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Vanceburg Sun
Lewis County, KY
SAM
HARRIS......KILLS.....WILLARD PARKER
Taken from:
"Uncle Morris Bloomfield" remembers much about Trace Creek in the
1900's Vanceburg Sun Newspaper in Lewis County, Kentucky
Article by: William M. Talley This was a story or version of what
Uncle Morris Bloomfield remembers of the Killing:
This discussion of
the Cooper-Dyer Murders led to further discussion of several murders
that took place in and around Ruggles & Cedar Run in the early
1900's. One of the most memorable was the night Sam Harris, shot Willard Parker
to death on October 25, 1931.
It seems that there was a Pie Social at the Ruggles Schoolhouse that
afternoon, but most of the
Bloomfield Family had not attended.
Some of the "Harris" children
had come to Uncle Morris's Home to get a small bucket of milk from
his family, on their way home
further up Cedar Run, one of the
Parker boys, (Johnny Parker), had
picked up some dust from the road & sprinkled it in the bucket of
milk. When they arrived home they told their Father: Sam Harris,
what had happened and he became infuriated. He immediately went to
The Parker
Home to redress the situation.
Mr. Willard Parker, was shaving and
had a pistol within his reach. He ordered Harris
out of his house, whereupon, "Harris"
shouted: "I will kill you before
sundown," Later that evening the
dogs started barking loudly outside Willard Parkers House.
Willard Parker, went out to see
what was wrong. Little did he realize that "Harris"
was hiding behind the Pickett Fence, which "Parker"
had recently built. Harris,
then fired twice at Willard Parker,
who died within a few minutes. Very few people had telephones at
that time and the closest one was at the store of Vess Cooper
at Ruggles . Someone went there and called the Sheriff, Lawrence Osborne, a Magistrate, was called to conduct and
inquest. Sam Harris,
was Never brought to Trial in Lewis County. He fled through the
woods and went back to his former home at Garrett, Kentucky.
Once when the Sheriff and some Deputies came to Cedar Run to arrest
Harris,
they saw him flee up a hillside, a great distance from them. They
gave up the chase. Mrs. Harris,
who was quite ill, found herself in a desperate situation with
several children to raise. Some time later Mrs. Harris,
and her Children,
were able to leave their home on Cedar Run, and join her Husband.
It is believed that Sam Harris,
was finally arrested near his home at: Garrett, Kentucky, but apparently he was not extradited to
Lewis County, Kentucky.
This Version was
told by: Uncle Morris Bloomfield who was in his 90's...... Told for
publication to the "Lewis County, Kentucky, History Past Page" After
this was run in that Newspaper, Paula Franke, was curious enough to
do further research on the Murder Story of Sam Harris and Willard
Parker, and I, Marilyn Harris was contacted by hereafter she had
read one of my query's on the Lewis Co. Ky., Gen Web Site, asking
for more information on the Murder that Sam Harris was involved in.
I had found a Newspaper Article out of the Floyd Co. Ky., Times
Newspaper, Dated: May 13, 1932, Page 5, Column 4, ID#1307 regarding
this very subject, and not knowing that it was for a certain that it
was Our Sam Harris, from the Family Line of John Harris &
Martha/Ellen "Sis" Thomas/Harris, I had wanted more information on
the Sam Harrison the Newspaper Article, and I can say after reading
the Newspaper Article from The Lewis County Herald, Dated: May 12,
1932, that it indeed with all absolute that it is Sam Harris that is
S/O John Harris & Martha/Ellen "Sis" Thomas/Harris! Paula Franke,
has sent me the Article, and she has included some very interesting
notes and questions at the end of the Article to her Readers, and I
too have the same questions and would like to know the answers as
well! The Article transcribed, is on the next page, in it's
entirety. Now you have the rest of the Story~ Marilyn Harris,
October 3, 2001
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