Originally published in ECHGS newsletter. Used here with their permission.
Four killed in election battle in Breathed County,
Published in December 7, 1927
Man In Election Fight, Slain
Victim Is Shot by Friend During Brawl
Jackson, Ky., Dec. 6--Leslie L. Combs, 45, one of the principal figures in the Clay Hole precinct election fight in 1921, when five men were killed and 17 other persons were wounded, was shot to death during a brawl Sunday night by Pollard Allen, 27, firing while astride a mule.
The shooting occurred near the scene of the election killing on Troublesome Creek, long a troublesome area in the mountain foothills of Kentucky.
This latest shooting, however, varied from the many that has preceded it in that neither malice nor fued played any part in leading to the addition of the Clay Hole death list. "Moonshine" was the one and only cause of the brawl, Sheriff Sam Cockrell declared, adding that Combs and Allen, the best of friends, had been talking together a few minutes before the outbreak of shots.
Combs at Family Reunion
A Combs family reunion was the occasion of the shooting. Having been thought to have consumed too much "moon" Allen mounted a mule, characteristic mode of mountain transportation, behind French Combs, cousin of Leslie, and both men rode the animal in front of the reunion house and firing began. Leslie Combs rose to see what it was all about and received one of Allen's shots, fired in the general direction of the house, in his heart.
It was understood that trouble had been brewing recently, but yesterday's shooting was not attributed to it. About a year ago, Leslie reaped riches from Oklahoma oil fields which it is alleged he kept for himself when, in fact, relatives said, the money should have been divided amoung the family men. A week ago Leslie returned to Jackson and requested that members of his family be put under bond, as he had been threatened. No action was taken on his pleas, however.
Allen also recently returned here from Arizona. He is known to be near death from tuberculosis. His brother said he would produce him in court tomorrow.
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Leslie Combs was a son of A. A. Combs and a brother of Cleveland and Asbury Combs, who were victims of the Clay Hole battle. He was one of the Democratic defendants in the trials of the case that Judge Sam Hurst sent to the Boyd Circuit Court at Catlettsburg.
Cases Finally Dismissed
Lee Combs, who Shade and French Combs and George Allen, who were convicted of conspiracy in the Boyd Circuit Court in June 1922. They appealed and were granted a new trial by the court of appeals.
In the interim Will Bennett, on the nine Republican defendants, was convicted and sentences to two years in prison which he served.
The Combs and Allen defendants got a hung jury at their second trial the winter following their first trial. A third trial was not held. the cases against Democratic and Republican defendants being dismissed by Special Judge O. H. Pollard in Breathitt Circuit Court at the request of both sides in March 1925.
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