My friends - Today's posting is a narrative put together from several sources by the late Thomas Richard Holland, in a private publication of which he published about a hundred copies in 1988. The work, "The Holland and Keys Families", deals with the ancestry and family history of those two noted Calloway County families. In the early years of the 20th century, a tragedy occurred involving these families, when Sheriff Lafayette Walter Holland shot and killed Hardy Grizzard Keys(son of Isaac & Mildred Curd Keys). It created harsh feelings of such magnitude that it reached the level of a feud in some aspects. My late grandmother well remembered the shooting, the subsequent trials and the difficulties between the families. Interestingly, my first doctor as a child here in Texas was the nephew of Hardy Grizzard Keys. The difficulty ended some years later when a member of the Keys family married a member of the Holland family. There are still those living today, however, who recall hearing, from their parents, about "The Keys-Holland Feud". It is an interesting and tragic part of the history of Calloway County. Tom Holland, in his work, mentioned that, in the middle 1980's, while visiting Murray City Cemetery, a discussion arose between some people present about the Keys-Holland Feud and they spoke of it as if it had happened only recently. The narrative below is not presented, by the way, to encourage discussion of the pros and cons of the event, but merely as an historical aside. As is now customary, there will be no data posts tomorrow or on the weekend. However, if time permits, I will return with a miscellaneous file offering. -B ==================================================================== THE KEYS ­ HOLLAND FEUD -“The Holland & Keys Families” Thomas Richard Holland Sometime during the early evening hours of Friday, February 6, 1903, Hardy Grizzard Keys left home to visit the site of a new large home he was erecting near the downtown area (today the location of the Parking Lot of the Methodist Church). As far as can be ascertained, Hardy Keys, after leaving home picked up a newspaper (Murray Ledger), then was never seen alive by any person who could tell his side in the "incident" which followed. His daughter, Sadie (age 16) had been sent by her Mother to find Hardy - and she heard the shots and picked up a newspaper with a bullet hole therein (which remained in her family for many years). At any event, at 9 PM, Hardy Keys was shot by Sheriff Walter Holland and died thereafter. There was an open knife found near Keys' body; Holland claiming that Keys "ran at him with a knife." Holland admitted pulling his pistol and shooting Keys, only one of two shots fired, hitting him in the stomach, which, as said above, proved fatal. Since there were no eye witnesses to the incident - the only persons present being in a Law Office located across the street from the Court House, much credence was given to Holland's story. Inside the office where the meeting was being held (probably concerning the forthcoming election) were several of Walter Holland's friends. The meeting was probably related to the possibility of electing Holland's candidate for Circuit Judge(Keys was supporting another candidate for the post). It is said that Keys became upset about the meeting because he had not been notified of same. According to Holland, Keys became abusive when Holland left the meeting briefly to challenge Keys outside the room, calling Holland a "G­- D--- Liar." Keys' wife and daughter both testified that Keys never used swear words. Hardy Keys died after the shooting without regaining consciousness, and was buried three days later (February 9, 1903) in the Murray Cemetery, under the auspices of Mattil & Effinger Funeral Home. During the days immediately following the shooting, most of the information published confirmed without question that Walter Holland was a great "hero" and had only acted to save his own life from the "dastardly" Hardy Keys, who had let his temper get the best of him. This was the story presented by Walter Holland and his friends and they attempted to have the matter dropped with this information. The Paducah Sun (February 7, 1903) reported: "According to reliable reports politics had brought about ill feelings between the two men and, meeting there last night, a quarrel resulted from a political disagreement on about and discussion of a settlement of some kind. "It is stated that Keys drew his knife and was making for the Sheriff when the latter drew his pistol and fired twice, only one shot