Tuesday, January 12, 1909 Mrs. A. B. Montgomery received word of the death of her brother-in- law, Capt. John H. Carter, at his home near Lexington. He was in Morgan's Command and was the personal escort of President Davis through South Carolina after Lee's surrender. Mrs. Montgomery's daughter, Mrs. Lucy Dargan, will likely attend the funeral tomorrow. Friday, January 15, 1909 During the Civil War J. M. Watts, now deceased, was postmaster at Howevalley. For 3 years he did not receive the compensation for his service as he thought he was entitled to under the law. Many years ago the claim was put in for this. This week it was allowed at Wash- ington together with some 15 other similar cases. There is a 40-year interest on it. The money will go to the heirs of who live in Hardin Co. Friday, January 22, 1909 James Murray of West Point is the owner of a razor hone that is over 100 years old. It was presented to him by a Bardstown clergyman, whose name cannot be recalled, and was brought from Germany by the clergyman's great grandfather. It is petrified hickory and is 12 inches long, 3 inches wide and 1 inch thick and is the finest hone ever seen by any one in West Point. Tuesday, January 26, 1909 John William Atkins of Louisville was found dead by Clarence Hunt, in the latter's field, 5 miles from Vine Grove. Atkins had committed suicide by shooting himself through the heart. He left a note on the barrel of his gun. He was about 25 years old, came to Vine Grove on Sunday and went to see his sweetheart, Miss Jennie Jones, who re- sides 5 miles from the town. It is thought that they had a falling out or serious disagreement on Sunday or Monday morning. The note stated that he was disappointed in love affairs and that his life would be of no pleasure to him. In one of the notes he admonished his bro- ther, Charley Atkins, to be a better boy. His father and stepmother, who lived in Louisville, survive him. Also leaves a brother, Charles Atkins and 2 sisters. Body was taken to Louisville. Friday, January 29, 1909 Miss Jennie Jones, who was engaged to J. W. Atkins, the young man who committed suicide on Monday, created a disturbance in the Central Police Station in Louisville. She wanted an escort so that she could re- cover her trousseau and trunk, which was located at the Louisville Trans- fer Co. She said the brother of the deceased was also claiming the con- tents of the trunk and that she feared bodily harm if she went alone. The officer escorted her and she went home to Vine Grove with her trunk. The following statement was made by Miss Gertrude Hilliard, sister of Miss Emma Hilliard, who was assaulted by young King at West Point 2 weeks ago: I wish to write a few lines to the public to give the true account of the horrible misfortune that happened to my sister last week. The would be murdered Bisian King, did not attack her with a pitchfork as reported. She was out in the barn milking when the boy slipped up behind her and hit her a fearful lick in the back of the head with a hand ax, which staggered her considerably and he grabbed her and choked her to keep her from screaming for help. But her proving to be almost as stout as he was, she soon freed herself from his grasp and fled to the house. The paper stated that they were quarreling. Emma was out in the barn milking and did not know the boy was anywhere near until he struck her the fearful blow. She never did become unconscious no time; she told the true story of how he tried to murder her. The boy acknowledged to his crime and is now in the Hardin Co. jail at Eliza- bethtown awaiting the action of the March grand jury by which he will be prosecuted to the furtherest extent of the law. The boy had been at our home for about 18 months. He is 19 years of age. My sister is im- proving nicely and will be out again in a few weeks. The remains of the late Gen. Fayette Hewitt, the soldier, banker, politi- cian, who died Tuesday in Frankfort, were brought to Elizabethtown yesterday and taken to the cemetery, where they were interred in the Hewitt family lot. The honorary pall bearers, who were all ex-Confederate soldiers were: Maj. Thomas H. HAYES, James MONTGOMERY, Wm. DUNAVAN, Wood ENGLISH, Achilles STITH, S. H. BUSH. Those from a distance who were present: Frank Hewitt, Mrs. Virgil Hewitt, Judge J. P. Hobson, L. B. Marshall of Frankfort, Mr & Mrs James P. Helm, Mrs. Ben Hardin Helm, Miss Mary Helm, Mr & Mrs T. B. Wintersmith, Harry Wintersmith, Maj. Thomas J. Hays of Louisville, Miss Alice Chas- tain of Chicago, Henry George, Supt. of Confederate Home near Ancho- rage. Gen. Hewitt was born in Hardin Co., near Lincoln's birthplace, Oct. 15, 1831. He was reared chiefly in Elizabethtown as the family moved there when he was 2 or 3 years old. His father was at one time the principal of the academy there. The decease's father died when he was 18 years old. He joined the Confederate Army and fought at Jackson, Chickamauga and others. He had 3 horses killed under him but he escaped unhurt. He never married. He returned to Hardin Co. after the war. It was his intention to practice law but the Ky. Legislature passed a law that no one who had been a soldier in the Southern army should practice law in the State. He then resumed teaching, taking charge of a select school in Elizabethtown. The law prohibiting him from practicing law was repealed and a year later he was admitted to the bar of Hardin Co. He held several political offices. Tuesday, February 2, 1909 The old Christian Church in West Point was erected in 1857. Prior to that date an old brick dwelling had been used irregularly for such services, and therein, some time previous, Alexander Campbell had for one of the pro- minence, been given reverent audience. This building however having served its usefulness, James Young, the maternal grandfather of J. E. Geoghegan, Sr., who is now a prominent citizen and church worker in West Point, do- nated to the town, a village then, a portion of ground, the grant therefore providing that such ground should be used for churches, seminaries and similar institutions. A building was then erected by the residents of the town and vicinity com- posed principally of the members or followers of the Christian, Disciples of Christ, Methodist and Baptist faith. Those connected with it erection are: John Brashear, Thomas L. Downard, J. G. Guthrie, all deceased, John R. Pusey, now a resident of Jefferson Co., and a number of the older pre- sent citizens, including, J. G. Fischer, who is now 92 years old. Services were held practically each alternate Sunday by the mentioned denominations until 1903. During that year it was concluded that appre- ciated growth made by the town, it was concluded that each denominated was in position to support an individual church. The Methodist and Baptist erected for themselves an elegant building each, which now stand as a credit to West Point. Tuesday, February 16, 1909 Wallace VanFleet shot and instantly killed Tom Giles, a Negro man, on the streets of Elizabethtown on Saturday. It was done in self-defense. VanFleet had some words with Giles and another Negro, Sid Cain. Giles went to home and got a shotgun and was later seen by VanFleet walking down street towards the depot with his shotgun in his hand. Giles followed him and he turned up on Race Alley toward Curtis Farmer's colored rest- aurant. VanFleet followed him along the sidewalk of Brown's feed store and called to him to wait a minute and said that he wanted to see him. Giles wheeled around and said, "D__n you, you don't want to see me" and with that leveled his shotgun at VanFleet only a few yards away. The latter was too quick for Giles and fired two shots. The first hit in the abdo- men and the second in the neck. Giles fell forward and died instantly. VanFleet immediately gave himself up to the authorities and Judge Veirs placed him in the hands of Marshal Felix Wise until his examining trial. The body of Giles was taken to A. F. Dyer's undertaking establishment where it was prepared for burial. The Coroner's jury rendered the following verdict: "We the jury find the body we have in charge to be that of Tom Giles, colored, aged about 40 years, and that he came to his death from a pistol shot fired by Wallace VanFleet, Night Watchman of Elizabethtown, Ky. and that the latter acted in self defense." No examining trial was held. Giles lived around Elizabethtown all of his life until a few years ago, when he moved away. He came back less than a year ago and was working for Harry McDermott. He was drunk on the day of his death and was very boisterous when under the influence of liquor.