The Strong-Amy feud; the Strong-Callahan feud.--Conditions during the
eighties; official correspondence between Circuit Court Judge and
the Governor.--The murder mills keep grinding.--The beginning of the
Hargis-Cockrell-Marcum-Callahan vendetta.--Political contest cases
create bad blood.--Hargis assumes office as county judge.--Callahan the
sheriff of the county.--Trouble between Marcum and Judge Hargis.--The
Cockrell brothers.--Murder of Ben Hargis by Tom Cockrell; killing of
John Hargis.--The clans arm.--Dr. Cox assassinated at night while
on a professional call.--Marcum informed that he was marked for
assassination.--Laying plots for his death.--Mose Feltner, Marcum's
friend in the enemy's camp.--Marcum gives out a dramatic statement of
the many attempts made upon his life.--Murder of Jim Cockrell in broad
daylight from the court house.--Escape of murderers.--Judge Hargis
and Sheriff Callahan make no effort for their apprehension.--Marcum
again warned of his coming assassination.--Murder of Marcum.--Escape
of assassins.--The county judge and sheriff spectators of the
murder.--Tragic incidents of the assassination.--Reign of terror
at Jackson.--Schools and churches closed.--Public pressure forces
investigation.--Troops place Jackson under martial law.--Capt.
Ewen tells the story of Marcum's assassination and identifies
the murderers.--Ewen threatened with death.--Burning of his home
while troops are at Jackson.--Indictment of Judge Hargis, Sheriff
Callahan, Curtis Jett, and Tom White for the murders of Jim Cockrell,
Dr. Cox and Marcum.--Change of venue to other courts.--Determined
prosecution.--Conviction of White and Jett for life.--Description of
Jett.--Manufacture of fake alibis.--Confession of a witness convicted
of swearing falsely for the defense.--Accuses high officials of
Breathitt of intimidation.--Release of the convicted perjurer because
of his confession.--Hargis and Callahan escape conviction.--Semblance
of order finally restored in the county.--Murder of Judge Hargis by
his son, Beach Hargis.--Details of the fratricide.--Caustic dissenting
opinion of one of the judges of the Court of Appeals.--Conviction
of Beach Hargis for life.--His release from prison.--Assassination
of Ed. Callahan, the last of the feud leaders.--Details of the
assassination.--Conviction of his assassins.--Comments.