Taken from "Hardin County, Kentucky Newspaper Abstracts 1909" compiled by Carolyn Wimp. Friday, January 1, 1909 Lum Hagan who for many years had the stork to visit his home as often as Horace Fowler had a picnic, is having a little trouble now keeping track of his grandchildren. His son George of Bards- town became a father of a fine boy last week and this week his son James is the father of a pretty girl baby at Tunnel Hill. Tuesday, January 5, 1909 Virgil Funk was killed last Friday in Little Rock, Ark. He was em- ployed by the railroad company and was killed in a switchyard. Was the son of Ovid Funk, who for many years was marshal of Elizabethtown. He left Elizabethtown about 10 years ago. An infant girl child, recently born, was thrown from the I. C. ac- commodation train near the tunnel on Muldraugh's Hill, not far from West Point on Monday. The remains will be held at West Point for a day or two. Mrs. A. J. Patterson, the wife of the well known farmer residing near Chestnut Grove, Hardin Co., says she will come into pos- session of $3,000,000 as her share of the $80,000,000 estate of the great Sir Francis Drake. Mrs. Patterson, who was a Miss Combs before her marriage, is in communication with the admin- istrators, who are settling the estate and seems to have no doubt but that some day she will get this vast fortune. Her great grand- mother was a Miss Drake, who it is claimed was a direct des- cendant from the great Englishman. John and Leslie Combs, now also of Bartlesville, Ok., but formerly of Hardin Co. are heirs to the estate. A copy of the will of Sir Francis Drake has been procured and is at Hodgenville. From all appearance there seems to be some prospect of Mrs. Patterson coming into possession of this fortune. Friday, January 8, 1909 The examining trial of Pete and Lannie SKEETERS, who were charged with the murder of Shelby SMITH at Vine Grove on Christmas Eve, 1908, were held in Elizabethtown yesterday and resulted in both the boys be- ing turned loose on the charge against them. Shelby Smith, aged 15, supposedly a quiet and peaceable boy was shot on Main Street in Vine Grove on Dec. 25, 1908. The person who fired the shot was concealed and the verdict of the Coroners jury was that the cir- cumstantial evidence was against Pete and Lannie Skeeters. They were arrested and their examining trial set for last Saturday. The Common- wealth was not ready and the cases were continued until yesterday. Lan- nie Skeeters was first tried and after the prosecution against him was dis- missed to Co. Attorney moved to dismiss it against Pete Skeeters, which was done. J. B. RAINE, the first witness, a citizen of Vine Grove, testified that he was standing at his house, almost directly across the street from the Smith residence where he heard the report. He heard the boy cry, "Some- thing has bursted in me" and went immediately to him. He could see no one on the street but did see two boys at a gate about 150 yards away. He thought it was the Skeeters boys but would not be positive. He carried Smith to his house and then saw two boys coming from the direction of the gate passing along by the house. He said that Smith was walking slowly down the street in Vine Grove when he was shot and that he ex- amined the body and found that the ball went almost through him. Con- sidering the way Smith was standing and the way the ball ranged he didn't see how it could have come from any point but the gate. Z. T.Smith, father of the boy, was the next witness and swore that Shelby was 15 years old, weighed about 130 pounds. Dr. S. N. WILLIS testified that he assisted Drs. HOWELL and WITT make an examination on the body of Smith and that the ball entered in the back on the left side and made its exit on the left side below the heart. That the course of the ball was almost straight. He testified that from the way that the ball hit Smith and the course it took, that it looked very much as if the shot was fired from the neighborhood of the gate. Miss Iona HARPOOL-- Heard Lannie Skeeters say in Hocker's store that he and Shelby were not on good terms and that he would get even yet. This was two or three weeks before the killing. She swore that Nellie POOLE was with her and heard the remarks. She was not certain that it was Lannie Skeeters doing the talking but thought that it was. Mrs. KLINGLESMITH-- She knew the Skeeters boys when she saw them and she saw them that morning between seven and eight o'clock