Collins historical sketches of Kentucky. History of Kentucky: Vol. I, Part 53

Author: Collins, Lewis, 1797-1870. cn; Collins, Richard H., 1824-1889. cn
Publication date: 1874
Publisher: Covington, Ky., Collins & Co.
Number of Pages: 1452

USA > Kentucky > Collins historical sketches of Kentucky. History of Kentucky: Vol. I > Part 53

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Feb. 27-Annual commencement of law school of University of Louisville ; 10 grad- uates.

Feb. 28-Gov. Hendricks vetoes a bill to erect a bridge over the Ohio river be- tween Jeffersonville and Louisville. A new bill was prepared, leaving out the ob- jectional features in the vetoed bill.

Feb. 28-Annual commencement of Lou- isville Medical college ; 51 graduates.

Feb. 28-" Bee cholera " has been fatal in Lincoln co., 9 out of 13 colonies dying on one place, and leaving plenty of honey to have wintered them.

March 1-Fire at Lancaster, Garrard co. ; Odd Fellows' Hall, Masonic Lodge, bank, and a dry goods store, all nearly consumed.

president of the road, and from Gen. John C. Breckinridge, vice-president, give posi- tive assurance that the road will be built.

March 3-At Louisville, vice-chancellor James Harlan refuses the injunction asked by Tyler's Ex'r. vs. The City of Louis- ville, to prevent the issue of city bonds in payment of the $1,000,000 recent addi- tional subscription of stock in the Eliza- bethtown and Paducah R. R., for the pur- pose of a direct connection between that road and the city.

March 3-Annual commencement of the Medical Department of the University of Louisville ; 75 graduates ; 6 valuable prizes and other honors awarded.

March 3-The bill which soon becomes notorious as the " salary -grab " or " back- pay-grab " bill, finally passes both houses of congress, and becomes a law. It doubles the U. S. president's salary, from $25,000 to $50,000 per year, increases the annual salary of the vice-president, cabinet offi- cers, justices of the supreme court, and speaker of the house to $10,000, and con- gressmen, to $7,500 and actual traveling expenses, and also pays the same increased or back salary to the members of the 42d congress, whose terms close to-night.

On the vote in the U. S. senate on the bill embracing this increase, Willis B. Machen, of Ky., voted aye; John W. Stevenson, of Ky., was absent.

In the house, on concurring in this bill as returned from the senate, the Ky. mem- bers vote thus: Ayes-Geo. M. Adams, Edward Crossland, Henry D. McHenry, John M. Rice, Boyd Winchester-5. Nays-Wm. E. Arthur, Joseph H. Lewis -2. Absent-James B. Beck, William B. Read-2.

March 3-The response of the auditor to a resolution of the senate, calling for information in regard to the "auditor's agents," shows that in ten years, from Feb. 28, 1862, to Jan. 1, 1872, the aggre- gate of revenue collected through these agents and paid into the state treasury was $204,434, and the agents' commis- sions thereon (as fixed by law) $47,405. In the 14 months succeeding, from Jan. 1, 1872, to Feb. 27, 1873, the agents collected and paid into the treasury, $43,757, and received therefor $10,677-besides which they report $91,883 on which suit is pend- ing; on this, if successful, their commis- sions will be over $22,000. The auditor declares this one of the most important revenue laws on the statute books, and recommends its re-enactment ; by its own terms, it expires to-day.

March 5-I. L. Hyatt takes his seat in the senate, from Jefferson co. and part of the city of Louisville-vice Elisha D. Standiford, resigned, Feb. 18, to take his

March 1-Much excitement and uneas- | seat in congress.

iness, recently, among farmers and others March 5-Death at San Francisco of Lieut. Col. Cary H. Fry, of Louisville, aged 59. He was a native of Danville, Ky. ; graduated at the U. S. military acad- in Clark and Fayette counties, for fear the eastern extension of the Elizabethtown, Lexington and Big Sandy railroad will : not be built, and a strong disposition to | emy, 1834; was brevet 2d lieut. of 3d in-

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fantry, resigning in 1836; major of 2d Ky. vols. in Mexican war, 1847, and dis- tinguished for services at Buena Vista, where his colonel Wm. R. McKee, and lieut. col. Henry Clay, Jr., were killed ; paymaster U. S. army, 1853 ; deputy pay- master-general during and since the late civil war, and since Oct. 15, 1867, brevet brigadier general. The Ky. legislature ordered his remains to be brought to Frankfort, for re-interment in the state cemetery.

