KILLED BY OUTLAWS

KENTUCKY MOONSHINERS, ASSASSINATE A DEPUTY MARSHAL

Knott County the Scene of the Murder-*
A Posse Fired on From Ambush-Active Measures to be Adopted at Once

In Knott County, Kentucky, Tuesday, moonshiners ambushed Deputy United States Marshal Russell Wireman and posse, and during the action Wireman was shot dead. The party were returning to Hindman with three men whom they had arrested. In the early part of the action the prisoners escaped. Marshall Gross has wired to Washington for instructions, and will probably begin immediately an active campaign against the cowardly assassins.

Special to The Republic
Louisville, KY, March 29-A terrible battle occurred Tuesday in Knott County between United States revenue offices and moonshiners. United States Marshal Gross, whose office is in this city, this afternoon received a letter from R. S. Friend, United States Commissioner, stationed at Prestonsburg, Floyd County giving full details of the affray. The letter was dated March 27, Tom Hollifield, W. H. Creech, Dock Fields and D. B. Sally, all revenue officers, came into Prestonsburg on the night of the 26th. On the evening of the 25th Deputy Marshal Russell Wireman and these men had gone into Hindman after a big raid on the illicit still houses in Perry and Leslie Counties.  They had 10 mountaineers in charge as prisoners. these they lodged safely in the Hindman Jail where they are still in custody. On the morning of the next day, the 26th, the revenue officers headed by Wireman, struck out into the hills around Hindman to make further arrests. They were all well armed. They rode to the mouth of Smith's Creek, a little stream which empties its waters into Carr Fork of the Kentucky River. The creeks mouth is 18 miles to the southwest of Hindman. They had succeeded in arresting J. Draughn, Jesse Adams and Jesse Combs.

While They were riding through the woods with their prisoners they were ambushed and fired upon by a party of 10 or 12 moonshiners at a point not far from the mouth of Smith's Creek. Wireman was shot early in the action and dropped from his horse into the road dead.  The rest of the revenue party returned the fire of the moonshiners, who were all well armed with repeating Winchester rifles. The officers were outnumbered and finally retreated. It is supposed that one or two of the moon shiners were killed or wounded. The officers struck out for Prestonsburg and reached there the day after the battle. The three prisoners whom the officers had in charge just before the fight escaped. J. Draughn, one of them is one of the most desperate men in the mountains, and formerly figured prominently in the bloody Knott County feud.

The moonshiners who did the fighting are as lawless and dangerous a set of men as revenue offers ever hunted They are the same crowd who shot Marshal Greer last February. They wounded him seriously, but not dangerously. all of the crowed were indicted at the February term of court in Louisville.  The Knott County hills around Hindman are swarming with moonshiners. The crowd who did the killing all live near the mouth of Smith's Creek. They operate five stills in the immediate neighborhood.  They operate a large house together and keep men constantly on the watch against revenue agents. there are 13 stills within 10 miles of the mouth of Smith's Creek. There are other stills on Ball's Fork, Maces, Lost and Oatons Creeks.  All the moonshiners are armed to the teeth. This last killing will probably make them desperate and more determined to resist arrest.

Immediate efforts will be made to bring the desperadoes to justice. Mr. Wireman was one of Capt. Gross' most efficient deputies. He was absolutely fearless and was a general favorite among his associates. He was gentlemanly but firm in all of his transactions and the Marshal regarded him very highly. He lived at Salyersville n Magoffin County, where he has two interesting little daughters, his wife being dead. Heretofore he has had several narrow escapes from the outlaws in the mountain country, and only two months ago his guard, Bill Stein, was killed by some unknown party in that region while Mr. Wireman was enforcing a warrant.

Capt Gross' deputies have during his term met with a number of serious difficulties, and frequently they have been shot at and wounded, but the death of Deputy Wireman is the most deplorable casualty that has happened since he has been in office.  Three years ago Capt. Gross' deputy, Hugh Rogers, was shot at Harlan Court House and lay at the point of death for several weeks. He recovered, however and since that time the Marshal's deputies have been very fortunate. It is altogether likely that the Marshal and his assistants will receive from Washington to bring the lawless men who have committed this crime to speedy justice and no expense will be spared in hunting down the assassins of Deputy Wireman.

United States Marshal Gross this afternoon asked instructions form the Attorney General to send a posse to the scene of the killing. It is altogether likely that several deputies will be sent out this evening, but this of course depends on he order from Washington. Several deputies are in readiness to go as soon as instructions are received

*Knott was erroneously called Knox-I made the correction to avoid confusion, gm
Transcribed by G. Marcum  16 August 2008