Franklin County, Kentucky - Chapter 14, 1912

The county election for the year 1890 resuUed in the election of B. G. Williams, Judge; L. F. Johnson, County Attorney; N. B. Smith, Clerk; Thomas Hunter, School Commissioner; Thomas K. Jett, Surveyor, and 0. B. Polsgrovc, Assessor.

Dr. Ben. F. Duvall died at his residence in Frankfort in May, 1890. He served as a surgeon in the Confederate army during the rebellion. He represented Franklin County in the Lower Llouse for one term.

Judge II. A. Thompson died October 23rd of the same year, in his sixty-third year. For twenty years he was County Judge of Franklin County. He was a Confederate soldier for four years, a part of which time he was Quartermaster, with the rank of Captain. In 18(39 he was elected door-keeper of the House of Representatives and in 1871 he was Sergeant-at- Arms of the State Senate.

On county court day, the 2nd of November, 1891, Ambrose Polsgrove shot and killed .Jerry Williamson, his brotherin-law, and at the same time he wounded three other men. The shooting took i)lace on the corner of Main and St. Clair streets, while the streets were crowded. Williamson was shot three times, but one of the Ijullets made six holes. It went through the flesh of his left arm and through the left breast passing above the skin on the breast bone and on through his right breast. The shot which killed him struck him in the back. Polsgrove was a member of a strong family and was at one time deputy sheriff. The jury found him not guilty.

Judge Alvin Diivall died at his home November 17th. He was one of the most prominent lawyers of Kentucky. He was horn in Scott County, March 20, 1913. His father wa.s an officer in the war of 1812 and was afterwards a mcml)cr of the Kentucky Legishiture. Judge Duvall graduated from the Georgetown College in 1838. He studied law under Jas. Y. Robinson, and afterwards graduated from Transylvania University. He too represented his county in the Kentucky Legislature. He wa.s Circuit Judge and Judge of the Court of Appeals. He was afterwards elected Clerk of the Court of Ap- I)eals. "When he l)ccame a memljer of the Court of Appeals he also became a citizen of Frankfort. At one time he made the race for jMayor but was defeated by a few votes.

Rev. H. II. Kavanaugh, chaplain of the State Penitentiary died January 18, 1892. He was l)orn at ^It. Sterling in 1836. He spent several years on the frontier with his father, who was an Indian teacher. In early manhood he became a traveling preacher of the INIethodist Church. He was a chaplain in Gen. Morgan's command, and was exposed to the dangers which were incurred by that intrepid leader, and as a result he brought home with him the scars of three federal bullets. He was known as '^the fighting parson," At the close of the war he returned to the ministry and about ten years prior to his death he became the chaplain of the Penitentiary, where his faithful service was productive of much good among the unfortunates confined there. He was the father of F. K. Kavanaugh, State Librarian, (1912).

On the 22nd of January, 1892, it wa.s discovered that Hugh Gaines, City Treasurer of Frankfort, was short in his accounts in the sum of about $3,000. He left for parts unknown and his bondsmen. Gen. Fayette Hewitt, Col. C. E. Iloge and J. W. Gaines, made good the shortage.

gaged in taking powder from some old shells which had been at the State Arsenal since the war. They had agreed to do the work for one third of the powder ; the state authorities had contracted to purchase their part. They had gotten 2,600 pounds and on the Saturday previous had delivered 1,000 pounds, and they had arranged to deliver the balance on the day of the accident. The cause of the accident was unknown. There was no one present at the time except the two men who were killed. Their bodies were so mangled and charred, when found, that they were almost beyond recognition. Mr. Force's house was about forty yards from where the explosion occurred. It was Ijadly damaged, a number of holes were shot through the roof and weather-boarding, and all the glass in the house were broken. The shock from the explosion very much startled the people of Frankfort.

A society of The King's Daughters was organized in Franklin County in January, 1893. The object of the society was to extend charity where it was needed and to do good generally. In the two decades of its existence it has been productive of much good in the city and county. The organization has erected a large building known as the King's Daughters Hospital, located on East ISIain Street. The city and county have given material assistance in maintaining the institution.

