Christmas with the Blairs then and now

Glenda is my cousin through the Bentleys. Her mother was my mother's sister. My mother was Cora and hers was Sabrina. Sabrina married Curwood Blair. Today I received a beautiful picture of her family at Christmas. I don't actually know everyone in the family so Glenda will have to do the identification and I will update this. I just wanted to share this lovely picture.

Also, when I was writing that piece on Granny and Poppy and trying to find a picture of each of the children with at least one of them, Glenda had sent me this picture of Granny at Christmas. I don't think I put it in with a story so far. This is Granny with Kathy, Glenda's baby sister.

I am working on several stories and they are leading so many places it is taking a lot to researh them. I also have som GREAT pictures coming up that I am trying to get totally identified before I post them. I will have some postings as soon as I can get some of these storied pinned down.

Mary Houston

. Mary Houston

Mary Houston was the daughter of Nathaniel "Thaney" Houston. She was their oldest child and was born in 1867. She never married, but had five children some with Samuel Bentley and the last two by Reuben Potter.

When Mary had her first child, her sister, Lavina "Viney" Houston and Viney's husband, Rhodes Meade said he would take care of her with his family so long as she had no more children. Mary got pregnant again and Rhodes stopped helping her. He simply couldn't afford to feed any other mouths.

Mary's children were Annie, John, James, Maggie Jane and Leonard that I know of. The 1900 census said she had 5 children and 5 were living. In 1910 it said she had six children and six were living.

When Maggie Jane was a teenager she started going to my grandmother Cora's home to help cook and clean for the church and for the boarders that Cora kept. Eliza Jane would be around and this was during a time when Eliza was running around. Mary's sister, Hannah, told Mary that on one night when Maggie stayed all night that Maggie was actually out running with Eliza and Morg Reynolds and another man who was involved in the KKK in Letcher county. When Maggie came home Mary said she had had children without being married but she would not let that happen to Maggie. She nearly beat her to death that day. Alma said that Maggie had not been out running around and never understood why Hannah had told that story. Maggie had just been cooking and cleaning.

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Some in the family asked Mary why she never married and why she had children by Reuben Potter. She said it was just the way things were and she had not wanted it that way. Reuben was married to Arminda Hall. For a while he would bring two sacks of meal to Mary on Friday nights and spend time with her. Mary said had it not been for Reuben she could not have fed her family.

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Sam Bentley was the son of John Manuel Bentley and Elizabeth. Sam came thru the Daniel Bentley line. Sam was born in 1867. He died on July 14 of 1897. If that is true, then I don't know who the father of John and James were.

Reuben Potter was the son of Isaac and Elizabeth Emeline Bentley Potter. Reuben married Arminda Hall.

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I have an Annie as a daugther of Mary and Sam. I don't know her birth date or what happened to her.

John Huston was born in May of 1889. He married a lady named Alice June. He died in 1962.

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James Houston was born in 1891. I don't know who he married, but he had a son named Charlie Houston. Charlie has a son named Carolos. Carols has a daughter named Pamela.

Leonard born in July 1899. He married Goldie and they had a daughter named Helen Janet. Helen married Harley Murphy.

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Maggie Jane was born December 27, 1894. She married James Monroe Hall. James was the son of Samuel Q. Hall and Louisa Angeline Baker. This was his second marriage. He was first married to Nancy Ooten. They had ten children. James was born in 1867 so he was quite a bit older than Maggie.

. Maggie holding Dewey, James M. Hall & little James in front






. This is another picture of Maggie's family. It is tiny and that's the way it came to me.

Maggie and James had five children: Dewey William, Leonard, George "Rattlesnake", James and Marie.

. Dewey, Leonard & George Hall

Dewey married Effie Blanche Lucas. They had Freda June, Dewey, Verita, and Eyvonne. June married a Whitehead.

. Dewey William Hall

. Dewey William Hall (1916-1991)





. Dewey & his wife, Effie Lucas and their daughters.

Leonard married a Hall. He died at Thornton in 1988.

George "Rattlesnake" married a Baker. He died in 1989.

James died in 1991.

That in a nutshell is what I know about Mary and her family. There are cousins who descend through Mary, but I haven't gotten any information about their families or lives to add to this though the pictures I have of Dewey and family came from cousin June.