March 6-The senate, by a vote of 12 to 14, refuses to authorize the "purchase of a sufficient quantity of lightning conduc- tors to protect all the public buildings in Frankfort."

March 8-Mortgage of the Kentucky and Great Eastern R. R. Co. to the Farm- ers' Loan and Trust Co., of N. Y., for $2,190,000, recorded in the clerk's offices for Mason, Campbell, and other counties.

March 8 to 14-Trial at Georgetown, of the great slander suit of Adam Harper v8. Wallace Harper, his cousin ; damages claimed $500,000; 5 lawyers, among the very ablest in Ky., on each side. The parties are nephews, and were expectant heirs of Betsey and Jacob Harper, the aged brother and sister (78 and 77 years) who were brutally murdered at their house in Woodford co. on Sept. 10, 1871-Adam Harper having been charged by Wallace Harper, before the grand jury, with being the murderer. Evidence tending to sus- tain the charge was adduced, but not enough to justify the grand jury in re- turning an indictment.

On this trial, witnesses stated the gen- eral belief of the community that Adam Harper was implicated in the murder. Hyde, a detective, produced in court a measure of the boot tracks, two sets, lead- ing from the house to where the horses were hitched on which the murderers es- caped ; these measures he compared with the tracks of Adam Harper and his son John W., and found them to fit. Mr. Lewis testified to the anxiety of Adam Harper, who is a left-handed man, to prove that the murder could have been committed only by a right-handed man. The estates of the murdered brother and sister were proven to be worth nearly half a million. The deposition of old John Harper, their brother, gave an account of a midnight call on the night of the mur- der, to see Longfellow ; but his owner re- fused the sight then. [The opinion pre- vails that this caller designed to murder old John, also.]

The jury were out 34ths of an hour, and returned a verdict for defendant; which the crowded audience received with tre- mendous applause, notwithstanding the efforts of the court to preserve order.

March 8-Death, near Florence, Boone co., of Gen. Leonard Stephens, aged 82; born March 10, 1791, in Orange ev., Va., came with his father, Benj. Stephens (see Vol. II, p. 759), to near Bryan's station in 1806, and in 1807 to the neighborhood

where he died, then an unbroken forest ; at 32, represented Campbell co. in the leg- islature for four years, 1823, '24. '25, 26; at 38. was senator from Campbell and Boone for four years, 1829-33 ; was justice of the peace of Campbell co. for many years; and as senior magistrate when Kenton co. was formed in 1840, became high sheriff.

March 9-Death, at Louisville, of pneu- monia, of Edgar Needham, assessor of U. S. internal revenue, aged 60 ; he was born in England, March 19, 1813 ; emigrated when young to the United States, and in 1834 to Louisville ; was one of 4 in Ky. who, in 1852, voted for John P. Hale for U. S. president ; one of 314 who voted for Col. John C. Fremont in 1856 ; and one of 1,364 who voted for Abraham Lincoln in 1860. He started life a stone mason, be- came a builder of fine stone-fronts, and then of monuments ; was self-made, a man of great energy, and of marked intelligence, and a handsome and effective speaker ; no man more highly appreciated the advan- tages of a finished education and elegant culture. He was an earnest Christian and a remarkable man. It is said that he has been regarded by the law officers of the government at Washington city and in Louisville, as the ablest internal revenue lawyer in the whole United States-so thoroughly did he master every thing he undertook.

March 10-Great Eastern circus tent, with 7,000 people beneath it, at Louisville, overturned by & tornado; fearful panic ; one boy killed, a young man fatally in- jured, and other persons wounded.

