Franklin County, Kentucky - Chapter 12, 1912

The people of Franklin County were mueli excited over the assassination of Ben Farmer, which occurred at his hom''-. near I'^arnidalc, about six miles from Frankfort. He was a citizen of the county and had been a resident of that neighborhood for many years. The assassination was on Saturday night, March 5th, 1870. Mr. Farmer was asleep on a sofa, his head being near a window which opened out on a porch. Thomas J. ^hiyhall and A\'illiam Wright were in the room with him at the time the shot was fired; they went to the door but could see no one. When they attempted to awake him they found he was dead, with a wound in the head which had penetrated to the neck. A negro man named Charles Holmes was arrested on suspicion but the evidence at the examining trial was not suflicient to hold him. Some time after that circumstances led to the arrest of William Hawkins and Charles Polk. Hawkins wa.s indicted and tried Ijy a jury but he was acquitted. The impression has deepened as time passed, that the man who planned and possibly who carried into execution the assassination of jNIart South, which occurred some years later, also had something to do with the death of Ben Farmer. Both of them were butchers by trade and the tragedies were so much alike in many respects that it seems probable that the same party planned both of them. It was on the morning of April 1st, 1876, that Martin V. Soutli was assassinated at the market house in Frankfort. Walker Stephens, Robert C Shields, Hick Kersey and Thos. IT. Holder were charged with the nun-- der. (ireat excitement ]irevailed, the court house was crowded during the examing trial. Walker Stephens was held without bail. He afterwards secured a change of venue and the final trial was held in Henry County, where he was acquitted.

At the election of county officers in 1870, R. A. Thompson was elected Judge, Ira Julian, Attorney; James G. Crockett, Clerk; Joseph Roberson, Sheriff; Robert Lawler, Jailer; J. C.

Coleman, Coroner; E. A. AV. Roberts, Surveyor, and Peter Jett, Asse.S!?or. John B. Major was elected Police Judge of Frankfort, and II. li. Hyde, City Marshal, iill the otHcers for both county and city were Democrats.

The bridge across Benson Creek, near its mouth, wa.'^ completed in 1870, the Baldknob turnpike road wa.s also built during that year and a floor was placed on the railroad bridge for the passage of vehicles and general travel. There was also a bridge built across Flat Creek near the mouth. These improvements were of great benefit and convenience to the people in the northwest section of the county. Prior to that time it wa.s difficult and sometimes impossible for the citizens in thaj; section of the county to reach the county seat for days and even weeks at a time on account of high water.

On the night of November the second there was a very destructive fire. It commenced on St. Clair street, and the half square bounded by St. Clair, Market and Lewis streets was consumed. The fires of 1853 and 1870 destroyed the entire square. The loss at this time was $113,150, with insurance amounting to $66,950. The Odd Fellows Hall valued at $11,- 500 and the Christian Church valued at $5,000 and several store rooms with stock, w^ere consumed.

The kuklux became active in Franklin County during the year. Out of forty-five colored voters in the Baldknob precinct all of them were driven away except Abe Dodson. He was the only negro voter in that section of the county for more than a cjuarter of a century.

On December 6th, 1870, the kuklux visited the house of Ilarrison Blanton in search of a negro named Freeman Garrett, but failing to find him they shot two other negroes who were living on the l')lanton place. They continued their raids in different sections of the county for several months. In 1872 thej^ visited Mr. John R. Gay's place and wliippcd some of his servants. John Triplctt, John AVillson and Charles jNIcDaniel

The l)()nded del)t of the county in 1870 was !|;:^,008 ; the floating debt was $75,500. The bonded debt of Frankfort was $128,000, the floating debt wa.s $85,000. The amount of taxes colleetod for State jiurposes was $15,192; for county purposes was $20,000. The amount raised for city purpo.ses was $28,000, exclusive of water and gas tax.'

In that year tlie county took stock in the Kentucky River Navigation Company and issued bonds therefor. It also Issued bonds to the amount of $10,000 for bridge purposes.

The number of white paupers supported Ijy the county during that year was nineteen, and the number of colored paupers was sixteen. The cost of supporting them amounted to $1,750.00. At that time there were three Methodist Cliurches in the county with church property valued at $1(5, 000; two Pre.sbyterian Churches which were valued at $22,500 ; two p]piscopal Churclies which were valued at $42,000; one Catholic Church valued at $20,000; five Christian Churches which were valued at $17,000, and ten Baptist Churches whicli were valued at $39,500. Frankfort had five steam saw mills, two .shingle factories, five large distilleries, one large cotton mill, a chair factory, tobacco factory and furniture factory. .Vt that time Franklin County had 62,205 acres of improved land and 32,176 acres of woodland and 1,395 acres of unimproved land. The value of farm lands was placed at $2,651,192.

