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I Oltl Tragedy ^ecallef-imffom Q fiogsville ~Rya:Paws ymrs aso- bk Bali Jof.hiscwu)f , *'35 leleased * theFrank tort penitentiary, i(* »v*ng fifteen years of a life petDr the killing of Pfter Sj inMis county, during a pis el.A strange story is connecter ,ith -the parole of Ballard and the ing, with subsequent events, which were told by Ballard to a citizen of this town, from whom the queer story was learned. Ballard bad heretofore kept silent on the subject since his release from prison, and the story has never been published. The killing connected with the trials of Ballard will be remembered as attracting more attention than any simi ar tragedy ever enacted in this part of Kentucky. Ballard's gtory is in substance as follows, and he vouches for it, and many parts are borne out: About twenty years ago Ballard, then living , near Olympia,this county, owed taxes on hisproperty amounting to about $64. Sheriff Dick Crouch sent one of his deputies, whose name is withheld, to collect the money, which Ballard paid. The deputy then returned here, and related to Sheriff Crouch a thrilling tale of how Jack Ballard and h*s two brothers, Moses and James, had held him up in a lonely spot and robbed him of the money.The fiery Sheriff at once went to Olympia, where he accused Ballard of the robbery. Ballard knocked Cronch down, and Peter Spencer came to the aid of the Sheriff. Neat day Ballard went to a lonely road where Peter Spencer was at work, and, in a quarrel which followed, the men engaged in a pistol duel, Ballard killlug Spencer. Ballard was brought here for trial, with a heavy guard surrounding him. It was known that an attempt would be made to releasehim.When the day of the trial came, the town was filled with friends of both sides, and all day friends worked among them to prevent an armed outbreak. When Ballard was taken to the court-honse armed guards surrounded him. Ballard's two brothers were there, and before leaving home that morning they had promised their mother that Jack should not be taken to the penitentiary. In the courtroom «friends#of the Ballards were watched closely to prevent them taking the prisoner from the guards. When the jury returned a verdict of life imprisonment, pandemonium reigned. The guards closed in around Ballard and started with him to jail.Once on the street, Mose and Jim Ballard drew their revolversJWlfl VI' UI/IV| VI i. I V % * I IVetc., and -4t i: At every Cir *_ iiWRITE m A LETTERfreefy and frankly, 1 ellin-' us all your troubles. We * ill send free advice (in plain sealed envelope). Address: Ladies' Advisory Dept.,The Chattanooga Medicine Co., Chattanooga, Tdnn.TWand attacked the guards, who atis iionce drew their Weapons and commenced firing. Seeing there was uo chance to rescue Jack, Moseand Jim Ballard tried to escape, fleeiug down Slate avenue. One of the guards took £ position on the corner where the post-cffice here now is, and fired at Mose wiih his pistol, killing him. Another guard took aim from behind a small building oyer a well just iu front of the jail, and . killed Jim. Both men fell dead within one hundred yards of the court house. The guard who killed Mose, told the physician, who undressed Mose, to look on a certain place on Mose’s body and they would find the bullet hole that be put there. The physician looked and there was the hole. After the battle Jack Ballard was hurried to Frankfort. A few years passed and several petitions were seat to the Governor, pleading for clemency. Each time a petition for a pardon went to Frankfort there also went a petition signed by Dick Crouch, former Sheriff, and his friends, protesting against the pardon.Several times this was done, until at last a letter came to Dick Cronch from some point in the West, the postmark on the envelope being obliterated. The envelope contained $64, and the writer stated that he was the former Deputy Sheriff, who had accused Ballard of robbing him of the money he had paid for taxes, and which had directly caused the killing ofthree men. The deputy statedthat he had disappeared just afterthe killing because he could not st*nd the remorse which continually haunted him here, and that he had jnst succeeded in securing enough money to pay the debt, and praying Crouch to use his efforts to release Ballard. Crouch went immediately to work with a petition, it is said, and Ballard was paroled.Farm Wanted.I have a call for a farm 50 01 60 acres, at about $50 |*r acre cash, near Sharpsburg. If yoi know of snch a farm for sale, pleas* inform me.28 31] J. C. NblsonWe will send The World and the daily (except Sunday) Louis ville Herald to any address one year for $2. This is equivalent to getting a daily paper, six times a week, for $1. In politics the Herald is stron; Republican; otherwise It is a b' 0 t, newsy and interesting paper.
Newspaper Details
Owingsville Outlook
Owingsville, Kentucky, US
Thu, Feb 22, 1906
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 26 Nov 2022
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Owingsville Outlook