March 10-Great bank robbery in Louis- ville ; vault of the Falls City Tobacco Bank entered from the room above by profes- sional burglars, and robbed of $2,000 in gold, $5,000 in diamonds and other jew- elry, and about $300,000 in railroad and a few government bonds, among them some $60,000 of bonds belonging to Centre Col- lege, recently transferred to this bank for safe-keeping. As 190 holes were drilled through the chilled iron roof of the vault, the work had probably occupied the five burglars the most of two or three nights. The stolen articles were all on special de- posite, or held as collateral for loans by the bank.

March 10-Valuation of taxable prop- erty in the city of Covington, for 1873, $11,606,315. Population, taken by the assessors, 26,117.

March 11-House of representatives pass a resolution to adjourn at 2 P. M., and march in procession to the Episcopal church, to attend the nuptial ceremonies of Hon. W. W. Deaderick, member of the house from Pendleton co., [to Miss Sallie Hardin, daughter of Mordecai R. Hardin, now chief justice of the court of appeals.]

March 11-At 1212 this A. M., a mob of 25 men appeared before the jail at Dan- ville, and demanded that Wm. S. Wilson, one of the Shelby city murderers, be de- livered to them. The jailor refused, and

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warned them off; the alarm bell at the | Philip Arnold and John B. Slack, in the court house was sounded, and quite a fusil- U. S. circuit court at Louisville. Arnold, still denying that he owed them one cent, paid $150,000-" to purchase his peace, and to get loose from this most powerful and world-renowned ring ; and besides he could not afford to lose the time necessary in attending to the suit for four times the money he paid." ade of shots were fired by the guards in the jail and court house-when the mob hur- riedly mounted their horses and beat a re- treat. March 13, a change of venue in the case of said Wilson and Drye was refused, and the case continued, and the prisoners were sent back to the jail at Louisville for safe-keeping.

March 12-Miss Anna E. Dickinson lec- tures in Louisville, on " Woman's Work." She had promised instead a lecture on " Men's Rights."

March 12-Great Eastern menagerie and circus give the proceeds of to-night's performance, $585, to the two families whose two sons were killed by the falling of the tent, in the storm on March 10.

March 12-Suit brought by the Newport and Cincinnati Bridge Co. vs. the United States, for $557,000, as damages for in- creasing the height of the bridge ; congress having authorized the suit, when the act passed compelling the increased height.

March 15-Paducah derived over $7,000, and Henderson about $2,000 from liquor licenses, in 1872.

March 15-Great fire at Lawrenceburg, Anderson co., at 12 x. ; 60 stores, groceries, residences, and other houses burned, and 63 families rendered homeless; only 15 houses left standing in the town. March 17-Citizens of Frankfort subscribe $1,092, and the city council $1,000 for the suffer- ers by this fire. The legislature passes an act authorizing the Anderson county court to subscribe not over $20,000 for said sufferers, and to refund the same by taxation. The senate, by 23 to 2, voted a subscription from the state treasury of $5,000 for the sufferers by the Lawrence- burg fire, and $2,500 for those by the Car- lisle fire in January last ; but the house refused to pass a similar bill by 36 to 30, and did not act upon this one. Louisville merchants and members of the board of trade contributed $1,015 to the Lawrence- burg sufferers. A list of 56 sufferers shows their aggregate losses $191,100, with an insurance of only $36,250.

March 15-Murty O'Brien killed his step-son, Tim. Hogan, in Columbus, Hick- man co., Ky., in the fall of 1867 ; he has been a prisoner awaiting his trial during five years, has been three times tried and each time sentenced to be hanged, and is now at last, by a decree of the court of ap- peals, set at liberty-because he had been twice put in jeopardy of capital punish- ment.

March 16 -- Rev. Lorenzo D. Huston, D. D., formerly of Ky., recently pastor of a Methodist E. Church South in Baltimore, unanimously found guilty of the charges of immorality and gross lewdness preferred by several victims, before a committee of 14 prominent clergymen of Baltimore Con- ference, and his expulsion from the church recommended.

March 16-Compromise of the great dia- mond suit, of Win. M. Lent and others vs.

March 19-Last issue of the Lexington Observer and Reporter, the office having been purchased by the owners of the Daily and Weekly Press, and the papers to be consolidated.