State Senator William Lindsay, who was representing, in the State Senate, the district of which Franklin County was a part, was elected to the United States Senate in 1893, and Col. E. H. Taylor, Jr., who was representing Franklin County, was elected to the State Senate, and Mr. L. J. Cox was elected to fill out the unexpired term of Col. Taylor, in the House.

In July, 1893, the city and county made a contract with the King Bridge Company of Cleveland, Ohio, to build a new bridge across the Kentucky river at St. Clair street. The original contract price was $62,500. This amount was increased on account of changes made in the plans, to the sum of $65,700. The committee which had active control of the work was Esq. Pat McDonald, and the County Attorney. There was a contest, at that time, over the city offices, which was not settled until the bridge was practically completed. There was considerable dissatisfaction about the work ; this was especially so in reference to tlic south abutment. Threats were made that the work would not be received and the bridge was closed for several weeks and work was discontinued on account of these threats. The bridge was finally opened to foot passengers in February, and to the general traveling public on March 24, 1894, The work was commenced on Thursday the 3rd day of August, 1893, which was the same day that work was commenced on the new electric raihvay for the city.

The Slate Press Association convened in Frankfort on June 7, the chief features of which wore the boat excursion up the Kentucky river and the Governor's reception. On the evening of the last day of their stay, there was a banquet and l)all at the Capital Plotel, Many noted newspaper men were present. Following this meeting the |)ress of the State said many nice things about Frankfort and her people.

While moving a threshing machine and traction engine near the Forks of Elkhorn on July 27th, Mr. Lee Triplett fell from ihe engine and in falling he reversed the leever and l)efore he could get out of the way the engine l)acked over him and crushed him to death. Norman Wilkerson, who was also on the machine was thrown off, his right arm was broken and he received other severe bruises

The remains of Chief Justice Caswell Bennett, who died in Ilopkinsvilie were brought to Frankfort on August 11th. They were taken direct to the State House where they lay in state during the day. A special military guard was detailed to watch over them. The public buildings were closed and no business transacted.

Bellepoint was, by ordinance, annexed to Frankfort in 1894. Tliere was considerable contest over the annexation, which continued through several months. At that time there was al)out $125,000 of taxable property situated in Bellepoint. The ordinance took efTect January 1st, 1895.

The 73d Annual Kentucky Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, was held in Frankfort on September 13th. It was presided over by Bishop W. W. Duncan. There weve many ministers of high character and intellectual endowment who spoke during the conference. Rev. S. F. Pollett was sent to the Frankfort station.

On August 14th, 1894, Mrs. Martin Nolan was criminally assaulted by a negro, known as Marshall Boston, while on her way to Frankfort, she being at the time, on the Devil's Hollow road, about a mile from the city. When the news of the assault reached the city it created a great deal of excitement and in a verj^ short time nearly half of the male citizens of Frankfort were in search of him. In the afternoon he was arrested and carried before Mrs. Nolan, who identified him. That night, about twelve o'clock he was taken from the jail by a mob and carried to the new St. Clair street bridge and hung. Only a few members of the mob were masked, but no one seemed to be interested in trying to identify any of them, the general impression seeming to be that a merited punishment was speedily though unlawfully inflicted. After he was hung more than a hundred shots were fired into his body.

On November 12th, the State's large warehouse, filled with chairs, belonging to the Chair Company, was burned. About $16,000 worth of chairs and the building, valued at $8,000, were a total loss, but most of the loss was covered by insurance.

In compliance with the order of the Secretary of War, the Louisville and Nashville Railroad Company raised the bridge across the Kentucky river at Frankfort, about 8 feet above the old bridge. This order was given with the idea of preventing any further obstruction to the steam boat navigation. The work was completed August 16th.

An explosion occurred at Tom Pence's saw mill in Bellepoint, October 19th. A can about half full of powder was in a shed near where Joe Downey and Howard Masters were at work filing a saw, A spark from which fell in the can ; both of the men were badly burnt and several bones were broken.

