Republican Compiler (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania), June 20 1827
Frankport, Ky., May 16
Murders
     The last few days have brought us news of three shocking murders within less than 100 miles of this place. On Saturday night last, the house of Richard Cole, a well known tavern keeper ten miles from this place, in Woolford county was attacked by R. Taylor and a Mr. Gillaspie of the same neighborhood, with stones. A negro woman was struck in the face and severely wounded by one of the stones, when an affray ensued between Mr. Cole and his two sons on the other, which ended in the death of Amos Cole, who received 13 or 14 stabs from Gillaspie. Gillaspie and Taylor were taken into custody, and an examining court was held yesterday, the result of which we have not heard. There is said to have been an old quarrel between Taylor and the Coles.
     A short time since, an important Will case was tried in the court of Appeals, between different members of the Payne family, in the county of Washington. One brother unsuccessful, charged his successful brother with improper conduct in the suit, and since their return home, deliberately shot him with a rifle.
     The third case is that of a negro man in Owen county, who was murdered in a most cruel manner by his master an another man, without any material provocation.  [Submitted by Nancy Piper]

Republican Compiler, Gettysburg, Pa., February 27, 1828  Washington, Pa., Feb. 4.  MurderOn Friday morning last, the 1st inst., before daylight, Mr. Robert Carlisle of Woodford county, Kentucky was murdered, on the United States turnpike road, two miles from Washington, Pa., at the bridge over Chartiers creek. Mr. Carlisle arrived in Washington, Thursday night from Cumberland, on his way home with a runaway slave. On Friday morning before daylight, he and his slave, Kit, set off to walk to Wheeling and proceeded to the place above stated, where Carlisle was murdered. The slave immediately after the murder, went to the house of Mr. Spriggs, near the spot and roused up the family by stating that two men had came down from the woods and fell upon his master and murdered him. Mr. Spriggs and his family hastened to the place where Carlisle was and found him dead, much mangled and disfigured with a club, found near the place, bloody. A coroner’s inquest was held on the body of Mr. Carlisle, and after examinations, &c. &c. they returned a verdict that the deceased had been murdered and that Kit, the black man (who had been handcuffed throughout the journey) had committed the dreadful deed. Kit has been committed to prison to undergo his trial at the next court of Oyer and Terminer. The remains of Mr. Carlisle were interred the same afternoon. The particulars are withheld, as the whole case will undergo a legal investigation. – Reporter. [Submitted by Nancy Piper]

KENTUCKY-Lexington, September11-A terrible murder was committed last night at the residence of John Harper, the owner of the racehorse Longfellow, near Midway, Kentucky. Jake and Betsey Harper, brother and sister of John Harper, had their throats cut by some unknown person, supposed for the purpose of robbery. Some negroes, who were living within a few feet of Harper's residence, knew nothing of the occurrence until this morning. No clue has been obtained to the perpetrators of the bloody deed.

LATER-Three of the negroes living on John Harper's place have been arrested as the murderers of Jake and Betsey Harper. The blood found on their shirts and other evidence against them is very strong. Other negroes employed on the place are missing, and it is believed that they are implicated in the horrid affair. A party of citizens have started to hunt for the missing negroes. [September 12, 1871, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta Georgia - Submitted by Shauna Williams]

Louisville, August 10- A special to the Courier-Journal says D.B. Nain, a jeweler in Midway, Woodford county, Ky, while on his way home last evening, was seized by four masked men, and no trace of him has since been found. Evidences of a struggle were found in the neighborhood where he was seized, and it is probable he was murdered and his body hid. A man who, hearing Nain's cries, came to his rescue, was driven back with threats of death. Several negroes, a little later, saw the men carrying Nain away. He was then struggling and groaning. It is not known whether the object of the murder was robbery or revenge. [August 11, 1874, Daily Republican, Decatur Illinois - Submitted by Shauna Williams]

James Robinson shot and killed a negro named Henry Tuyman, at Midway, Ky., a few nights since. He claims that the negro snapped a pistol on him. Ten days previous he shot and dangerously wounded another negro. [April 5, 1877, Elyria Constitution, Elyria Ohio - Submitted by Shauna Williams]