The number of pounds of tobacco raised, 123,250; wool, 16,336 pounds; Irish potatoes, 16,472 bushels; sweet potatoes, 1,407 bushels. The amount of wine made was 572 gallons; iKitter, 82,429 pounds; the amount of milk sold, 20,000 gallons; the amount of hay raised was 1,430 tons; grass seed, 110 bushels; hemp, 238 tons; flax, 75 pounds; the amount of maple sugar made was 530 pounds; the sorghum molasses amounted to 18,452 gallons; wax, 180 pounds, and honey, 2,- 400 pounds.

At the city election in 1871 there was a small riot which came near being a race war. The trouble commenced at the court house. Mr. William Newman, a grocer on Market street, was killed; Capt. W. G. Thompson was wounded in the arm; James Winter and Winston Coleman, of color, were seriously wounded, and several other parties, both white and colored, were slightly wounded.

It was during this year that P. and D. Swigert had imported to them from the Isle of Jersey twenty-one head of Jersey cattle, all of which arrived in hue condition. They were exhibited in the State House yard. The Swigerts, at that time, had the largest herd of Jersey cattle in the United States. On January 14th Thompson Scroggans and a colored man by the name of Strother Trumbo had a difficulty near the south end of the tunnel and as a result Scroggans killed him. At that time the United States district court had jurisdiction to tr}'^ the case where a negro was killed by a white man. Scroggans was arrested and committed to jail without bail. 0^ the 27th of the following February the jail was broken open by an armed band, estimated at a hundred and fifty men. Scroggans was taken from jail and released. He had been a rebel soldier and it Avas supposed that they had something to do with his release. Scroggans remained out of the county for several years and in the meantime he became an officeholder in another county. After an absence of about forty years he visited Frankfort and he was requested lo toll about his release. lie said: ''It was about twelve o'clock at night when someone took me roughly by the arm and said, 'get up from there we want you.' Some fifteen or twenty men wtu'c in the jail, lliey did not permit me to put my <^lothes on and J was hurried away without any clothes except my night slwrt. I thought at thai time it meant death at the end of the vi)\K\ I was carried across the St. Clair street bridge and down near the city school where a large number of men were congregated. They gave me a new suit of clothes, a hundred dollars in money, a good horse, saddle and bridle and some good advice, all of which I api)rceiated. It took me a very short time to get out of the county."

A "birds-eye view" of Frankfort was made by Prof. Ruger in 1871. The view is from a point above the city and presents tlie entire town ard suburljs in picturesque style; the work was exceedingly well done; the map makes a handso.iie oriiamcn', for the library or office. Several of them have survived the ravages of forty years' time, perhaps a dozen of them are still extant.

At the August election there was another negro riot in Frankfort at which two white men were killed aiid several wounded. Capt. AVilliam Gilmore and Silas N. Bishop were killed, Policeman Jerry Lee and Dick Leonard were wounded, and several other citizens were injured by stones which were thrown by the negroes. Heniy Washington w^as the only negro who was wounded during the fight. The Mayor, Col. E. IT. Taylor, Jr., called out the militia and quelled the disturbance. The trouble at this time occurred on Broadway near the market house. When the polls were closed the negroes were on the north side of the railroad track and the whites were on the south side. Immediately after the train from Louisville ])assed them the firing connnenced. This disturbance greatly increa.sed the bitter feeling which had existed between the white and colored pe()})lc for some time and a race war in Frankfort had seemed prol)al)lc for several months. A few days prior to this trouble a negro named Harrison Johnson was charged with criminally assaulting a white woman of good character. lie had been arrested and lodged in jail. The night of the riot Henry Wa.'^hington, though wounded, had also ])ecn placed in jail charged with having killed Capt. Gilmore. Within a few hours after that a mob took both negroes from the jail, carried them across the river and hung them to a tree near (he city .school building. P^ollowing the hanging of the negroes James Alley, Ivichard Crittenden and 1). Howard Smith, Jr., .<on of the State Auditor, were arrested charged with being implicated in the hanging. They were taken to Louisville and tried before the United States Commissioner and held, bail being denied them. All of them were finally released. The veterans of 1<S12 who were living in Franklin County in 1871, were John B. Bibb, Major of 4th brigade; Thomas Theobald, Captain in Moders' company of mounted rifiemen, Moses Hawkins, Alexander Crockett, William Nelson, John Cardwell, Joseph Clark and A. H. Rennick.

