USA > Kentucky > Franklin County > The history of Franklin County, Ky. > Part 18
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The election on the proposition of Franklin County sub- scribing $150,000 to the capital stock of the Frankfort, George- town and Paris Railroad was taken in July, 1887, and was carried by a large majority. Great interest was manifested in the election. Bands of music paraded the streets and a large vote was polled. The city voted almost unanimously for the appropriation and the county outside of the city was almost solid against it, except the Forks of Elkhorn, which gave a good majority for the proposition. There were 2,838 for the proposition and 1,208 against it.
Ex-Governor Luke P. Blackburn died at his residence in Frankfort, September 14th, and was buried in the Frankfort cemetery. He was born in Woodford County in 1816. He was elected Governor in 1879. Ile was a man of strong character and tender heart, his kindness of heart and sympathy for the suffering led him to pardon more men from the penitentiary than perhaps any other man who was ever Governor. He prac- ticed medicine in Frankfort for many years. He and Dr. Churchill Blackburn were partners and they had an office in the old mansion house upon the site where the MeClure build- ing was afterwards erected.
The monument in the Frankfort cemetery, erected by order of the State in memory of Gov. Blackburn, was unveiled on May 27th, 1891. The Masons conducted the ceremony. Addresses were delivered by Hon. William M. Beckner, of Winchester, and Gen. Basil W. Duke, of Louisville.
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The fire alarm system was adopted in Frankfort in No- vember, 1887.
J. C. Noel was elected Sheriff in 1888.
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CHAPTER XIV.
From 1890 to 1900.
Gen. Scott Brown represented the county in the Kentucky Legislature in 1890-1.
The county election for the year 1890 resulted in the elec- tion of B. G. Williams, Judge; L. F. Johnson, County Attor- ney; N. B. Smith, Clerk; Thomas Hunter, School Commis- sioner; Thomas K. Jett, Surveyor, and O. B. Polsgrove, As- sessol.
Mrs. Mary Brown Day became State Librarian March 26, 1890. Ed Porter Thompson resigned.
Judge T. H. Hines was elected to represent Franklin County in the Constitutional Convention of 1891.
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 House for one term.
Judge R. 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 1869 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, Am- brose Polsgrove shot and killed Jerry Williamson, his brother- in-law, and at the same time he wounded three other men. The shooting took place on the corner of Main and St. Clair streets, while the streets were crowded. Williamson was shot three times, but one of the bullets 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.
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Judge Alvin Duvall died at his home November 17th. He was one of the most prominent lawyers of Kentucky. He was born in Scott County, March 20, 1913. His father was an officer in the war of 1812 and was afterwards a member of the Kentucky Legislature. Judge Duvall graduated from the Georgetown College in 1833. He studied law under Jas. F. Robinson, and afterwards graduated from Transylvania Uni- versity. He too represented his county in the Kentucky Leg- islature. Ile was Circuit Judge and Judge of the Court of Ap- peals. He was afterwards elected Clerk of the Court of Ap- peals. When he became a member of the Court of Appeals he also became a citizen of Frankfort. At one time he made the race for Mayor but was defeated by a few votes.
Rev. H. II. Kavanaugh, chaplain of the State Peniten- tiary died January 18, 1892. He was born at Mt. 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 Methodist Church. He was a chap- lain 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 was discovered that Hugh Gaines, City Treasurer of Frankfort, was short in his ac- counts in the sum of about $3,000. He left for parts unknown and his bondsmen, Gen. Fayette Hewitt, Col. C. E. Hoge and J. W. Gaines, made good the shortage.
Col. E. H. Taylor, Jr., represented the county in the House of the Kentucky Legislature in 1892-3.
Mrs. Mary B. Day was elected State Librarian for the sec- ond time in 1893.
An explosion occurred about two miles from the city, near the Louisville road. James Forec and II. L. Sanders were en-
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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 con- tracted 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 ac- cident. 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. Foree's house was about forty yards from where the explosion occurred. It was badly 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 gen- erally. In the two decades of its existence it has been pro- ductive of much good in the city and county. The organiza- tion has erected a large building known as the King's Daughters Hospital, located on East Main 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 clected 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 in- creased 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
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was not settled until the bridge was practically completed. There was considerable dissatisfaction about the work; this was especially so in reference to the 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 pas- sengers 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 railway for the city.
The State Press Association convened in Frankfort on June 7, the chief features of which were 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 ball at the Capital Hotel. Many noted newspaper men were present. Following this meeting the press 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 the engine and in falling he reversed the leever and before he could get out of the way the engine backed 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 Hopkinsville 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. There was considerable contest over the annexation, which continued through several months. At that time there was about $125,000 of taxable property situated in Bellepoint. The ordinance took effect 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
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· were many ministers of high character and intellectual endow- ment who spoke during the conference. Rev. S. F. Pollett was sent to the Frankfort station.