KILLED BY HIS BROTHER IN LAW
Midway, Ky., Dec. 28-Thede Lee shot and killed Chris Lawson his brother in law on Christmas night after being severely and dangerously stabbed by Lawson. [December 30, 1880, The Burlington Weekly Hawkeye, Burlington Iowa - Submitted by Shauna Williams]

The Langston City Herald; Langston City, Oklahoma Territory; June 15, 1893

Killed A Minister
Kentucky Outlaws Deliberately Put the Muzzle of Their Revolvers in a Dying Man’s Mouth and Fire
Louisville, Ky., May 22 A horrible murder was committed near Versailles, Ky., at an early hour this morning. Rev. Sanford Howard and Rev. Stephen Daugherty from Lexington were driving to Versailles in a buggy and seeing an owl in a tree, one of the ministers drew his revolver and fired at it, but his aim not being good missed it. There was a white man living about 500 yards from where the shot was fired and he jumped on his horse and gathered up some of his friends and pursued the men, who it is supposed had forgotten all about the owl, by the time they were overtaken by the whites. The white men at sight of the preachers opened fire upon them, mortally wounding Rev. Daugherty and slightly wounding Rev. Howard. Howard managed to make his escape and this so enraged a Mr. Ball, near whose place the first shot was fired, that he came back to where Daugherty had fallen and put the muzzle of his revolver in the dying man’s mouth and fire another shot into him. The officers refused to arrest the murderers, but placed the dying man in jail and refused to allow any colored persons to see him, until the last breath was about to escape his lips, when a preacher was admitted. Before dying, however, he told the minister that he had no revolver and took no part in the shooting and begged for his life, but that the murderous villains were out for blood and as murdered him. The coroner’s jury found that Daugherty’s murderers killed him in self defense. Rev. Howard has not been captured, but if he should be, his next experience will be in stretching rope. But from last report he is safe. [Submitted by Dale Donlon]

WRONGED HUSBAND KILLED
Lexington, Ky., April 8-Sam Brown, colored, was shot through the head and killed by William S. Shipp, a wealthy white man of Midway, Ky., at 10 o'clock last night. Shipp has been intimate with Brown's wife, Bettie, a mulatto, and when he went to see her last night he found the husband in, and shot him dead. He made his escape. Shipp is connected with the best people of Woodford county. [April 9, 1895, Davenport Daily Tribune, Davenport Iowa - Submitted by Shauna Williams]

LEXINGTON PEOPLE INDIGNANT
Lexington, Ky., May 15-The indignation caused here by the acquittal of William Shipp, Jr., of Midway, Ky., who murdered the husband of his negro mistress in April, was further augmented when it became known that the indictment against him charged him with having committed the murder on March 12, nearly a month before it occurred. At first the jurymen who acquitted Shipp would give no reason for their action, but as public sentiment is so thoroughly aroused against them for turning Shipp loose, they now say that they acquainted him because of the error in the indictment. [May 15, 1895, The Evening News, Lincoln Nebraska - Submitted by Shauna Williams]

Midway, Ky., July 11-Lister Witherspoon, a leading trotting horseman and capitalist, had a terrible fight with Matthew Martin, a brother to State Senator Henry Martin, over a business misunderstanding. Martin drew a pistol, and, it is claimed, Witherspoon drew a knife. When the men were separated , after much difficulty, Martin was badly cut and may die. Witherspoon was unhurt. Martin's pistol was not fired. [July 11, 1899, The Sandusky Star, Sandusky Ohio - Submitted by Shauna Williams]

TRAGEDIES IN KENTUCKY
Louisville, Ky., Nov. 9-At  Versailles last night George Woodruff, town marshal of Midway, Ky., shot and killed Alfred Stanhope, an internal revenue storekeeper, and probably fatally shot Thomas Etherington, a bystander. The tragedy was the outcome of a quarrel a week ago between 10 year old sons of Woodruff and Stanhope, the fathers taking up the quarrel. [November 14, 1900, The Humeston New Era, Humeston Iowa - Submitted by Shauna Williams]

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