A. II. Rennick died at the residence of his son-in-law, James M. Todd, on the 18th of December at 80 years of age. He had been a resident of Frankfort for seventy-eight years. He was Clerk of the Franklin County Court for sixty-one years, forty-six of which he was chief Clerk. He was with Captain Pascal Hickman at the battle of the River Raisen Init was one of the few who escaped.

On December the 31st Philip Swigert, another one of Franklin County's distinguished citizens, died at the age of seventy-four years. Pie was born of poor but respectable parents in Fayette County in 1798. He came to Franklin County when he was twenty-four years of age. In 1830 he was appointed Circuit Cou-rt Clerk, and was elected to that office in 1850. He was a prominent Mason and he was a large importer and breeder of fine cattle. He left a hand.some estate.

The east wing of the old capitol was built in 1871 at a cost of $155,000. It was occupied in the following year but the building has never been completed. The idea at that time was to complete the east wing in which was to be located the House of Representatives and a west wing was to be constructed on the same plan, and in which was to Ijc located the Scnal(> chamber.

On February 19th, 1872, Daniel Clark, the faithful old colored porter of the Governor's office, died. Ho was a native of Africa. -He and his brother were stolen whih^ ])laying on the beach, they were brought to Charleston and sold. Daniel afli'i'wards Ix'canie the servant of (iovernor Clark and came

^vi(ll liiiii to Frankfort in 183(5 and was employed as porter in the executive ofllee. He remained in that eapaeity until the administration of (Jovernor l>eslie. Durinti; all of tliesc years he sustaint'(l an unMemished rei)utation for honesty and faithfulness. ^^'hen he ,<2;rew too old and feehlc for further lahor the Le.o;islaturc of Kentucky passed an act giving him a pension of $12.00 })er month for the rest of his life. When Clark died the (lovcrnor caused that fact to he recorded u\h)\\ the executive journal, with an appr()i)riate trilnite to his fidelity and long service. He was the only negro who was ever honored to that extent in Kentucky.

Jeremiah Tracy died at his home in the county on ]\hn'ch 12, 1S72. He was horn in Culpepper County, Va., in 1771. lie moved to this county in his early manhood and hecanic one of the most sterling and substantial citizens of the county. He raised a family of ten children. At the time of liis death he left sin-viving him nine of his children; more than one hundred of his descendants were living at the time of his death. Jle was the forbear of the numerous l)ranches of the Tracy family in Franklin County and other sections of Kentucky.

The Christian Church, located on Ann street, was built during this year, through the munificence of Mrs. Emily Tubman, a sister of Mr. Landon A. Thomas. Mrs. Tubman was a devout member of that church. She had been born and i-aiscvl in Frankfort and .she desired to show the Frankfort people, in some .substantial way, her ai)]ireciation of them. The ])uilding cost $26,000. It WHS dedicated on August 11. Mrs. Tubman endowed a chair in Betheny College. She materially a.ssi.sted the Kentucky University and the orphan school at jMidway and did many other charitable acts which endeared her to the people of this county.

The penitentiary was considerably improved during the year. The arched gate was raised five feet. The prison grounds were enlarged by inclosing within the walls one acre immediately north of the cell house, this was designed for women. There were several l)rick buildings erected within the walls which have been used for kitchen, dining room, cells, hospital, etc.

There was a jail delivery on December 30. The jail had been newly constructed and it was thought to be secure. Six negroes made their escape, all of whom were charged with grand larceny. Only two of them were ever recaptured.

The Christian Church, $2(),000; the Swigert block on St. Clair opposite Odd Fellows building at a cost of $25,000; improving the malt house on JNIero street, $20,000; improvements on cotton factory, $28,000 ; improvement on the Valley Merchant Flouring Mill, $0,000 ; a wholesale liquor house on Ann street at a cost of $8,000 ; the Capital Livery Stal)le on Ann street, Church Bros., $8,000; Alley & Malioney Stable in front of Capital Hotel, $H,000; B. B. Sayre residence on hill, $15,000; II. II. Johnston cottage, corner Second and Main, South Frankfore, $3,000; R. H. Lawler cottage near State prison,- $3,000; Col. Orlando Brown house on Owenton road, $0,000; Saiiford Coins, near Capitol square, $4,000; Frank Short, on Upper Main street, $2,500 ; Con Newman cottage near cemetery gate, $3,000; J. W. Gault residence on Steel street, $2,000; Landon A. Thomas, improvement on his residence, $10,000; William Saffell, near depot, $5,000; Mrs. William A. Sneed, near Mr. Saffell, $4,000; Warden South, a brick stable near prison, $2,500. ]m])rovements in Bellepoint amounted to more than $15,000. Col. F. II. Taylor, at O. F. C. distillery, $9,000, and a great many smaller inq^rovements amounting in the aggregate to more than $30,000. A new fire bell was purchased in 1873 to take the place of the old cracked bell. The new one weighed 830 pounds and it cost the city $365.