March 20-The trustees of the Cincin- nati Southern railway, to be built from Cincinnati to Chattanooga, Tenn., report the complete survey of 26 routes between the termini, differing in some part of each. These vary in length from 334 to 376 miles ; and in Kentucky extend from Versailles on the west to Richmond on the east.

Gov. Leslie, on March 28, vetoed a bill to authorize certain counties to purchase land for a right of way and depot grounds, and lease the same to the Cincinnati South- ern railway. He regarded such action as opposed to sound public policy, without any mutuality in contract, and unconsti- tutional ; denying that the legislature has power to coerce contributions of money or property for any such purpose, and claim- ing, in the language of the supreme court of Iowa, "that the legislature has no power to authorize a local majority to vote a tax upon the people of a district, the proceeds of which are to be given or do- nated to a private company organized for pecuniary profit, and in which the tax- payer has no interest, and for the taxes ex- acted receives no return." The house of representatives in which the bill originated sustained the veto by 47 to 19, although the bill had passed that body, on Feb. 13, by 65 to 8.

March 21-Special election in 4th and 5th wards of Louisville, to fill vacancy in the house of representatives caused by res- ignation of E. F. Waide. The vote stood : Frank Sacksteder 791, Tim. Needham 337, A. G. Drake (colored) 312.

March 22-Ky. Society for the Preven- tion of Cruelty to Animals, at Louisville, incorporated; police officers throughout the State shall aid in enforcing all laws enacted for the protection of dumb ani- mals.

March 22-Paducah voted a subscription of $200,000 to the Paducah and North Eastern railroad.

March 22-The recent freight blockade south of Louisville proves to be at Chat- tanooga, Tenn., where over 500 loaded cars have accumulated because of inability of Western and Atlantic (Ga.) R. R. to mnove them.

March 23-Death near Taylorsville, Spencer co., aged nearly 72, of Mark E. Huston. He was a native of the same county, born April 12, 1501 ; a prominent and successful lawyer ; a representative in the legislature for 4 years, 1835, '4S, '58-

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55, and a state senator for 8 years, 1837- ; ison co., aged 105, of Daniel Purcell, a sol- 45 ; a member of the convention which dier of the war of 1812. formed the present constitution in 1849; an intelligent farmer ; a man of fine intel- lect ; of wonderful industry and persever- ance ; of incorruptible integrity ; faithful and generous ; and, more and higher than all, a Christian gentleman.

March 23-Rev. John Lapsley McKee, D. D., vice president of Centre College, announced to his congregation at Danville, that, owing to the recent bank robbery at Louisville, the college would have to sus- pend its exercises after June next, unless the sum of $50,000 could be raised towards the endowment. $6,000 were immediately subscribed, and $6,000 more in the neigh- borhood within a few days.

March 24-In reply to a letter of in- quiry, and which suggested that many army officers were afraid to testify in ref- erence to supplies taken by their order, for fear of making themselves personally fiable in case the U. S. government re- fused payment, the following official state- ment was received from the U. S. quarter- master general's office at Washington city :

" Testimony given by ex-army officers, affecting claims for quartermaster's stores taken for the use of the army during the Rebellion, does not affect any accounts they may have with this office ; nor will they be held responsible for property so taken, not already accounted for.

By order of Quartermaster General.

M. J. LUDDINGTON, Q. M. U. S. A."

March 25-The auditor's report states that during the last year the number of sheep killed by dogs in Kentucky was 21,516, valued at $59,964; and that sev- eral thousand were killed of which no re- port was made to the assessors.

March 26-Death at Louisville, aged 82, of Mrs. Margaret H. Jouett, widow of Matt. Jouett, the artist, and mother-in- law of the late Hon. Richard H. Mene- fee.

March 26-In the 17th century, Sarah and Wolfort Webber and Wintjie Sabrant Brower died in Holland, leaving by will to their children and children's heirs their property, now increased to $70,000,000. The Browers of Holland are the Brewers of to-day. Daniel Brewer. and his wife Mary King, (who was one of the Aneke Jans family, ) came to Mercer co. many years ago ; and among their great grand- children are a dozen or more of well-known citizens of Harrodsburg and neighbor- hood.