On the 18th of January John W. Payne died. He was proofreader for the Frankfort Yoeman for a number of years. In 1877 he was elected City Treasurer and was afterwards elected a member of the City Council. For several terms he was elected a Clerk of the State Board of Equalization and he was also the collaborator of tables in the oflice of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. At the time of his death he was forty-five years of age.

Dick Suter shot Urban Stephens in Luscher's saloon, February 6, 1893. Some papers in Stephen's pocket saved his life. On August 5. 1S95, Suter shot and killed Harry Kelley at Porter's saloon in Craw. The trouble came up over the testimony of Suter against Kelley in the police court. Kelley was i^hot twice; either wound would have killed him. Suter was convicted on the charge of murder and sent to the penitentiary for life, but through the influence of his brother, Lee Suter of Louisville, Governor Brown pardoned him.

On March 19th, 1893, Mr. George A. Robertson died at the age of 86 years. He was a nephew of Chief Justice George Robertson. In 1827 he came to Frankfort and became a clerk in the State Treasurer's oflice and was afterwards a clerk in the Auditor's office. When the Legislature established the office of State Librarian in 1832, he was elected to that office, which position he held for seventeen years. In 1862 he was again elected to the office of State Librarian which he held for six years, and after that he was elected sergeant-at-arms of the Court of Appeals, which position he continued to hold until his death. His long tenure in office enabled him to become acquainted with all the public men of the State.

The following month Esq. John W. Bohannan died. By a special act of the Legislature he was granted license to practice law when he was onlj' eighteen years of age. He had a most excellent memory. He knew the Code of Practice so well that he could give the number and repeat almost any section of it. He was twice elected magistrate for the Frankfort magisterial district. He was serving his second term at the time of his death.

The thirty-eighth annual session of the State Medical Association was held in Frankfort in May, 1893. The attendance was large, nearly every county and town in the State was represented. All the prominent physicians of the State were present.

tember 5th, 1895. He was a German by l)irth but he Hved in Frankfort for about thirty years. He was a music teacher by profession ; he was a poHshed scholar and a gentleman of stainless honor. For several years prior to his death he was connected with the State Geological Bureau. His especial duty was to look after the emigration of foreigners and to see that the better class of emigrants had proper inducements to settle in the State. He succeeded in establishing several colonies.

On January 5th, 1895, Jeff Lucas was fatally stabbed by Joe Newton in a fight near the Forks of Elkhorn. The trouble came up over a stove which Lucas had left with Newton for repairs. Jeff Lucas was a bright young man who had selected the law as his profession. Joe Newton was a brother of Cal Newton, who in August, 1905, shot and killed two of his neighbors, George Smith and James D. Smith, his son, who lived oil an adjoining farm. The Smiths were out repairing a fence which joined their division fence; Newton took his doublebarreled shot gun and cut the shells so that the shot w^ould not scatter and walked over to where the men were at work and killed both of them. Newton was a school teacher and up to that time had borne a good reputation. He was convicted of murder and sent to the penitentiary for life.

On Friday, February 29, 1895, George Magee, a negro convict from the local penitentiary was hung by Sheriff R. D. Armstrong and his deputies, for having murdered another convict at the State penitentiary. The hanging of Magee was the first legal execution in Franklin County since the slave woman of Mr. Hiram Berry was hung in 1860 for trying to poison the Berry family.

In September, 1894, the public schools of the city were closed for several wrecks on account of the numerous cases of diphtheria. A number of cases in both the city and county proved fatal.

The county election for 1894 resulted as follows: B. G. Williams, County Judge; N. B. Smith, Clerk; R. D. Armstrong, Sheriff; Minus Williams, Jailer; Jas. H. Polsgrove, County Attorney; W. S. Dehoney, Coroner; T. K. Jett, Surveyor, and M. B. Dorton, Assessor.

Section one of the penitentiary warehouse, filled with chairs, was burned on Monday night, November 12, 1894. The loss to the State was about $20,000 which was, only in part, covered by insurance.