In the year 1873 W. J. Chinn was elected Sheriff; in 1875 H. I. Morris was elected; in 1877 M. H. P. Williams was elected and in 1879 he was re-elected Sheriff' of the county.

In the year 1874 the county officers elected were as follows: R. A. Th()nq)son, Judge; James G. Crockett, Clerk; Thomas B. Ford, County Attorney; Robert W. Lawler, Jailer; John M. Quarles, Assessor; John R. Graham, Coroner; Richard Critlen<len, Surveyor; Pat McDonald, Magistrate in the city

Mardi (Jras was celebrated in Frankfort on tlie ITtli of Fel)ruary. The procession through the streets in the afternoon was of groat interest to the thou.sands of i)eople from Franklin and surrounding counties. The streets of the city were densely lined with spectators during the passage of the niasqueraders. It was estimated that ten thou.sand people witnessed the parade. The celebration of the carnival was concluded by a grand nia-squerade l)all at the Capital Hotel, which was largely attended.

The Grangers became very prominent in Franklin County during the year 1874. This was a farmer organization which had in view the betterment of the farming interest of the county. There were several Granges organized in different sections of the county and doubtless they would have l)een productive of great good to the farmers had not a few designing politicians become leaders of the organization with the idea of advancing their political interests and in that w^ay demoralized the organization and in the course of time destroyed it.

The Pigeon Tournament was held in Frankfort on February the 7th and 8th. A number of the most famous "shots" of America were present. . Capt. A. H. Bogardus, the champion of America, and L. C. South, of Franklin County, scored thesame number during the meeting and they agreed to divide the prize between them, but in order to gratify their friends they decided the championship by another contest which resulted in the defeat of South Ijy one point in thirty-three. South killing thirty-two of his and Bogardus all of the thirty-three birds.

The Baptist Association of Kentucky held its thirty-eighth annual session at Frankfort. It was the largest and the ahlest representative l)ody of that church which had ever been held in the State. The lay delegates as well as the ministers were representative Kentuckians of the highest and most intellectual class.

(a-ahani went to his home and called him out. While John (h-aham and Dave Kelley held him, Jim Kelley inflicted five or six wounds with a knife from the effects of which he died. Jolni (Jraham had stolen Jim Kelley's saddle and charged the theft to Ilitzelberger, the outcome of which was the killing. John (h-aham and Dave Kelley were arrested but Jim Kelley made his escape and has never since been heard from.

Mrs. Mary Freese, who died in Frankfort on August 23, 1874, wa.s a very eccentric person. She was a native of Ireland who became a resident of Frankfort about thirty years prior to her death. For several years after she moved to Frankfort she was regarded as an object of charity. After she had lived in Frankfort for about ten years she spent a whole summer and winter in a stable without lights or fire. At the time she was receiving $75 per year from the Ladies' Aid Society of the Presbyterian Church, she was erecting a comfortable dwelling house of six rooms. When she completed the house she moved in the small rear room and rented out the rest of the house. She subsequently purchased a considerable quantity of land near the penitentiary upon which she built a number of tenement houses. Since which time that section of the city has been known as ''Freesetown." Her annual rental for several years prior to her death was supposed to l)e about three thousand dollars. She was buried in the Frankfort cemetery, where a handsome marble monument marks her last resting place.

The 15th of Septeml)er, 1874, wa.s the day set apart by Governor Leslie for the re-interment of the remains of Governor Greenup, Governor Madison. Adjt. George N. Cardwell, Hon. John C. Mason, Gen. Carey, LL Fry and Col. Theodore O.'Hara. The remains of Governor Christopher Greenup and Governor George Madison were originally buried on the hill north of Frankfort in the old burying ground which was used until about 1843, when the Frankfort Cemetery Company was organized and a burying ground east of Frankfort was purchased, a part of which was set aside by the State for her illustrious dead. On the morning above referred to, at an early hour, the streets of Frankfort were crowded with people from all sections of the State who were drawn to the Cajiital City by a patriotic desire to honor the memory of Kentucky '.s noble dead. Tlic bii.sincss houses of the city and all the public offices of the IState, county and city were closed in order that all might unite in a fitting testimonial to the great men whose bones were brought from other states to find a final rasting place in their own mother soil.

