Rensselaer Republican, Volume 21, Number 17, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 December 1888 — THE FRENCH-EVERSOLE FEUD [ARTICLE]

THE FRENCH-EVERSOLE FEUD

Four Men Shot Down in Colrt Blood Th* * Be gn of Kentucky EnwleMnesa Wet Yet ' at an End. ' _ M Four more men concerned in the' noted French-Eversole feud have been kilep in the mountain regiofi north of Cumberland Gap, Kentucky. With the killing of J oseph 0. Eversole, the leader of one faction, together wth Martin Cenbs, a leading adherent, op May* 3, last, the French side obtained a decided advantage. When Jugdge Lilly, early ' in November, opened court at Hazard to hear the murder cases involved in the feud, he summoned and received a company of the Louisville Legion of the State Guard to protect him. The case against Frank French, the leader, was continued and the others went on a ch-nge of venue to be tried on December 3, at Hindman, Knott cotfnty, and the troops were recalled. Then Judge Lilly begged that they be sent with him to Hindman, and when refused he at first declined to hold court, but finally called the session for December 10. As the prisoners were being taken to Hindman, the guard was attacked by French, who had come out supplied with arms at his store in Hindman. Repulsed by the guard, French gave up his design of taking away the prisoners, and seems to hhve determined to ! murder the witnesses instead. On the afternoon of December 10, just after court was called to begin the trials, there wa> a great outcry and running in t’e street Three men were seen in excited chase of two fugitives. As they turned down a side lane a rattle of shots was heard, and the two in front fell. One of them rose again, staggered n few steps forward and fell in a heap on the stones. The pursuers ran around a back way, jumped on their horses and came dashing through the crowd in the principle street waiving their hats and shouting curses on their enemies. They were greeted with a volley of stones "and a number of pistol shots but escaped unhurt there was a short pursuit, but if there has been an organized effort to capture them it is not known. They were recognized as “Red Mule” Smith and Lewis and Lile Hayes, all of the French faction. When tne fallen men were reached they were found to be John and Andrew Sloan, brothers and principle witnesses against the French side of the trial. John Sloan was dead with eight buckshot through his chest and a Winchester ball through his brain. Andrew lay among the stones gasping. He had a leg and arnrbroken and a ghastly hole through his lufigs. He lived till morning and it was learned by questions and signs that Smith and his companions bad tried to provoke a quarrel with himself and brother. When they turned away, their tormentors followed and the chase began, ending in their mur T der. Richard Vance and another man whose name is not given, both important witnesses against the French side, have also been ordered away since the trials at Hazard- What Judge Lilly did with the cases is not known, as the report comes by mail from another neighboring town." It is said that Globe Jones, the Sheriff of Hindman/ happened to be in range of the shots fired >y Smith and the Hayes men and received a flesh wound. On December 16 Isaac Combs, known as “Shooting Ike,” went from Knott county to the home of Hoop Davis a neighbor in Breathitt, 7 with a threat of murder preceding him. When Combs came in sight Davis without a word shot him dead. Whether they were involyed in the feud, is not stated.