I was so glad to find a picture of Mary. I think she looks very stylish in it.

Samuel Pee Collier & Sarah Jane Mullins

Samuel Pee Collier was the brother of Willis K. Collier. He married my great-great aunt, Sarah Jane Mullins. Sarah was the older sister of Joshua Mullins, my great grandfather.

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In the back row are their children, Rebecca, John and Martha Ann. Row 2 is Samuel Pee, Sarah Jane and their daughter, Nancy. In front sitting by himself is their son, Elijah.

Nancy was the oldest born in 1891.

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Rebecca was was born July 27 1892 and died November 28, 1987. She married Wilburn Hall, son of Richard Reuben "Dick" Hall and Mary Elizabeth "Polly" "Pop" Fleming. Richard was out of Granny's Hall line. Mary was a sister to my great grandmother, Elizabeth "Betsy" Fleming Houston.

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Sarah had two children beteen 1892 and 1895 who died.

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John was born March 8, 1896 and died April 6, 1970. He married Rinda M. Hall the daughter of Marion John Hall and Maxaline Hall. Both Rinda and Marion were out of Granny's Hall line.

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Martha Ann was born in 1901.

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Willie J. Collier was born in 1906. He died as a child.

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Elijah Booker was born November 23, 1907. He died October 26, 1964.

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Ollie Collier was born in 1910. I don't know if she died very young or if she just wasn't in the picture.

Big John Hall's Family Part 2

Going on with the children of John Samuel Hall and Karenhappick Yonts:

Jonathan married Mary Polly Meade.  In the 1870 census John was listed in his parents home as 14.  In 1880 he is own his own with Mary.

I misnamed this picture for Jonathan and Rachel Meade.  It is actually Jonathan, his son, and Mary "Polly" Meade.

Jonathan Hall & Mary Meade

1880 Letcher County
Jonathan 35, farmer  (aged quite a bit, didn't he?)
Mary 30, wife, keeping house
Robert 6, son
John 4, son
William 1, son
All KY KY KY

Twenty years later in 1900 Millston, Letcher County, Kentucky
Hall, Johnty 45, head, Dec 1855, married 24 years, farmer
Polly, 45, wife, Nov 1855, had 11 children, 11 living
Leander 14, son Oct 1885
Hotence 12, daughter, Jan 1888
Elijah, 10, son, Apr 1890
Armindy, 8, daughter, Mar 1892
Riley 6, son Jun 1893
Ballard, 4 son Mar 1896

Mary and John divorce in 1908.  Mary is living with her son, William in 1910.  They have moved to West Virginia.

1910 Mingo County, West Virginia
Hall, William M., hea, 31, marriage 1, 10 years,  farmer, general
Clarsey, wife, 27, marriage 1, had 7 children, 2 living
Lute, son, 5,
Simon P., son, 8 months, WV KY KY
Polly, mother, 50, divorced
Riley, brother, 18, laborer, on farm
Ballard, brother, 12 laborer on farm
All were KY KY KY except Simon so with Lute being born in Kentucky they have been in West Virginia less than five years.

Robert married Nancy Meade. She was Mary Meade's sister.  They stayed in Letcher County.  In the 1870 census with his parents Robert was 10.

1880 Whitesburg, Letcher County
Elisha, 22, farmer
Nancy, 21, wife, keeping house
Andrew, 3, son
Robert, 9 months, son born in September of 1879
All KY KY KY

1900 Millstone, Letcher County
Elijah 40, head, May 1860, married 22 years, farmer
Nancy 40, wife, Mar 1860, had 10 children, 7 living
Johnny 18, son Apr 1882
Tilitha 11, daughter Sep 1888
Eveline 9, daughter, Feb 1891
Nancy E., 7, daughter, Jan 1893
Levy, 5, daughter, un 1894
Virgie, 2, daughter, Jun 1897
Meade, Robert, 18, servant, Oct 1881
All KY KY KY

Robert Hall was born in 1860

William Hall was born in 1864

The following are the children of Big John and Rachel Meade.

Leander married Nancy J. White.  They move to West Virginia.  Thier known children are Susan, Rachel, John Lee, Betty, and William E.