Three companies of the State guard and a large numl)er of JMexicai: soldiers came from Louisville and other parts of the State were well represented. Gen. Thomas Taylor, of Louisville, acted as Chief ALu'shal. There were several thousand people in the procession which inchidcd nearly all of the prominent men of the State.

lion. R. J. .Jacob and (ien. William Preston were the speakers of the occasion, (iovcrnor Christopher (Trecnup was born in 1750 in the colony of Virginia. lie was a Revolutionary soldier and gained distinction as such. He came to Kentucky in March 178."). In 1792 he removed from Danville to Frankfort and was elected that year to Congress and was twice re-elected. lie was one of the three chief judges under the new Constitution. He wa.^ elected (U)vernor in 1(804 and discharged the duties with high honor and credit as well to the State as to himself. During his term as Covernor he also served as chairman of the Board of Trustees of the town of Frankfort. After his term as Governor he made the race to represent Franklin County in the K(Milucky Legislature, but he was defeated by llumpluvy Marsjiall. Sr., the historian. In 1812 Governor (Jreenui) was aj)i)()inted justice of the i)eace for Franklin County. He owned a large amount of property both in the city and in adjacent sections of the comity.

Governor George ^ladison was l)orn in ^^irginia. in 1703. Ik'fore he was grown he distinguished himself in the Revolutionary war. He wa.s wounded at St. Clair's defeat in 1701, and was again wounded l»y the Indians in 1702. He became State Auditor in 171)2, and held that ])osition for twenty years. He was a major in Col. .btlni Allen's regiment in the war of 1812, and he was largely instrumental in saving the ivnniant of the American forces from mas.^acre after the fatal battle of the River Raisen. He was elected Governor in 1816, but died in a short time after he was inaugurated. He was at one time Clerk of the city of Frankfort and at another time Treasurer. lie lived at the Heffner property near the southwest corner of the old 8tate house square. Theodore O'PIara studied law in the oiiice of Gov. Owsley and was a fellow student of .John C. Brcckenridge.

On June the 7th John W. Jackson, B. F. Head, G. C. Hughes, F. Satterwhite, Milton Wiggington, Jas. Harrod, William A. Smoot, G. AV. Gwinn and Put jMcDonald qualiiied as Magistrates. The county court subscribed $5,000 to the Glenn's Creek turnpike and $3,000 to the Lewis Ferry turnpike at their first meeting after they took the oath of ofhce.

The Kentucky Mineral Paint Company was organized by James L. Sneed and John E. Kirtley, of Frankfort, and they procured a patent for manufacturing mineral paint out of a soft grayish stone, to be found in certain portions of Franklin county, and especially in the Bridgeport section. A comp^iny was chartered under the Kentucky Statutes for manufacturing this paint at Frankfort. At that time the paint industry promised to be a very lucrative one, the mineral rights on thousands of acres were leased for a period of twenty years. From analysis of the rocks made bj^ Prof. Hhaler and Prof. Peter, it was thought .that the cheapest and best paint ever made in the United States could be made of this material. It has never been fully explained just why this industry was not a financial success. The people of Bridgeport were satisfied that the precious metals existed in_ several localities in that section of the county. A man by the name of AVilliam Fields came from AVisconsin and leased several tracts of land ; from one of these farms he took a thousand pounds of rock which he sent to New^ York for a test. The ore was reduced and it yielded at the rate of $12.60 in gold and $10.12 in !<ilver or $22.72 per ton. It was thought at that time that the ore could be worked for five dollars per ton, making a clear profit of over $17 per

Judge (u "W. Craddock \va.>^ elected to represent the county in 1875 and Judge W. 1.. Jett was elected Police Judge of the city of Frankfort.

Joseph Clark died at his residence near the city on November lOtli in his 83rd year. He was one of the most substantial citizens of the county. He was a member of Pascal Hickman's company in the war of 1^12, and was wounded at the battle of River Raiseii. He wa.s one of the thirteen members of that noted company who returned to Frankfort after that defeat and slaughter Ijy the Indians.

The law establishing a w-orkhouse went into effect in 1870; for a few weeks there were fifteen or twenty and sometimes as many as twenty-five inmates, Init after it got into good working order the number was reduced to five or six. Prior to the institution of the workhouse system the prisoners were sent to jail without labor where they had plenty to eat at the expense of the county and a white man to wait on them.

On the 2otli of June Gen. Custer Avith sixteen officers and three hundred enlisted men were massacred by the Indians. Among the officers was Lieut. John J. Crittenden, of Frankfort, who was on the staff of Gen. Custer. He was twenty-two years of age at the time of his death. He was Ijuried in th'e Fra n k fort ceni etcry .