The Woman's Club of Frankfort was organized on Septcmljer 22, 1894, with forty members, which was afterwards increased to fifty, the limit fixed by the constitution. This organization has been productive of much good to the members of the society and to the general public.

On April the 25th, 1905, a fire occurred on Bridge street, in what was known as the Fincel Block, wherein three people were burned to death, and the whole block of buildings swept away. Five families occupied the rooms over the several stores. The flames spread so rapidly that those who escaped did so in their night clothes. James Yager and two small children who were sleeping in a back room could not be aroused in time and all of them perished.

Judge Ruben Brown, one of the most prominent men of the county died at his home near Bridgeport on May 24th, 1895. He was a son of Scott Brown, a pioneer, who came to Kentucky about 1782, and who was at one time a Magistrate and later was Sheriff of the county. Judge Brown was a l)rother of Gen. Scott Brown, who represented Franklin County in both the House and Senate, and who was Adjutant General under Governor Magoffin. Judge Brown was twice elected County Judge of the county. He was a plain honest gentleman of the old school and he held the respect and esteem of all who knew him.

On January 1st, 189G, County Judge "Williams appointed his In-other, Wilej' C. Williams, jailer of the county to take the ])lace of Minus Williams, deceased.

Attorney James A. Violett represented the county in 1896. On the 14th of February of this year. Officer Henry Brown was shot and killed in U. Kagin's saloon on Broadway street, by a man named I.ucien Hawkins, and immediately thereafter Hawkins was shot and killed l)y Police Officer Will Gordon. Hawkins had come to the city from Shelby County, and was drunk and disorderly. The officers had been sent for and in the attempt to arrest .him, he shot Capt. Brown five times and in turn was shot three times by Officer Gordon ; both men died within two minutes after the shooting. Capt. Brown was an excellent officer and a good detective. He was 64 years old and for 38 years had been on the police force of Frankfort.

On Sunday night, March IStli, Governor W. O. Bradley ordered the "riot call" to be rung, and in a few moments the greatest excitement prevailed in all sections of the city. Men who lived in the outskirts of the town hurriedly armed themselves and went to the court house to find the cause of the alarm. Various reasons were assigned for the call. Every one was excited but no one could tell why it was made. No good reason was ever assigned for it. The people of Frankfort were very indignant by reason of the Governor's conduct. The Mayor of Frankfort, Hon. Ira Julian, issued a proclamation calling a meeting of the citizens of Frankfort and strong resolutions condemning the conduct of the Governor were passed.

There was a negro riot in Frankfort on Sunday, June 8th. The societies of the negro hod-carriers and teamsters of Louisville came to Frankfort on a crowded train. Two of the visiting negroes were fighting when they reached Frankfort; the police officers of the city undertook to arrest them, other negroes undertook to prevent the arrest and two or three hundred of them were making it warm work for the officers and they were getting the worst of it Avhen several white men went to their assistance. The riot continued for a considerable time; several white men and a large number of negroes were injured but no fatalities resulted.

On the night of July the 21st, 1896, a disastrous flood occurred in Benson Creek which arose very suddenly in the night time and washed away several houses, a large amount of fencing, stables and other outbuildings, farming products, and in some places the soil, leaving nothing but bare rocks where there had been fertile fields. The daughter of Judge J. D. ]\Ioore and two of her children were drowned. Many other people in that section had almost miraculous escapes. About one and a half miles of the L. & N. Railroad was Avashed away, entailing a great loss upon the company. The work of reconstruc- tion was more ditlicult than was the original construction. (!aincy'.s bridge, whicli con.^istcd of three steel spans, was entirely swept away, the two piers were taken out to bed rock. The length of the new bridge is 122 feet. The oldest inhabitants in that section say that the volume of water was at least four feet higlicr than the previous highest water.