On August 14th, 1894, Mrs. Martin Nolan was criminal- ly 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 very short time nearly half of the male citizens of Frankfort were in search of him. In the afternoon he was ar- rested 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 theni, the general impression seeming to be that a merited punish- ment 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 naviga- tion. The work was completed August 16th.
An explosion occurred at Tom Pence's saw mill in Belle- point, 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 13th of January John W. Payne died. He was proofreader for the Frankfort Yoeman for a number of years. Tn 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
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was also the collaborator of tables in the office of the Superin- tendent 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, Feb- ruary 6, 1893. Some papers in Stephen's pocket saved his life. On August 5, 1895, Suter shot and killed Harry Kelley at Porter's saloon in Craw. The trouble came up over the testi- mony of Suter against Kelley in the police court. Kelley was shot 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 office 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 ac- quainted 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 prac- tice law when he was only eighteen years of age. Ile had a most excellent memory. He knew the Code of Practice so well that he could give the number and repeat almost any sec- tion 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 Asso- ciation was held in Frankfort in May, 1893. The attendance was large, nearly every county and town in the State was rep- resented. All the prominent physicians of the State were present.
Prof. E. A. Fellmer died at his home in Frankfort, Sep-
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tember 5th, 1895. He was a German by birth but he lived in Frankfort for about thirty years. He was a music teacher by profession ; he was a polished scholar and a gentleman of stain- less honor. For several years prior to his death he was con- nected 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. IIe 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 re- pairs. 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 neigh- bors, George Smith and James D. Smith, his son, who lived on an adjoining farm. The Smiths were out repairing a fence which joined their division fence; Newton took his double- barreled shot gun and cut the shells so that the shot would 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 con- vict at the State penitentiary. The hanging of Magee was the first legal execution in Franklin County since the slave wo- man 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 weeks 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. Arm- strong, Sheriff; Minus Williams, Jailer; Jas. H. Polsgrove, County Attorney; W. S. Dehoney, Coroner; T. K. Jett, Sur- veyor, and M. B. Dorton, Assessor.
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THIE HISTORY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY.
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 Sep- tember 22, 1894, with forty members, which was afterwards increased to fifty, the limit fixed by the constitution. This or- ganization 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. Ile 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 brother 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, 1896, County Judge Williams appointed his brother, Wiley C. Williams, jailer of the county to take the place 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 Lucien Hawkins, and immediately thereafter Hawkins was shot and killed by 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
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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 15th, 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 them- selves 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 rea- son 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 resolu- tions 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 Louis- ville came to Frankfort on a crowded train. Two of the visit- ing 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 when several white men went to their as- sistance. 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 oc- curred in Benson Creek which arose very suddenly in the night time and washed away several houses, a large amount of fenc- ing, 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. Moore 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 washed away, entail- ing a great loss upon the company. The work of reconstruc-
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tion was more difficult than was the original construction. Gainey's bridge, which consisted of three steel spans, was en- tirely swept away, the two piers were taken out to bed rock. The length of the new bridge is 122 feet. The oldest inhabi- tants in that section say that the volume of water was at least four feet higher than the previous highest water.
On Tuesday, the second day of September, 1896, the In- stitution for Feeble Minded Children was burned. The loss to the State was about $65,000. On the 3rd of May a like fire occurred in which the building used at that time was destroyed entailing a further loss of more than $50,000. On September the 18th, the frame buildings 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 Walentt farm, where the children remained until the build- ings could be reconstructed. The last new building was com- pleted 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 October 24th, they visited the toll houses on the Louisville and Lawrenceburg roads and destroyed the gates. On November 13th the toll house on the Owenton road was burned and the toll gate was taken down and cut to pieces. This destruction of property with threats and intimidation continued until the roads were made free.
Dr. James Russell Hawkins died at his home near Bridge- port 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 re- moved to Franklin County where he resided the remainder of his 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,
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was a good reader and was very popular as an officer and citi- zen.
On the 9th of February, 1897, the boiler which was used at the jail for heating purposes and which was located under the jail office, exploded with disastrous effects. Cabell Hardin, Dr. Alvin Duvall, Capt. Lew Hill, Emmett Triplett, Jay Robin- son and James C. Rogers were 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 Peo- ple'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 dif- ferent 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 politi- cians 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 Republi- cans 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 which was located on the Georgetown road about one mile from Frank- fort. 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
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