During this year Capt. Thomas J. South ])ecame the champion bird shooter of the world by defeating the cliampion, l^ogardus, first at a tournament near Philadelphia and later at a tournament near St. Louis. By these two victories he Avon an international reputation.

Judge Franklin Chinn died at his home near the Forks of Elkhorn on August the 10th, in his seventy -sixth year. In 1827 he removed to Henry County and during the ten years he lived there he rei)resented that county twice in the Kentucky Legislature. He was for many years a magistrate of Franklin County and in 18()1 he was elected County Judge of the county. He was universally esteemed and honored by the people of Franklin County.

During the year 1876 the Fraiikhn County Court i.ssued bonds to the amount of $35,000, the proceeds of which were used in paying off the outstanding floating debts of the county ; $15,000 of whicli was for building a new jail and $20,000 was for turnpike purposes.

Col. R. T. P. Allen was a graduate of West Point and for many years Avas superintendent of the Kentucky Military Institute, which was located on the Lawrenceburg road al)Out six miles from Frankfort. He was a man of great intellectual en-. dowment.When quite a young man he built the first concrete house ever built in Franklin County. This house is located on the south side of the Kentucky river about three miles above the city of Frankfort, and it is in as good condition as it was when first constructed over sixty years ago and it looks like it ' might stand for a thousand years without any deteoriation in the foundation or walls. Col. Allen also invented- a type-writing machine which Avas a fore-runner of" the tyi)c-writing machine industry, but he received neither credit nor money from the invention. He also invented a steam wagon' Avhich origi' nated the idea of the automoljile of later date. He drove hi= machine from the Kentucky Military Institute to I.ouisviile, but on his return he ran it into a stone fence and made a complete wreck of it. At a later date, about the year 1876, he invented the type distributing machine which has since become almost indispensible to the large printing houses of the country. He claimed that this machine could distribute accnrately, as many as twenty thousand type in one hour. The Kcntuc'ry Mihtary Institute was estabhshed by Col. R. T. P. Allen and it was run on the same plan as West Point.

In the early part of the last century a man by the name of Oliver Perry Scanlan owned the land on which the Scanlan Springs w^ere located and which afterwards became famous as the Franklin Springs. This Avas the first health and pleasure resort Avest of the Alleghanies and it Avas largely ])atronizcd for many years. When General Jackson Avas President of the United States, Col. R. T. P. Allen, then a l)oy sixteen years of age, conspired Avith other and older boys, at AYest Point, to rid the campus of a nui.sance on the grounds and one night they

.-^et lilt' to tlu' Ituildiii.ij;. An iii(|uirv was at (tiu-o inadi' and yonnu,- Allen was the only one who was man enough to admit that he wa.s connected with the ollense. On account of the a<lmission and on the charge of insubordination in refusing to divnli^e the names of his accomplices he wa.s expelled. lie took his case to the President, hut still refused to betray his friends. His manly conduct made such an impression on the President that he restored him to the institution. After he graduated he was commissioned Captain and soon thereafter he WcLs promoted to Colonel and i)laced in charge of the engineering of the harbor on lake Michigan. \\'hile making a visit at the ^^'hite House, he met the President's niece, INIiss Julia Bond, who afterwards became his wife and who in later life was known as ''Old Miss" by the hundreds of "her boys" as she always called the cadets of the K. M. I. A visit of this couple in 1843 to the then famous watering place led to the purchase of -the grounds and the charter wa.s granted" to the Kentucky Military Institute by the Legislature of Kentucky, and this became the first militarv school of the South and West.

The contractor who erected the buildings was George Vest, the father of United States Senator Vest of Missouri. The main building was burned in 1804 and it was rebuilt by Hiram Ikrry, contractor.

Prior to the war the K. M. T. was patronized almost exclusively by the South. ^Many noted men were educated there. This statement api)lics especially to the ofiicers of the Southern Confederacy. Senator .John Sharj) Williams and other United States Congressmen were educated there.

After Col. P. T. P. Allen grew too old to manage the .school, his son. Col. 11. I). Allen, took charge and .successfully conducted it for al)out fifteen years, after which a joint stock company purchased the property aiwl attempted to continue tlie .school, Init after a few years gave up the effort and it wa,s di.scontimied. The K. M. I. charter ha.s since gone into the hands of Col. C. W. Fowler at Lyndon, Kentucky, who having been eduOated at the old K. M. I. is an excellent man to liave charge of the new. The real estate of the old K. M. I. was purchased hj Dr. J. Q. A. Ste^Ya^t and since that time has been known as The Stewart Home. It has become one of the mosl ])rosperous institutions for the training of children of backward mental development in the Wast or South.

