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1924 Articles Harlan Enterprise

Fri. Dec 26, 1924

Special Coach Carries Prisoners
Fifteen prisoners taken to Penitentiary Monday Evening, Wyatt also taken.
Sheriff Blair secured a special car to carry 15 prisoners to the State Pen Monday afternoon. Wyatt and Lankford were among the ones taken.
The prisoners to go are: Doc Helton, who will betaken to the house of reform and kept there till he is 21 yrs of age, sentenced on charges of stealing an automobile.
Clyde Shackleford, who will be kept in the House of Reform till age 21 on charges of housebreaking.
Dewey King will be taken to remain in the state pen for one year on charges of shooting and wounding.
Floyd Cody, 2 yrs for shooting and attempting to kill:
John Wyatt, ten years for the murder of Lena Gurley.
Ernest Tucker, two years for housebreaking.
Rosa Williams, two years for voluntary manslaughter
Fred Montgomery, 2 yrs for grand larceny.
Horace Chitwood, 2 yrs for shooting and wounding.
Ward Lankford, 1- yrs on 2 charges of robbery.
Elijah Kelly, 2 yrs on charges of shooting and wounding.
Millard Blanton, 2 yrs on charges of forgery.
John Payne, 2 yrs and 1 day on charges of voluntary manslaughter
Charley Brown, 2 yrs on charges of grand larceny.
Elisha Morgan, 1 yr on charges of shooting and wounding.

Twenty Homicides for the year 1924

Gruesome Total left in Wake of Pistol Totters and Moonshine Venders.

Summary of Homicides in Harlan County for the year 1924 follows:
Willie Clark, (colored) killed at RC Tway Coal Camp by Sam Lyons (colored) Sunday ^ Jan 1924
Otto Giles, killed at Wallins Creek by Policeman Albert Simpson Monday 7 Jan 1924.
Gib Savage killed at Rex-harlan Coal Co. Camp by Dave Farmer Sun. 13 Jan 1924
Colored woman killed by husband at Benham Feb 1 1924 names unknown
Lena Gurley killed by John Wyatt 4 March 1924 Sentence 10 yrs.
Herman hall, killed near Grant Noe's home on Martins Fork by Henry Helton March 24, 1924
Sentenced to 21 yrs in the State Pen.
Captain J.V. Gross, Chief Officer US Coal and Coke Co at Lynch Ky by Leonard Griffith (colored) March 30, 1924 Sentenced to die 13 Feb.
Arthur Chapman, Big Stone Gap, VA killed between Baxter and Loyall by George AL Duff Sat may 17, 1924
Robert Porter (colored) shot and killed Henry Ramey and George Henry at High Splint Mon May 19, 1924
B Havis, shot and killed near Poor Fork, Tuesday 20 May 1924
Porter White, killed at Evarts Fri. May 20 1924 by Burlin Middleton
Lula Nantz killed at Cote on Clover Fork by Allen Short Fri. June 6 1924
Mack Clem, killed at Harlan near railroad crossing at L&N station Sat Aug 2, 1924 by
Police G.C. Metcalf and M. J. Metcalf and promptly acquitted.
Jeff Napier, killed at Cawood by Jack Blanton Mon Aug 11, 1924
Henry Smith (colored) killed in Jail with razor by Ward Lankford, Tue. Aug 12, 1924
Lucy Brock killed on Pine Mt. near Wallins by Freeman Wilson Wed. Aug 13, 1924
Melvin Gregory killed on railroad crossing at Frog Level bear Baxter: Carl Lankford accused on Aug 26, 1924.
Lankford was given a life sentence by the Clay Circuit Court.
Cody Howard, killed at Loyall, the L&N pump station on Aug 30, 1924. Those charged are G.H. Metcalf, James Vaughn, George Hoskins, G.H. Stone, H. B. Michiman, George McCann, Emory Howell, and Lon Spears. Indicated and moved cases to Stanford for trial.
Hiram Fee, killed at moonshine still on Cranks Creek Tues. Oct 7, 1924. H.C. Stepp, E.P. Howard, and H.M. Lewis, Federal Prohibition Officers were indicated and their cases transferred to Federal Court.
Charlie Hill killed at Wallins by George Dixon Wed. Oct 8, 1924.
Hiram Smith, killed on Pucketts Creek, Oct 29, 1924 by Harrison Daniels.
Bettie Purciful (colored) killed her husband Doc Purciful, (colored) at Wallins Dec 7, 1924

Week of Friday Dec, 19, 1924

Child Killed by Auto

Speed maniac arrested on charges of manslaughter----Child lives 7 hours.

A little Dozier boy, 4, was run down at 4 o'clock Saturday afternoon at Wallins by an auto driven by a man named Osborne. The child was badly mangled about the body, his leg and collar bone being broken and internal injuries sustained.

Osborne is alleged to have been going at an excessive rate of speed on Howard Street between a garage and the Wallins Bakery when the child stepped in front of his car. because of the speed he was going, it is reported that he could not stop in time to avert the accident.

The child was given immediate medical attention, but could not withstand the injuries received and succumed at 11 o'clock Saturday night.

Do you know who killed my father?
John B. SPRENTZ murdered 17 May 1983, ECORSE MI
See my website for further details.
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Meadows/2651/Unsolvedmurder.html