KENTUCKY. 



463 



funds, whereupon lie was deposed from office. 

 On March 31 the Governor appointed a com- 

 mission to examine the accounts of the late 

 Treasurer and ascertain the exact liability of 

 his sureties. The report of this commission, 

 laid before the Legislature by the Governor on 

 April 24, shows that Tate's defalcations had ex- 

 tended over a term of years, beginning with 

 1876, and that the total amount missing was 

 $229.009.21. To offset this sum there were 

 found in the treasury vaults due-Mils and other 

 evidences of indebtedness to the late Treasurer 

 amounting to 59,782.80, showing that he had 

 not only used the funds of the State himself, 

 but had lent them freely to others. For the pur- 

 pose of making a settlement with these debtors 

 of Tate, the Legislature created a commission, 

 to be filled by appointment of the Governor, 

 which entered upon its duties in May, and be- 

 fore the end of the year had made terms with 

 nearly all persons indebted to the late Treas- 

 urer. The proceeds derived from these assets, 

 and from other property left behind by Tate, 

 reduced the liability of his bondsmen below 

 $200,000. In June criminal proceedings were 

 begun against him in Franklin County, where 

 he was indicted under several counts for em- 

 bezzlement. To guard against similar episodes 

 in the future, the Legislature passed an act 

 creating the office of State Inspector and Ex- 

 aminer. This officer is appointed and remov- 

 able by the Governor, and is required to ex- 

 amine annually the management of the Audi- 

 tor's and Treasurer's office, all the public insti- 

 tutions, and all other officersjntrusted with 

 property of the State, to be present at each 

 monthly settlement between the Auditor and 

 the Treasure*, and to report to the Governor 

 his findings in all investigations. 



Assessments. The following table shows the 

 assessed value of property in the State for 

 1888 and the changes made by the State Board 

 of Equalization recently created : 



The total assessed valuation for 18S7 was 

 $483,491,690. 



The Insane. The State supports three asy- 

 lums for the benefit of the insane. During 

 1887 the daily average number of patients at 

 the Western Asylum was 580 ; at the Central, 

 738; and at the Eastern, 635. The steward's 

 expenses at the Western Asylum amounted to 

 $94,282.95, or an average of $162.55 for each 

 patient ; at the Central the expenses were 

 $135,744.99. or an average of $183.93; and at 

 the Eastern the amount was $106,325.98, or an 

 average of $167.35. 



Political. On August 6 elections for county 

 officers were held throughout the State. In 



the Second Appellate District an election' for 

 Judge of the Court of Appeals w;is also held, 

 at which Judge William S. Pryor w; ; 

 elected without opposition. No general elec- 

 tion for State officers w.-is held. In November 

 the Democratic National ticket was successful. 

 Democratic Congressmen wore elected in nine 

 districts, and Republicans in two. 



Rowan County. The Legislature, early in its 

 session, appointed a committee to investigate 

 the disturbances occurring in this county in 

 1887 and previously, and to report upon the 

 conduct of Judge Cole in his administration of 

 justice there. This committee visited Rowan 

 County, and, after taking much testimony, 

 made a report in March, censuring Judge Cole 

 and recommending the abolition of the connty 

 courts. The Legislature passed an act remov- 

 ing it from the fourteenth and annexing it to 

 the thirteenth judicial district, thus taking it 

 from the jurisdiction of Judge Cole, who was 

 permitted to retain his office. 



Pike County Disorders. Early in January the 

 inhabitants of Pike County petitioned the Gov- 

 ernor for arms and ammunition to defend 

 themselves against threatened attacks from 

 West Virginia. The difficulties grew out of a 

 feud between the family of McCoys in this 

 county and the Hatfield family of Logan Coun- 

 ty, West Virginia. This feud originated in 

 1882, when, in an election dispute, one of the 

 McCoys shot and killed a Hatfield. Four Mc- 

 Coys were arrested for this act, captured by a 

 Hatfield mob, carried into West Virginia, and 

 then secretly taken back to Kentucky and 

 shot. The matter had rested since that time 

 till September, 1887, when Gov. Buckner of- 

 fered $500 reward for the murderers of the 

 McCoys, and at the same time made a requisi- 

 tion for them upon the Governor of West Vir- 

 ginia, which the latter refused. Later in the 

 year the sheriff of Pike County, induced by 

 this reward, entered Logan County, captured 

 three of the Hatfield party, and lodged them 

 in the Pike County jail. The remaining Hat- 

 fields retaliated on New Year's eve by burning 

 the house of the elder McCoy and killing his 

 wife, daughter, and son. The father escaped, 

 and at once organized a party of about thirty 

 men, who invaded Logan County, killed two 

 of the Hatfields in an encounter, and later capt- 

 ured six others, who were also lodged in the 

 PSkeville jail. About the middle of January 

 another party frcm Kentucky made a second 

 attack and killed another of the Hatfields. 

 Late in the month the Governor of West Vir- 

 ginia sent a special agent to Gov. Buckner 

 asking for the surrender of the captured Hat- 

 fields : but his mission was fruitless. The 

 Governor then appealed to Judge Barr, of the 

 United States Circuit Court, for a writ of 

 habeas corpus; but Judge Barr, after a hear- 

 ing on February 20. decided that the prisoners 

 were properly' in the custody of Kentucky 

 authorities. "During July :md August, and 

 later still, encounters took place upon the bor- 



