BANG! BANG! BANG! TO SAVE HIS SOUL By Jess Wilson One night I got a call from a man, I made no notes as he said he was going to write me the details. I have forgotten his name but he said he was calling from Monticello, Kentucky. Among other things he told me a story about an Elijah Begley. He said that it was the Elijah Begley that was a Rebel soldier. The same Elijah R. Begley whose son William was the circuit judge for Jackson, Clay and Laurel Counties during the 1930's.. This Elijah R. Begley is buried on a knoll near the ridge between Abnertown (Old Collier School) and where my cousins, Robert and Edith McGeorge live near High Knob. This Elijah is one of only two Confederate soldiers buried in Jackson County in marked graves. Elijah R. Begley was a son of Henry Begley and Elizabeth Roberts who married in Clay County in 1813. Elizabeth was a sister to Rachael Roberts that married John Wilson in 1812, my great, great grandparents. However, there were two other Elijah Begley of near the same time. One of those Elijahs was a son of Pharis Begley and Polly York. This Elijah Begley was also known as "Hickory". As Hickory's mother was a York and therefore sharing another blood Line with me, I am inclined to believe if there is any truth in the story that the Monticello man told me that it may have been about "Hickory". The man promised that he was going to write me so that I did not take any notes as I was in a hurry to get back to bed. Anyway, here is the story: Elijah was a wild young man that ran around with a bunch of other wild lads. One day it came to Elijah that his way of life was leading him into Perdition, so he decided to "straighten up and fly right" and start by going to church. His old buddies took exception to his desertion of the gang, so they went to the church and began raising a ruckus. The preacher asked Elijah to go out and tell the boys to come in or go away and not disturb the worship. Elijah went to the door and addressed his former buddies as follows, "Boys, I am in here praying to save my soul from Hell. You had better come in and join me or go elsewhere with your drinking and shouting and pistol shooting." Elijah went back into the house and the noise continued. Again he came out and admonisher them to behave. He went out and talked to them a third time. The next time he went out he said, "Boys, I have warned you three times so I guess it takes this to settle it." With that he pulled out his pistol and BANG, BANG, BANG he killed them. The grand jury did not indict ELIJAH. This story sounds a lot like a recent happening on a New York City subway train, which only shows that while things may change they tend to remain the same.