On Tuesday, the second day of September, 1896, the Institution for Feeble Minded Children was burned. The loss to the State was about $()'), 000. On the ord of May a like Hre occurred in which the l)uilding used at that time was destroyed entailing a further loss of more than $50,000. On September the ISth, the frame l>uildings located on the State ground, and which were temporarily used after the fire of September 2nd, were also consumed. The children were then moved to Frankfort for a few days, and until the Commissioners rented the AValcutt farm, where the children remained until the buildings could be reconstructed. The last new building was completed in 1897. It is a more handsome building than were either of those which burned.

During the year 1896 the night riders destroyed nearly all of the toll gates in the county and practically forced the Fiscal Court to purchase all of the turnpikes and make them free. On Octol)er 24th, they visited the toll houses on the Louisville and Lawrencel)urg roads and destroyed the gates. On November loth the toll house on the Owenton road was 1)urned and the toll gate was taken down and cut to pieces. This destruction of property with threats and intimidation contiruiod until the roads were made free.

Dr. James Russell Hawkins died at his home near Bridgeport on February 1st, 1897, at the age of 92 years. He was a man of strong personality. He moved to Boone County in his early manhood and represented that senatorial district in the Kentucky Legislature. After his term of office expired he removed to Franklin County where he resided the remainder of liis life. He was a practicing physician and became prominent in his profession. He was also a licensed preacher. For 29 years he was the chief clerk of the Senate. He had a fine voice,

On the 9th of February, 1897, the boiler which was used at the jail for heating purposes and which was located under the jail oflice, exploded with disastrous effects. Cabell Hardin, Dr. Alvin Duvall, Capt. Lew Hill, Emmett Triplett, Jay Robinson and James C. Rogers w^ere all injured, some of them very severely. James C. Rogers was so seriously hurt that he died from the effects of the wounds on the next day.

Hon, Ed. Porter Thompson published his "Young People's History of Kentucky" during the year 1897. This work was prepared for the public schools of the State. It is a good work and is well suited to the purpose for which it was written.

The State Bankers' Association was convened in Frankfort in September, 1897. About one hundred delegates from different sections of the State were present. Governor Bradley delivered the address of welcome in behalf of the State, and General D. W. Lindsey on behalf of the local banks. This meeting was of interest not only to the bankers but also to the general public.

An election riot took place in Frankfort on Monday night, November 1st, 1897. Some of the Democratic politicians and workers undertook to collect a boat load of negroes and carry them up the river and in that way prevent them from voting the next day in the city election. The Repul)licans found out what was being done and they very promptly stopped further proceedings along that line. The Democrats then undertook to corrall the negroes at Dailey's barn wliich was located on the Georgetown road about one mile from Frankfort. The Republicans, white and colored, led by Frank Egbert and Howard Glore, all of them well armed, started out to release the negroes who had been collected at the barn. When they reached a point on the road near the colored Normal School, they met one of the wagons which had been used in carrying the negroes to the barn ; a man by the name of John Smith and known as ''Sweet Thing" was driving, and several white men were in the wagon. The Republicans undertook to stop the wagon and the shooting commenced. Howard Glore

Ava?^ killed, John Smith was shot through the knee and lost a leg as the result, and a negro hy the name of Charles (Jraham was shot through the breast and wa^ seriously but not fatally wounded. The Democrats came on to Frankfort and had a warrant issued against Frank Fgljcrt and placed in the hands of Tcs Dcakins, a fearless Deputy Sheriff of the county. Later in the night when Deakins undertook to execute the warrant of arrest on Egbert, at the corner of Main and St. Clair street*;, Egbert and his friends connnenced firing at Dcakins and the Democrats who were located at the four corners of the street, connnenced shooting at Egbert. As a result Deakins wtis shot twice and instantly killed and Egbert was shot live times and he, too, then and there died from the wounds. Walter Goins, an uncle of Egbert, was shot in the foot. Several men were arrested and lodged in jail but none of them were ever tried. ])eakins left a wife and three small children, and Egbert also left a wife and three small children. Glore was not married.

Judge George C. Drane died on tlie first day of the new year, seventj'-one years of age. He was elected Circuit Judge in 1862 and was re-elected. He served fourteen years on the bench.