In 1877 there were several hundred hogs running at large on the streets of Frankfort. This had been the custom from the earliest history of the town. When the City Council passed an ordinance prohibiting the further use of the sti'ccLs for that purpose, a great protest wa.s made by many good citi zens who thought their personal rights had been invaded.

At the city election of this year, Col. E. H. Taylor, Jr.. was elected mayor of Frankfort In' a majority of one vote. Col. S. I. M. Major was the contending candidate. In June of the same year Col. Taylor resigned and Col. S. I. M. Major was elected.

Thomas AV. Scott was elected to represent the county at the August election of that year and Judge Lysander Hord was elected Representative in 1879.

For several years l^oat racing was one of the favorite sports of the young men in Frankfort. A great contest was to l)e decided in the month of Septemljer. The railroad l)ridge and the l)anks of the river were lined to see the race. It was supposed that there were more than three thousand ])eople present. Col. J. Stoddard Johnston and Mr. J. L. Waggoner were the judges; Judge W. L. Jett, umpire, and J. W. Pruett, starter; the distance was one mile and five-eighths and the time twelve minutes. The race was between the Zozma, manned l)y Cieorge L. Payne and Dr. J. Lampton Price, and tlie Undine, nuuiiied Ijy Clarence Drane and Howard Jett. The Zozma won the blue silk ])ennant which was presented l)y Col. J. Stoddard Johnston in an appropriate address.

Thomas N. Lindsey died Nov. 22, 1877. He wa.s the father of Gen. D. W. IJndsey and John B. Lindsey. lie was one of the leading lawyers of the Frankfort bar and a writer of considerable note. For a period of thirty or forty years he was a constant contributor to the press, inider the non <le plume of Black Jack. Tie was a strong writer and he discussed a great many different suljjects. If his articles were collected and put in ;i Ixiiiiid \()liiino, it would make a very material addition to the literary produetions of the county. At a Ijar meeting- held at the eourt house Jud,<>;e Craddoek said that "Tlntnias N. l.indsey was a good story teller, industrious, kind, att'eetionate, temperate, even tempered, faithful and most agreeahle." .After several other lawyers had made appropriate remarks Col. S. F. J. Trahue arose and attempted to speak hut his emotions overcome him. He spoke not a word and resumed his seat. Judge 0. C. Drane said, ''Gentlemen that is the most eloquent speech made today."

On December 7th John Julian, the father of Judge Ira Julian, died, lie studied law under Johii J. Crittenden and entered the practice of his profession with bright prospects of success, but on account of bad health he had to give up his profession. He wa.-^ known as a man of superior mind and culture.

The election for county officers in the year 1878 resullcrl as follows: K. A. Thomp.<on re-elected Judge; R. W. Lawler, Jailer; A^'illiam Julian, Attorney; James G. Crockett, Clerk; D. M. Woodson, Surveyor; John R. Graham, Coroner; Robert Sanford, As.sessor, and Thomas B. Ford, School Commissioner. The following year John R. Graham died and Alexander ^IcEwan was appointed Coroner.

Frankfort owned a lottery franchise which had been granted by the Kentucky Legislature and which the city continued to lease as late as 1871). The lessees executed a liojid in the sum of $100,000 for a faithful preformance of their contract.

A ."Statement wa.s made by the Franklin County Fiscal Court that more than four hundred ex-convicts had settled in and around Frankfort and the Legislature was requested to pa.ss an act requiring all convicts to Ije returned to the county from which they had been sent when their terms of service expired. The fact that for nearly a century the ex-convicts and their descendants were i)ermitted to remain in Franklin County explains, to some extent, the great amount of lawlessness and crime which has marked the progress of the city and county. For several months prior to October the city of Frankfort and its vicinitv was Hooded with counterfeit silver coin of various

(lenominatioiLS. On investigation it wa.'< found that the inmates of the penitentiary had started n}) a mint of their own. The moulds from which the counterfeit coins w-ere cast were of plaster [)aris, but they served the purpose of turning out a ver}^ passable article. A large number of home-made dimes, quarters and half dollars were found, together with the metal from which they were made and the crucible in which the metal was melted.