taking effect, that wounding Keys in the stomach and producing almost instant death. "The knife was picked up near the spot where the victim fell. There are few eye witnesses to the tragedy and Sheriff Holland, it seems to be the general opinion, shot in self-defense and was not arrested. "The dead man was a nephew of the Hon. Ben C. Keys, a prominent populist politician who has several times run for Congress. He is also a Brother of John Keys, County Clerk and editor of the Murray Ledger. "Sheriff Holland is well-known in this section. He is alleged to have killed several men in discharge of his duty, one being a short time ago when he killed a negro who resisted him on the streets of Murray. He was formerly Marshall at Murray and then killed a man previously to that time while a guard at the Eddyville Penitentiary. "He always shot in self-defense, according to the coroner's juries, and is a very popular man, while the dead man (Keys) also has many friends. "One man at Murray stated over the telephone this afternoon that there were not half dozen words spoken and that Keys ran into the Sheriff with a knife and was shot, and that is all there is to it!" BUT, that was not all there was to it! The Keys family retained the services of two well-known attorneys to represent their interests (William Reed of Paducah, and Sam Crossland of Mayfield), and the Holland family retained the firm of Coleman-Linn & Son of Murray. 2-19-1903 An Examining Trial was held at which the attorney for Keys caused to be issued a WARRANT CHARGING MURDER (Thus all the State's attorneys were on the Keys side in prosecuting Holland.) 2-24-1903 Justice Swan discharged Holland, deciding that the shooting of Keys was "self-defense." Thus the case is ended - until Grand Jury meets. 4 -20-1903 The Grand Jury indicted Holland for manslaughter. Holland posted Bond. 8-10-1903 Case continued until next term of court. 11-20-1903 Holland side moved to dismiss on grounds: "illegal drawing of the Grand Jury which returned the indictment." Judge overruled and set trial for next term of court. 4-15-1904 Kentucky State's Attorney Daniel F. Smith of Cadiz, requested a `change of venue' saying that the State could not get a fair trial at Murray. It was considered `most unusual' for the State to request a Change of Venue! 4-21-1903 Change of Venue was granted - but the site not selected. It is interesting to note that "Holland is represented by Attorneys Garnett (who replaced Linn & Son), and Coleman, "and several others." (all well-known.) The Prosecution (Keys side) is represented by Commonwealth Attorney Denny Smith, Sam Crossland, William Reed, and Judge Simms of Cadiz. 6-28-1904 The case was moved to Benton, Kentucky, and in a surprise move, Attorney for Keys agreed the motion to dismiss the case (as requested by the Holland side) on November 20, 1903. This was done, and a new Charge of Willful Murder was issued - the result of a Grand Jury hearing held in Marshall County, since the Keys side claimed that the Holland Family had too much "pull" in Calloway County. Holland got a continuance of the trial, however, he was required to post a $5,000 bond. 9-24-1903 Holland and Keys affair reset for March, 1905 term of court. 3-17-1905 Trial started today - Judge Brown presiding. Holland side presented a `surprise" witness, George M. Cox of Clinton, who testified that he saw the killing. He said he saw Holland and Keys "ten feet apart - and heard Keys say: `you are a G­D--- Liar', and saw Holland fire two shots." Cox said he ran from the scene when Keys fell. Under cross examination he stated he had told no one about this, however, he stuck to his guns on what he said he saw. Holland called two `expert' witnesses - Professor C.M. Lieb, Superintendent of Schools at Paducah; and Mr. James Wilcox, a well­ known Civil Engineer, stated that the angle of the bullet entering Keys' body showed that "He was stretching back in an attempt to stab Holland." Actually, the bullet entered Keys' body at an angle (from a higher level). The bullet exited Key's body four inches lower than it entered. At any event, it was a hotly contested trial! 3-2-1905 WALTER HOLLAND GIVEN FIVE YEARS! Paducah Sun. "The Jury in the case against Walter Holland of Murray, returned a verdict this morning finding the defendant guilty of manslaughter and fixing the penalty at five years in the penitentiary. Plea for a new trial filed. 3-29-1905 The motion for a new trial was overruled - and Sheriff Holland was placed in jail to await a Decision by the Court of Appeals, no bail being allowed in this instance! 