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Excerpts from the Interior Journal



May 7, 1872- May 10, 1872- June 21, 1872

G.W. Hansford's Mill, ten miles east of Somerset, was entirely consumed by fire on the night of the 31st of May. It is believed that some scoundrel fired it. >

Decoration Day. Many persons participated in the ceremonies of this day at the Mill Springs National Cemetery. The graves of the Federal dead were decorated by the fair hands of those who cherish their memory. Orations were delivered by Col. T.Z. Morrow, W.O. Bradley, and J.W.F. Parker. But not a word was spoken, not a flower strewn, not a wreath woven o'er the graves of the Southern boys who died in defense of the "Lost Cause," who silently slumber near the National enclosures, wrapt in the honors and glory of their gallant deeds and lofty patriotism, yet without a stone to mark their resting place. I will not say their final resting place, because I hope the day will come when their bones may be removed to a suitable place for reinternment, where fair hands will decorate their graves with choice flowers and show them such honors as the memory of their sacrifice deserve.

At Affray. During the ceremonies of decoration day, and near the immense crowd assembled, three men by the name of Burton made an attack upon a man by the name of Muse, the latter in self-defense cutting one of the Burtons with a knife, when a brother of the wounded man attack Muse with a rock, shattering his cheek bone, which settled the difficulty, the gallant Burtons taking to their heels and Muse going for the doctor.

Murder. On Saturday evening, the 18th of May, Eastham, residing about twelve miles west of Somerset, was murdered by one ___ Roy. It seems that Eastham's hogs had disturbing Roy's corn field and on the morning before the killing, Roy accompanied by a man name Davis, went to Eastham's house to see him but did not find him at home. As soon as Eastham returned his wife informed him of Roy and Davis' visit, and that they had left word for him to come down and see about his hogs. Eastham ate his dinner and went to the field where Roy and Davis were at work, when a few words brought up the difficulty which resulted in the death of Eastham. Roy stabbing him eight times with a large pocket knife, five of which would have proved fatal. Eastham fell dead on the ground. He leaves a wife and several small children. Roy is now in our jail. The court of inquiry pronouncing it a case of murder and refusing him bail. >

The villains who robbed the bank at Columbia were the five strangers who entered our town on the morning of April 26th, no doubt for the purpose of practicing the same game upon our unsuspecting bank officers and would no doubt have fully consummated their design had not a few timely occurrences taken place, which made the robbers think they were watched and suspected. The second time two of the gang entered the bank, Wm. Gibson, J.C. Patton, Squire Thompson and J.C. Bogle, four brave and determined looking men, were present, besides Mr. Dunlap the clerk. This formidable defense was too much for the robbers, who merely asked that a twenty dollar bill be changed, and retired. The attack was intended at the time. One of the villains being stationed at the bank window with a drawn pistol and the remaining two mounted on their horses near the bank for the purpose of keeping the citizens off should an attack be made. After perceiving the change, three or four, perhaps all of then, went to the Huskison House and ordered dinner, n the meantime the same two who had visited the bank took a stroll around the squire, visiting most of the shops and stores in several of which they found shotguns and rifles, there being three, in full view at the store of Collier & Owens, and several young men making their appearance on the street with their guns preparatory to a squirrel hunt. They soon returned to their companions reporting what discoveries they had made when the whole party mounted their horses and left won, not waiting for their dinners. The occurrences, together with the anxiety of some of our citizens to find out who the robbers were, (some seven or eight going over to the hotel in a body and propounding some very pertinent questions, one of the crowd having proposed a bet that he could find out their business) saved our bank, perhaps the lives of the worthy and accommodating officers of the same. The robbers were between this town and Columbia five or six days, planning their movements and gaining all the information they could on the sly, having a complete map of this county, giving every path and cross road, and it is believed that one of the number was acquainted with this part of the State. They spent several nights in our county, making many inquiries regarding the fighting men of our town, and in each conversation the horrors of bloodshed and the tragedies enacted upon our streets were portrayed to them in vivid colors. One of our town blacksmiths telling them, in reply to a question asked him, that before the sale of ardent spirits was stopped here, a man was killed in town most every day - that they fought with knives and pistols and that all the citizens went armed now. This blacksmith believed them to be soldiers and that they were after some of the boys of our town and talked in this manner to give them a scare, if possible.