John Read when he got up in the morning that he saved his life, for if it had not been for him he would have blown every brain out of Gresham's d--n head. He would get them yet, though, if it took forty years. He then made an indecent display, cursing and gritting his teeth the while. Gresham's house is but half a mile from mine, and my daughter staid with me most of the time for fear of Rowzie. Rowzie came again before Christmas and said something about dogs and men, did not hear well. He went around the house with something in his breast, and when he saw me dodged around a cabin. My daughter, Bettie, about 19 years of age, is in a delicate condition, and from appearance must be six or seven months gone. I did not discover this state of affairs until about two months before Rowzie was killed. She left home a few days before the killing, saying she was going to Belmont Station. Tried to prevent her, but could not. Don't know personally with whom she went." Miss Matilda Bowman, a rosy-cheeked blonde of 18, (a domestic in the Braxdale family) was the next witness. She corroborated the first statement of Mrs. Braxdale about Gresham owing his life to the intervention of Read, and said that a few days before Christmas she was at Gresham's house sewing, when Rowzie came there ripping and cursing with a drawn pistol. He went into the house where Mrs. Gresham was in bed and Gresham holding his little child in his lap, and acted in a most outrageous manner, calling Gresham everything mean he could think of, defying him to move, and threatening if he did, to blow his brains out. He said something to her and she replied in a curt manner, whereupon he pulled her in his lap, at the same time making a remark of the most offensive nature, and to cap the climax he got up and acted as a beast. Monday before his death he told John Read, who it appears had killed a dog, that a man who would do such a thing as meaner than the dog he killed, and that if he were to kill one of his, he would kill him as dead as h--l. Before he went away he left word with her to tell Gresham and Read that he intended to see them Saturday, and that they had better prepare to defend themselves as he always went prepared. In the cross examination she said that Rowzie was at Gresham's the Monday before the killing, when they talked together peaceably. Every effort was made by the Commonwealth to break her down, but without avail. She stood the fiery ordeal for fully an hour and a half. Several witnesses afterwards swore that they had seen Rowzie fire three shots from a pistol, while standing on the rear of the train, just before getting to Moreland. Adjourned till this morning. The theory of the defense seems to be that Rowzie had seduced Miss Bettie Braxdale, a sister-in-law of Gresham, and that the latter, not liking such a state of affairs, showed his disapprobation, whereat Rowzie began a system of intimidation which continued until Gresham could endure it no longer. The prosecution, on the other hand, contends that it was a wilful murder, done when the men were in no immediate danger from Rowzie, and done after a reconciliation between the parties. We forbear comment. Judge George Denny, Jr., is rendering able assistance to Mr. Warren. Hill & Alcorn and Welch & Saufly are conducting the defense. The case is creating great interest, and standing-room is at a premium in the court-house. It will probably be brought to a close to-day. [4]---
[April 8, 1881] -
This Court continues to drag its weary length along. The evidence in the case against Gresham and Read, for the murder of Rowzie, was concluded at noon Saturday. Nothing particularly new was advanced over our report of last week. The principal effort by the prosecution after that was to invalidate Miss Bowman's testimony by proving her a woman of loose virtue, but it was abortive and reacted in favor of the defense. Judge Denny, W. H. Miller and R. C. Warren each made arguments for the Commonwealth, the latter especially acquitting himself well. Mess. T. P. Hill, M. C. Saufley and J. W. Alcorn were the speakers for the defense. At the conclusion of Judge Saufley's speech a burst of applause filled the Courtroom, when the Judge ordered the Sheriff to arrest any and all parties engaged in it, but not one could be identified, at any rate no one was. About 8 o'clock Saturday night the case was given to the Jury, which failed to agree that night. In fact, it did not agree at all, although it was held till Tuesday, when, on being discharged, it was found that six were for acquittal, two for murder; the others for manslaughter, and thus the work of eight days was set at naught. We confess that we are ourselves a little hung on the case, but it seems that the instructions that unless the accused were at the time in great bodily danger from Rowzie, they should be found guilty of murder, ought to have enabled the jury to make a verdict. [5]
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[October 28, 1881] -
The case against Wm. Gresham and John Reid, for the murder of Cam Roswey, was called, but owing to the absence of an important witness, was continued by the Commonwealth till the Spring term. [6]---
[March 17, 1882] -
four are for murder: S. B. Conn, for killing McCoy, in Garrard county; Gresham and Reid, for killing Cam Rowsey; J. W. Gooch for killing Constable Killion, and James Mullins for killing another negro. [7]
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[March 21, 1882] -
The case of Gresham and Reed for the killing of Cam Rowsey, was continued for the defense on account of the absence of some of its witnesses. [8]
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[October 17, 1882] -
Circuit Court will convene here next Monday, and not yesterday, as many witnesses and others seemed to think, who came only to be disappointed. There are 337 cases on the docket, of which 118 are criminal. Of that number there are seven murder cases, as follows: Gresham and Reid for killing Rowsey; John W. Gooch for killing Constable Killion; Tate and McManama for causing the railroad accident, whereby five persons were killed; James Mullins for killing another negro, at the Crab Orchard circus; Froman Miner for killing John Ferrell; Mock and Faulkner for killing Policeman Simpson, of Danville, and one other case for indictment. The equity appearances number 33; motions, 7; common law, 30, and old equity, 107. [9]
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[October 31, 1882] -
CIRCUIT COURT. -- The jury in the case of William Gresham and John Reed for the murder of Cam. Rowsey returned a verdict of acquittal, after less than ten minutes consultation. [10]
------------ SOURCES ------------
[2] Excerpt from "Lincoln County - Hustonville." The Interior Journal, Stanford, KY. February 18, 1881. Page 3. LOC. https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84038328/1881-02-18/ed-1/seq-3/
[3] Excerpt from "Circuit Court." The Interior Journal, Stanford, KY. March 25, 1881. Page 5. LOC. https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84038328/1881-03-25/ed-1/seq-5/
[4] Excerpt from Column 3. The Interior Journal, Stanford, KY. April 1, 1881. Page 3. LOC. https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84038328/1881-04-01/ed-1/seq-3/
[6] Excerpt from "Local Matters." The Interior Journal, Stanford, KY. Oct 28, 1881. Page 3. LOC. https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84038328/1881-10-28/ed-1/seq-3/
[7] Excerpt from "Local Matters." The Interior Journal, Stanford, KY. March 17, 1882. Page 3. LOC. https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85052020/1882-03-17/ed-1/seq-3/
[8] Excerpt from "Local Matters." The Interior Journal, Stanford, KY. March 21, 1882. Page 3. LOC. https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85052020/1882-03-21/ed-1/seq-3/
[9] Excerpt from "Local Matters." The Interior Journal, Stanford, KY. October 17, 1882. Page 3. LOC. https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85052020/1882-10-17/ed-1/seq-3/
[10] Excerpt from "Local Matters." Semi-Weekly Interior Journal, Stanford, KY. October 31, 1882. Page 3. LOC. http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85052020/1882-10-31/ed-1/seq-3/
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