Marion John was born in 1869.  He married Maxaline Hall on March 23, 1889 in Letcher County.  She was the daughter of John Hall and Elizabeth Johnson.  They were cousins.

1900 Millstone, Letcher County
Marion 30, Sept 1869, head, married 12 years, farmer
Maxiline, 25, Mar 1875, wife, had 3 children, 3 living
Lee, 18, Jun 1891, son (he is only 8, but the census taker wrote in 18)
Birtha, 6, May 1894, daughter
William, 3, Jan 1897, son
All KY KY KY

1910 Millstone, Letcher County
Marion John, Head, 37, 1st marriage, married 21 years, farmer, general farm
Magoline, wife, 36, had 7 children, 7 living
Bertha, daughter, 15, farm laborer, home farm
Willie, son, 12, farm laborer, home farm
Cinthiah L., daughter, 9
Betty A., daughter, 6
Elizabeth, daughter, 3
Rindy M., daughter, 6 months
All KY KY KY

Marion was shot and killed on August 1, 1914 after the school trustee election in Rockhouse.  He was buried on August 7 at Dean.

Maxaline died on November 27, 1950 in Fleming.  Her cause of death was uremia due to hypertension.

Manerva Hall was born in 1872.  She married Jasper N. Hall. 

Jasper Hall with Manerva Hall holding Dixie

1910 Millstone, Letcher County
Jasper, head, 2nd marriage, 19 years, farmer, general farm
Minerva, wife, 42, 1st marriage, had 4 children, 3 living., farm laborer, home farm
Whirley, son, 2
All KY KY KY

Esquire Hall married a Mary.

Esquire Hall & Mary "Polly"

Mary married Wilson Hall.  He was a coal miner.  He died on October 20, 1918 of influenza in Weeksbury, Pike County.  Mary died September 26, 1962.  She was in Williamson, Mingo County, West Virginia. 

Mary Hall & Hattie Collier

Elizabeth "Betty" married William R. "Will" Stewart.  He was killed in a logging accident in Kanawhat County, Virginia.  Betty died November 15, 1972 in Mayking.  They had at least:  Shellie Ann, Bud and Stella.

Betty holding Bud and William holding Shellie.

Betty with her grandson, Carl.

Lance E. married Pliney. 

1910 Millstone, Letcher County.
Lance, 28, marriage 1, married 9 years, farmer, general farm.
Pliney, wife, 39, marriage 2, had 1 child, not living, farm laborer, home farm.
All KY KY KY

Lance was killed on August 1, 1914 at the school trustee election in Rockhouse.

Albert died on August 1, 1914 at the school trustee election in Rockhouse.

Emiline Hall was born in 1888.  She died in 1917 .

Bud "Big Bud" married Clovia Meade.  He died May 15, 1971 in Ermine.

Big Bud Hall

Big John Hall's Family Part 1

The election day shootings involved two families, the Halls and the Quillens. They lived in Millstone and were neighbors. I plan on going to the library and going through back issues of the Mountain Eagle to find out more details. My newspaper archives subscription is a disappointment to me.

I have written about two Hall lines. One we are related to and the other we are not. Big John's family is our line. Going back to Jesse Hall and Candacia "Dicy" Franklin, who are my 5th great grandparents, their son Masias is our direct grandfather. Next in line is Richard Hall, then Enoch Mahlon Hall, then Joe Hall and then Nancy Alice Hall who married Otho Bentley.

Masias had a brother named Reuben. Reuben married Nancy Branham Smith. One of their sons was Jonathan Hall. Jonathan Hall was first married to Mary Sanders. They had at least six children: John Samuel, Sarah Jane, Reuben, Allen, Lucinda and Lewis. After Mary died, Jonathan married Susannah Elliott.

In the 1850 Census of Letcher county, Jonathan and Mary were living alone. He was listed as 51 and she as 52.

In the 1860 Census Jonathan and Mary are in the household headed by Jonathan and his first wife, Karenhappik Yonts.

In 1870 Jonathon is in his own dwelling again, this time with Susan. He is 70 and she is 62.

In 1880 Jonathan is 79, still working the farm. Susannah is 66. Living with them are their grandchildren Benjamin, 16, and Jane, 8.

