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Arkansas Penitentiary,While in Little Rock Thursday J. K Little, Dr. Foster Ricliaidsonanil J, „ \V.I'lulcrhill were the quests at supper of Col. Bud McConnell, Superintendent of the Si ile penitentiary. He showed us the new State Capitol building which is making rapid progress. We were informed that the work which has been dune, at the established prices lor stteh work, would amount to $^5,000, and there is yet remaining $15,0000! the $50,000 appropriated by the last legislature.The walls and buildings of the old penitentiary are being torn down as the work on the new pen*and some were too close to whiz. “If am of von was in the vvai vontf a »■know bullets don't whiz when they get too close. 1 was in the Confederate annv. One of the bul-wlets glanced Bruce's ankle, making a blood blister. He shot two of the marshals down and it was afterwards found that they had been killed. He wounded two others and two escaped uninjured.Alter his irial and sentence he was turned loose on his own recognizance to arrange his business and then to go to the penitentiary.One evening about one month ago Bud McConnell was notified that a man at the office wanted to see him. He found old man Harve Brace there ready to beginhis term of service. He i nowitemtany southeast of the city, pro-. ,. , one of the guards on the wall. J he\\ e did not go to see the , , , ,gresses, new penitentiary.One of the most noted characters in the penitentiary is Harve Bruce. He was sent up from Hope county for the killing of two deputy nun shals and wounding two others. He has a very short term—only six months. He is a ty pical old mountaineer and moonshine distiller. He is 65 nr 70 years old and before his mprisnmueut began wore long, flowing whiskers, which made himlook about as we imagine Moses did about the time lie delivered the law to the “children ol Israel.1 These whiskers were cutoff when he began his term of service.When asked it he killed those marshals he said, “ Well, 1 was the only one that did any shooting on that side and when it was overtwo were dead and two otherswounded. He regretted that he had to do it, but said he would hiiM to do it again under the same eircii instances.On the morning of the killing six deputy marshals crept up under the covei of a bluff, coining, when up*11 the top ol the bluff, toSuperintendent told him hethought that as he could use a W inchester so dexterously on marshals, he would muke a good guard. He impresses one that he would keep his promises if possible. Is is said that when disputes arose between his neighbors theygenerally left the matter to ‘old Harve Bruce.The mountaineer hates the marshals and the government that try to prevent him from doing with his corn as he pleases. He thinks he has as much right to make whisky out of it as bread. Old man Bruce explained that their corn was worth only 50 cents per bushel. When they made it into whiskv the slop was worth as muchr I 1as the corn to feed the hogs and they could get $2 per gallon for thewhisky. This was about the only way, he explained, of getting any money up there in the mountains. He said that he would not d still any more whisky as he wanted to live in |*eaee now.Notice.*vi 1I1 iu one hundred yards of where Tu U)e lwopje 0[ Greenbrier andvicinitv:old man Bruce sat with a neighbm mi .1 teuce. The neighbor said,“Look at those men. Old man Bruce sinod up and looked in tindirection indicated. The marshals begun shooting without saving a word, so he says. Tin neighbor sled. Bruce s Winchestei was sev al xMtb from him and toward' thehe ran and got it and ttug at them. He said the bullets whi/.zed around him\ anIs llirslnits;gunslit II will be at Greenbrier on All* guM 17, with my photograph gallery and will stay one week. IfJyou wailt photographs, come early and avoid the rush. Don t wait until the last day. Cloudy weath-ei makes no difference. Remem -Ijct tlie dan and come at once.32 21 T. J. Rcifuus, Artist,Pure cider vinegar at Paine s. U
Newspaper Details
Conway Log Cabin
Conway, Arkansas, US
Tue, Aug 21, 1900
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USA 01 Oct 2019
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