On Monday, March 2Gth, 1879, Hon. John M. Eliott, Judge of the Court of Appeals, Avas shot and killed near the ladies' entrance to the Capital Hotel, by Thomas Buford, of Henry County. The weapon used was a double barrelled shot gun loaded with Ijuck shot. Judge Eliott and liis associate, Judge T. II. Hines, were at the point designated Avhen Buford approached Judge Eliott with the gun in his hand and said, ''Judge, I believe I will go snipe hunting, won't you go along?" The Judge refused and Buford then said, ''Won't you take a drink," and before an}' further conversation ensued the gun was discharged and Judge Eliott fell. Buford lowered his gun and said, "I am sorry I did it." He then knelt down and placed his hand upon the Judge's brow and his hat under his head. The shot entered the right side about the lower ribs, passing through to the opposite side. After Buford was placed in jail he said that he killed Judge Eliott because of the decision wdiich the Judge had rendered against him on the Saturday preceding wherein $20,000 were involved. He said that he had made u}) his mind to kill })oth Judge Eliott and Judge W. S. Pryor, but he thought of Judge Pryor's children and let him off on that account. Buford had also threatened the life of General D, W. Lindsey, who as special Judge had decided the case against him in the circuit court. Buford w^as removed to Louisville in order to prevent a mob from hanging him. On his application for a change of venue, Judge O. T>. Mc^hulanla granted his petition and the-case was tried in Owen County. Buford plead insanity and the jury acquitted him.

The residence of Pascal Hickman, who was killed at the River Raiscn, was torn down and the warehouse of Col. J. W. South near the mouth of the tunnel was built on the site. The hoii^e wa.s occupied by Pascal Ilickiuan and iaiiiily in 1S12-1I), but it was l)uilt several years prior to tluit time. Tlie nails which joined the wood work were made of wrouglit iron and the window and door frames were fastened together by locust pins.

John Cardwell died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. William P. Johnson, on September 17th, 1879, at the age of ninetythree years. He was born in Culi)epper County, Virginia, in the year 1780. ITis father, William Cardwell, was a native of Virginia, from which State he moved to Kentucky and settled in Mercer County in 1796. John Cardwell lived there until 1813 when he enlisted in Capt. Terrell's company. Col. Bate's regiment of Kentucky volunteers in war of 1812. He participated in the battle of New Orleans, January 8th, 1815. After the close of the war he returned to Kentucky and married Margaret Arnold, daughter of James Arnold. To them were born a large family of children. Some of their numerous progeny have settled in Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois and Missouri.

In the month of Noveml)er the citizens of Frankfort and Franklin County were much excited over the disappearance of Hezekiah Gardner, a farmer and merchant who lived near the mouth of (Ueen's Creek ; about the same time a blacksmith shop near the State arsenel was burnt and with it a small child, the grandson of M. II. P. Williams, at that time Sheriff of the county.

Three men, Wilson, Dougherty and Lacy, were arrested on suspicion and the excitement became so great that the County Judge placed guards at the jail to prevent the men from being hung by a mob. On the examining trial Lacy and Dougherty were released and Wilson was held to the grand jury.

On Thanksgiving Day (Jardner's body was found lloating in the river, only a few hundred yards below liis jiomc. It was generally supposed that after he got home from Frankfort he went down to the river to see about a small l)oat and it being dark, he fell in the river and was drowned. It was never de-

Theodore O'llara, poet, journahst and soldier, wa.s born in Danville, Kentucky, on February 11th, 1820, but while he was a small boy his father came to Franklin County and located a short distance from Frankfort on the Peak's Mill road where Theodore grew to manhood. He died in Alaljama, June 6th, 1867. He was educated at St. Joseph's Academy al Bardstown. He read law and was admitted to the bar and in 1845 was a])i)()inted to a position in the Treasury Department at Washington. He was a captain of volunteers in the army against Mexico and on August 20tli, 1847, was breveted Major for gallant conduct in the battle of Contreras. At the close of the war he returned to ^^"ashington where he practiced his profession. He afterwards went with a filibustering expedition to Cuba where he commanded a regiment. He became editor of the Mobile Register and was afterwards connected with the Louisville Sun and Frankfort Yeoman. He performed several diplomatic missions for the Government and was })r()minent in the negotiations regarding the Tehuantepec grant.

At the Ijcginning of the Civil AVar he cast his fortunes with the confederacy and was made Colonel of the twelfth Alaljania regiment and subsequently served on the staff of Gen. John C. Breckenridge and Gen. Albert Sidney Johnson. He died in Alabama, June 6th, 1867, and his remains were Ijrought to Kentucky by special act of the Legislature and interred at Frankfort in the State cemetery.

AVhen the remains of the Kentucky soldiers, who fell at Buena Vista, were brought to their native State, Maj. O'Hai'a wrote for tliat occasion the immortal poem by which his fame is established, ''The Bivouac of the Dead."