4-1-1905 A New Trial was granted - Holland was placed under $6,000 bond - and released from jail and he returned to his home in Murray. 3-6-1906 Trial was held with much the same testimony. 3-23-1906 SHERIFF HOLLAND WAS ACQUITTED OF THE MURDER OF HARDY KEYS. FACTS: Mrs. Hardy Keys sent her eldest daughter, Sadie, to "fetch" Hardy, since he was late coming home to supper. Sadie went by the new house under construction, however, her father was not there. She was about to return to her home when she heard some shots from downtown (about two blocks away) so she went there. When she arrived near the courthouse, she saw her father on the sidewalk in a pool of blood. There was a newspaper near him, which she picked up - and later noted that this paper had a bullet hole therein. This was later introduced in the trial of Holland. Sadie Holland did not see any knife near the body of her father (and she later testified this). Both her mother (Long Keys) and Sadie also testified to the fact that, in all the years they spent with Hardy Keys - HE NEVER EITHER OWNED OR CARRIED A KNIFE! Thus the evidence strongly indicates that Walter Holland had what is now referred to as a "throw down" (or "throw away"), which is an instrument, (knife, pistol, etc.,) which is tossed to the ground near an innocent victim by a murderer. Lona Keys lived to the age of 90; and Sadie Keys Holland to 79; and in all those years neither was ever accused of telling a falsehood, therefore, their testimony about the absence of a knife, plus the statements they made to the court about the fact that Hardy Keys was never known to use profanity, seems to incontestably refute testimony given by Walter Holland and his cronies at the several trials. It is most difficult for this writer, who is a Keys-Holland, to take a stand in this issue, however, I must comment that most of the families involved attempted to quiet the waves of animosity which swept Calloway County after the event. There were very few exceptions to this on both sides. Great tragedies seemed to overtake both families - both Walter and a son committed suicide - Lona Keys' two sons-in-law met early deaths, etc. The following seems to sum up the matter, once and for all. "The trial of Lafayette Walter Holland, my great uncle, portrays a two-family tragedy. Once such a tragedy happens, events and circumstances are frozen in time, but relationships of friends, families, and descendants are not. These two families, the Holland and Keys, of Calloway County, Kentucky, have long forgotten, forgiven, and overcome this inglorious event, and today it is unlikely that anyone remembering this event could be found. "I, Mary H. Holland, was brought into this world by a Keys, Dr. Benjamin Butler Keys, our family physician; and his wife Polly, as she was known by many, was my mother's good friend. The daughter of Hardy Keys married on of the Holland family members, and I, myself, worked in the Keys-Houston Clinic, Murray, Kentucky, for six years. "This work is, indeed, a tribute to both families who were victims of misfortune, to the generations who followed them, and to those now living." circa 1980s. Mary Holland Lancaster The End of a Faction And now a word concerning the Keys-Holland faction. It would doubtless have gone on for generations if the children of many involved had not very wisely decided that they wouldn't allow it to interfere with established friendships. Pardon a personal reference. My father was a close friend of Mr. Holland and was on his Bond. But I continued to have social contact with all the Keys children of my generation and Will Keys, the son of Judge Butler Keys, was my closest boyhood friend. May I relate another incident that to me is heart warming, which Prentice Holland told me several years before his death. He said that sometime after the tragedy Mr. John Keys came to him and told him that regardless what might happen, he wanted Prentice to know that he never had a better friend than his father and that he loved him like a brother. (Note: John Keys was Hardy Keys' brother.) Prentice told his Mother of the conversation. His mother verified the statement and told Prentice that his father died after a lingering illness and that Mr. Keys came and nursed him night after night. Prentice's father was Bruce Holland, a brother of Walter Holland. Yes, we outgrew it, thanks to the wise decision of the second generation. Thank the Lord! Source: Dr. McElrath's Murray by Hugh M. McElrath (1964) pp 36-37 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++