March 28-Thomas Smith, a negro, hung at Louisville, on the common between 14th and 15th streets and s. of the farthest Nashville railroad shops, in the presence of some 7,000 people, for the murder of Joseph Braden, on the Salt river road 12 miles s. of Louisville, on May 18, 1871.

March 30-Sale by Col. R. West, of Scott co., to a N. Y. gentleman, of a mare, Mollie Long, for $15,000.

March 30-Death near Foxtown, Mad-

March 31-The Friends at Pleasant Hill, Mercer co., present to the museum of Daughter's College, at Harrodsburg, the bones of a mammoth, Elephas Americanus, which were found in alluvial near the Shaker village. The length of the animal was over 24 feet, and its height probably 12 feet.

March 31-Ground broken at Maysville for the new through line, Ky. and Great Eastern railroad.

March 31-Laws enacted during this month : 1-Increasing salary of Superin- tendent of Public Instruction from $2,000 to $3,000 .. .11-Appropriating to Blind Asylum $10,000, for heating and gas ap- paratus, etc .. 19-Narrow-gauge rail- roads to be assessed for taxation at $10,- 000 per mile. 19-To redeem the un- paid balance of the state debt, $691,394, commissioners of sinking fund authorized to purchase enough U. S. 5-20 gold inter- est bonds. ........ 22-Geological and miner- alogical survey of the state provided for, and $10,000 to pay expenses. ... 22- County courts of Scott and Franklin, upon application, may order persons to keep stock off of public roads ...... ... 3-Central University incorporated ....... .11-Chat- taroi R. R. Co. incorporated, to build road from near mouth of Big Sandy to a point in Lawrence co ...... 19-Town of Ash- land empowered to establish a public park.

April 1-Annual meeting of the State Medical Society of Ky., at Paducah. The . annual address by the president, Dr. Lewis Rogers, on the medical history of the state, was very able and interesting. Over 500 physicians in attendance.

April 2-Death at Louisville, aged 53, of Judge John E. Newman ; born in Spen- cer co., Nov. 19, 1819; practiced law at Smithland, until 1850, and was common- wealth's attorney, and county judge ; then at Bardstown ; was elected circuit judge for 6 years, 1862-68, and during this time was tendered a seat on the court of appeals bench, to fill a vacancy, but declined ; re- moved to Louisville in 1868, and contin- ued the practice ; was author of a valuable work on pleading and practice, published in 1871, and compiled a digest which is yet unpublished.

April 2-10,000 acres of coal and iron ore lands, in Carter co., 12 miles from Grayson, purchased by iron companies in Ohio, which contract for the extension of the East Ky. P .. R. to the land.

April 4-Total amount of contributions to the sufferers by the Lawrenceburg fire received and acknowledged up to April 2, $2,858 in cash, and $200 in clothing and other useful articles by Frankfort ladies.

April 7-A party of men visited the house of Geo. Elkin, a negro, in Clark co., to punish him in some way it is supposed. He suspected it, and was absent. They whipped his wife to make her tell his whereabouts, but she refused. The negroes swore out warrants against 6 or 7 white

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men, who were tried before a U. S. com- missioner and cleared. The KuKlux out- rage was probably committed by other ne- groes, to whom Elkin had made himself obnoxious.

April 8-A band of disguised men vis- ited the house of a Mr. Ziminerman, near Middleburg, Casey co., and flogged him in presence of his family. Some of them were recognized and steps taken for their arrest and trial.

April 10-At Louisville, 305,000 hogs were packed during the last winter season, and over 400,000 pieces of green meat have been bought up in other markets, for " fancy ham " curing ; 13 firms have cured 998,814 hams, of which about 15,000 were dry cured, and the rest sweet pickle.

April 10-Chancellor Jos. Doniphan de- cides, in the case of the city of Newport os. Louisville, Cincinnati and Lexington R. R. Co., that the road is not liable for county or city taxes. It is an entirety- comprehending the iron rail, fixtures, de- pot grounds, buildings, and rolling stock, and as such must be taxed for state reve- nue, but is not a fit subject for local taxa- tion by the separate counties through which it passes. Appeal taken.