On January loth Dewitt Clinton Barrett died in his Toth year. He came to Frankfort from Pennsylvania in 1858, and commenced work on the Kentucky Yeoman. In 1875 he purchased an interest in the Yeoman which was run under the lirm name of Major, Johnston & Barrett. He was modest, unassuming, true, upright and honorable.

The election for county ofiicers in 1898 resulted as follows: J. D. Moore, Judge; J. H. Polsgrove, Attorney; Ben Suter, Sheriff; W. H. Hawkins, Assessor; James Alley, Jailer, and Miss Lucy Pattie, Superintendent of Schools.

Judge Thomas H. Ilines died at his home in Frankfort, January 24th, 1898. He was born in Butler County, October 8th, 1838. He was well educated and was employed as a professor in Funk Ma.sonic Seminary at LaGrange, Kentucky. He wa.s Captain in General INIorgan's command during the Civil AVar and was captured with him during the raid through

Ohio and was confined with him in the Cohimbus penitentiary. It was Judge liines wlio planned and carried into execution their escape from the penitentiary. vVfterwards he went to Canada to cooperate with Jacob Thompson in the attempt to Uberate the prisoners in northern prisons. At the close of the war he studied law and was editor of a newspaper. In. 1878 he was elected Judge of the Court of Appeals, and at the expiration of his term of office retained his citizenship at Frankfort. In 1891 he represented Franklin County in the Constitutional Convention. He was tall, slim and delicate. He had the moral courage to express his opinion and the physical courage to carry them into execution.

On the 8th of the following May Maj. H. T. Stanton died, in his 64th year. He, too, was a Confederate soldier, and was promoted for gallantry to the position of Major. He was a genial, companionable man and he was a poet of high order. His "Jacob Brown" and "The iloneyless Man" gained for him a national reputation as a man of letters. He assisted Col. J. S. Johnston in writing the History of Louisville. For many years he was assistant editor of the Frankfort Yeoman. A small .stone giving his name, birth and death marks his last resting place in the Frankfort cemetery.

Walter R. Franklin died on the 19th of July, 1899, in his 76th year. He spent lift}* years of his life in the Franklin Circuit Court Clerk's office. He was deputy clerk for fifteen years and chief clerk for thirty-five years. He was very careful and accurate. Every one had implicit confidence in his word and no lawyer thought about examining the order book to see whether or not an order was properly entered. He was always ready to advise and help a young lawyer. There was not a lawyer at the Frankfort bar who was bettor informed as to the general practice.

Frankfort's first street fair was opened with due and imposing ceremonies on the 3rd of September, in the presence of a large a.ssembly of people. The procession was led by the News Boys' Band of Louisville. Governor l^radley formally opened the exercises witli an eloquent address. The fair was a

The Kentucky Historical Society re-estabhshed the original corner stone of Frankfort. On October Gth the unveiling occurred. The Governor and other state officials, the Mayor and other city officials and a large number of people took part in the ceremony. The stone is located on the east side of Ann street, near the south end. The chief address of the day was delivered by Judge Lysander Hord.

A roster of the soldiers in the Spanish-American war from Frankhn County is as follows: Adjutant of 1st Batallion, H. T. Cuiines; Chief Surgeon, W. H. Dade; Chaplain, Rev. W. L. Waits; Hospital Stewart, Howard H. Farmer; Dr. Nevill Garrett was Assistant Surgeon. Company ''E" Second Regiment, Kentucky Volunteers, known as Bradley Guards - Captain, Julian Kersey; 1st Lieutenant, W. N. Bridgeford; 2nd Lieutenant, Estin Hieatt; Sergeant, Robert Semones; Corporal, J. W. Gilpin. Privates - Augustus Baker, Chas. Berry, B.D.

The men from Franklin Connty in the Georgetown Company were W. C. Jones, Herbert Morrison, Tliomas R. Markham, Allen W, Travel, Robert R. Craik and Ralph W. Jones.