coming toward Vine Grove. She saw them no more that day. Rev. W. F. JAGGERS-- The Baptist minister at Vine Grove knew the Skeeters boys when he saw them. He swore that he saw them 5 minutes before the shooting in front of MURDOCK's garden, and that Pete was looking back. In answer to a hypothetical question as to the position of Smith and the course the ball took after entering the body, Rev. Jaggers said that the shot must have been fired very near the gate. He swore that it was his judgment that Mr. Raine could see all along the street from his front gate and also that a person could stand as far as 30 feet behind the gate and fire so as to hit an object at the point where Smith was killed. Mrs. C. K. BEWLEY lives at Vine Grove, heard the report, which sounded like it came from the gate. She saw no one on the street. C. K. Bewley, made an examination of the ground and that the spot from where Smith was killed to the gate was about 160 yards. He said that a man could be 10 or 15 yards back of the gate and hit Smith. He made several experi- ments after the shooting which bore out his statements. Dr. J. D. HOWELL-- made an examination of Smith after he was shot and found that the bullet went practically straight through the body. He said that considering the way Smith was standing and the range the ball took after entering the body, that the shot must have been fired from the gate or nearabouts. On cross examination he said that the ball might have come from the houses nearby, but also that Smith may have been swinging his body in the act of walking and that this might make a difference. Jim HOOKS-- colored, saw Lannie Skeeters on the morning of the trouble crossing the stile near the gate. That Eli Skeeters was with him. W. C. STILES knows of the Skeeters family and had been to their house but saw no firearms except an old shotgun. He saw Lannie the day of the shooting about 8 o'clock but he made no statement to him, Stiles, con- cerning it. Hereby the Commonwealth closed and the defendant moved the court to dismiss the defendant which motion was overruled and the defense open- ed their testimony. Lannie Skeeters, the defendant was called to the stand and stated that he was 22 years old and that he knew Shelby Smith. He stated empathetical- ly that he had nothing to do with the shooting. He went to Vine Grove from his home early that morning. He went through the gate and as he passed Smith's home he heard a groan, which he recognized as that of Shelby. As he saw no one, didn't inquire the reason and went on to town and first heard of the trouble at the livery stable of A. D. STILES. He said that he left home with his brother Ed and that he neither had a pistol or any kind of farm (fire?) arm. That he left Pete at home shaving. He continued walk- ing with Ed until they reached the business part of the town where they separated. He said that he had never had any previous trouble with Smith and denied the statement of Iona HARPOOL that he had threatened Smith's life at Hocker's store. He said that he saw no one near the gate as he pass- ed through and that he wasn't present when an alleged conversation took place between Pete and W. C. STILES in regard to the trouble. Ed SKEETERS was the next witness and corroborated Lannie's testimony in regard to leaving home, passing through the gate, passing Smith's house, hearing the groans, seeing Mr. RAINE and Rev. JAGGERS. He said that so far as he knew that Shelby and Lannie were the best of friends. He said that he did have a 38 pistol but that he left it at home on that occasion. Sam HOWEY knew Lannie and Pete Skeeters and thought their character was good for peace quietude and good demeanor. John NELSON said he had known the Skeeters boys for 2 or 3 years and thought they were quiet and peaceable. J. K. BOARD said they were raised in his home community and that their character for peace and quietude was good. George STOVALL, the liveryman, said that he heard Shelby Smith and a boy have a heated discussion several weeks previous but paid no atten- tion to it. He knew that the other boy was not a Skeeters. Nellie POOLE denied hearing Lannie Skeeters make threats against the life of Shelby Smith, as testified to by Lena HARPOOL. The defendant then closed and Judge VEIRS dismissed the charges against both of the prisoners. A number of witnesses were recognized to appear before the March grand jury and the matter will be further in- vestigated.