Renewing Old Feuds

The Washington Post 

Eastern Kentucky Anticipating Some Lively Shooting
Mountaineers Armed To Kill

The Noted French-Eversole Trouble Likely to be Renewed and Mountaineers Are
Enraged Over the Attempt to Kill Judge Hall-More Trouble Brewing in Perry and Breathitt
Counties One Murder Already Having Taken Place

Lexington, Kentucky December 12,1894

A message received here tonight shows that the people in Eastern Kentucky are apprehensive of the reopening of the noted French-Eversole feud. The factions have never ceased to exist. The breaking up of the circuit court at Hazard, Ky., and the attempt to kill Judge Floyd Hall Monday have served to further enrage the mountaineers. The murderers of Judge Combs are now at large, having escaped to the mountains after refusing to go to jail and attempting to kill Judge Hall. One of the leaders of the Eversole side is Jere South, a large property-owner in Breathitt county. The people of Breathitt and Perry counties are armed in anticipation of trouble.

Intelligence from Perry and Breathitt counties indicates that another mountain feud is Imminent. One murder has already taken place, that of Josiah Combs, who was killed by Jesse Fields and Joe Adkins. Combs was not friendly to the French faction, and when Adkins and Fields sympathizers took up arms in their defense.

All Looking for Gore
Last Sunday three members of the French faction left Winchester over the Lexington and Eastern Railroad for Hazard. They were heavily armed, and after arriving at Jackson, the terminus of the railroad, they rode on horseback to Hazard, thirty-five miles distant. Whether they took part in the shooting in the courtroom is not known, except from the fact that one of the Eversoles was shot.

In Jackson county there is a feud brewing between the Days and the Hargises. They are all armed to the teeth and a bloody battle may be expected at any time. A few days ago one of the factions fired seventy five shots into a house in Jackson, nut fortunately no one was hurt. Jere South, who owns a great deal of land in Breathitt, is said to be the leader.

The quiet people of Jackson and Breathitt are in mortal terror of the armed men going about ready to shoot down any one at the slightest provocation. It is dangerous to carry lanterns at night, as a number of persons carrying them have been shot at. An attempt was made recently to wreck the pay train on the Lexington and Eastern road. A switch had been thrown and fastened, but the engineer saw the danger in time. On two other occasions within the last few months attempts have been made to wreck trains on this road.