April 10-Dr. John W. Whitney resigns as superintendent of the Eastern (or First) Lunatic Asylum, at Lexington ; Dr. Wm. S. Chipley is appointed by Gov. Leslie the superintendent, but declines.

April 10-A petition to the city council of Covington, asking the repeal of all li- eense laws, shows that the receipts from licenses and fines in that city in 1872 were $11,693 ; and the expenditures for jail, paupers, prisoners, law, police, arrests, and widows' and orphans' home, were $26,433 -or a clear money loss of nearly $15,000, without including Covington's portion of the expense of maintaining the criminal eourt.

April 10-License to saloons for retail- ing liquor costs as follows : In Hopkins- ville $250, in Bowling Green $225, in Greenville and Henderson each $200, in Covington only $75.

April 11-Brig. Gen. Edward R. S. Canby, U. S. A., commanding the Depart- ment of the Columbia, murdered by Cap- tain Jack, chief of the Modoc Indians, while mediating for their removal from their rocky fastness on the northern border of California to a government reservation. Gen. C. was a native of Mason co., Ky., born about 1819; graduated at West Point in 1839; served with distinction in the Florida and Mexican wars ; and during the late war, by gallantry and fidelity, won his way through all grades to major general of volunteers and brigadier gen- eral of the regular army. The peace con- ference was being held a mile outside of the military lines, at the s. side of Tule lake. Gen. C. was one of the ablest and trustiest officers in the U. S. army.

April 12-Henry Clay's birth-day cele- brated at Lexington by the societies and students of Ky. University.

April 13-Death at Paris, Mo., of Luther M. Kennett, of St. Louis ; a native of Ky., removed to Mo. in 1825, representative in U. S. congress, 1855 -- 57, and three times mayor of St. Louis.

April 14-Edward L. Davison, of Wash- ington co., sells 34 head of Durham calves (29 bulls, 5 heifers), to be sent to Montana Territory.

April 14-20,000 tons of Lyon co. iron ore sold to parties at Brazil, Indiana-to be shipped by rail, via Louisville.

April 14-Death in Nelson co., aged 65, of Judge Felix Grundy Murphy ; born near Fairfield, Nelson co., July 14, 1807 ; representative in the legislature, IS61-63 ; presiding judge of the Nelson co. court, 1866-70, and again 1870-74, but died dur- ing the term.

April 14-Attempted rape on a young white girl, aged 15, near Minerva, Mason co., by a negro man aged 50, with grown children ; her resistance and outcries frightened him, and he left without ac- complishing his purpose, first threatening to kill her if she informed on him; she was seized with hysterics, and cried all night, unable to tell; but next day told ; when her brother, a young man of 18, followed by the father, seized his gun, hunted up the negro, and killed him in- `stantly ; then surrendered himself, was tried the same afternoon, and discharged by the magistrates ; the whole commu- nity justified the act.

April 15-The house of representatives, by 47 to 17, adopt strong resolutions of condemnation and censure of the recent act of congress and the president, increas- ing their salaries, and voting $5,000 of back pay " for which they have rendered no services." The senate, April 23, unan- imously passed resolutions disapproving of said action, "so far as it is retroac- tive," etc.

April 16-Light fall of snow, and, 17th, so cold that winter wrappings were neces- sary. May 14, 1848, there was a consid- erable snow in northern Ky. July 4, 1859, was so cold and inclement that pic- nic parties were compelled to return home for heavy wrappings.

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Collins historical sketches of Kentucky. History of Kentucky: Vol. I, Part 53

Author: Collins, Lewis, 1797-1870. cn; Collins, Richard H., 1824-1889. cn Publication date: 1874 Publisher: Covington, Ky., Collins & Co. Number of Pages: 1452

Author: Collins, Lewis, 1797-1870. cn; Collins, Richard H., 1824-1889. cn
Publication date: 1874
Publisher: Covington, Ky., Collins & Co.
Number of Pages: 1452