John Samual Hall, the son of Jonathan & Mary Sanders Hall is known as "Big John". He is married to Karenhappick Yonts on September 11, 1845. She is listed in some census records as Caren and some as Happick. I have tried to find where her name came from and the closest I can find is that there was a family called Karenhappuck who lived in Virginia, but I cannot find any connection to them. Karenhappick is used in several families.

Karenhappick was the daughter of William Yonts and Levisa. Levisa was his second wife. His first wife was Margaret Bentley, the sister of Daniel Bentley. William, Margaret and Daniel were part of the early settlers of Letcher County.

Big John and Caren had at least seven children: Levina, Reuben, Lewis, Jonathan, Elijah, Robert and William. I assume that she died, although I have not found a death certificate yet.

On November 18, 1866 Big John married Rachel Meade.

Rachel Meade and Big John Hall

They had at least ten children: Leander, Marion John, Manerva, Esquire, Mary, Elizabeth "Betty", Lance E., Albert, Emiline, and Bud "Big Bud".

Rachel Meade was the daughter of Thomas Kronis Meade and Mary "Polly" Hall. Thomas' brother, Albert was married to Mary Emeline Brummit, one of Jesse Wright's four wives. Mary "Polly" Hall was Big John's aunt, a sister to Jonathan Hall who married Mary Sanders. That means that Big John married his first cousin.


The census records for Big John show:

1850 Letcher County
John 27, farmer
Hapick, 21
Viney 4
Reuben 2
All born in KY

1860 Letcher County
John 38
Caren 31
Levina 15
Lewis 9
Jonathan 5
Eliga 2
Jonathan 60, farm laborer VA (John's father)
Mary, 62, VA (John's mother)
All born in KY except Jonathan and Mary.

1870 Letcher County
Samuel 49, farmer (his middle name is Samuel)
Rachel 22, keeping house
John 14
Elijah 12
Robert 10
William 5 (the last child of Karenhappick)
Leander 3 (the first child of Rachel)

1880 Whitesburg, Letcher County
John 60, farmer
Rachel 32, keeping house
William 16, son, works on farm
Leander 12, son, works on farm
Marion 10, son
Manerva, 8, daughter
Esquire, 6 son
Mary 4, daughter
Elizabeth 1, daughter
All born in KY and both parents born in KY.

The census in 1890 was burned.

1900 Millstone, Letcher County
John, head, June 1819, 80, married 35 years, farmer
Rachel, wife, Nov 1851, 48, had 11 children, 10 living
Elizabeth daughter, May 1879
Lance E., son, Jan 1882, 18, farm laborer
Albert, son, Nov 1886, 14
Emiline, daughter, Mar 1888, 12
Bud, son, May 1890, 10
All KY KY KY.

I keep seeing on other genealogies that John died February 25, 1909 in West Virginia. I have not found his death certificate yet.

I havne't found Rachel in 1910 yet, but in 1920 she is in Millstone living with her daughter Elizabeth "Betty" who was married to Greenville Meade. I haven't found her date of death yet nor a 1930 census that she might be in.

The Children of Big John and Karenhappick Yonts

Levina is lost to me after the age of 15 when she is in the 1860 census with her parents. I do not know if she married.

Reuben was born in 1848 in Letcher County and was 2 years old in the 1850 census with his family. He died on March 11, 1852 in Letcher County. The records show "cause not known" for his death.

Lewis L. Hall was born on May 6, 1851 at Rockhouse. On April 19, 1866 he married Elizabeth "Betsy: Quillen. She was the daughter of William Quillen. They had at least twelve children. So far I have only found nine of their names: Leuvina "Vina", Riley, Ezekiel, Nancy, Enoi, Sarah Clarissa, Talton, George and Kisie.

Their census records go like this:

1870 Letcher County
Lewis 19
Betsy 19
Rile 2
Vina 5 months

1880 Letcher County
Lewis 37
Elizabeth 30, wife, keeping house
Vina 10, daughter
Riley 8, son
Ezekiel 6, son
Nancy 4, daughter
Enoi 2, son
Sarah 1, daughter
Showeh, Clerice, 8 Servant (the last name was very hard to read and I probably have it wrong.)

Betsy died in 1892.

In 1900 Lewis is found in Hardee, Mingo County, West Virginia. His wife's name is Fanny Davis, but she is liste as having been married only one year and having had no children. There are other children so in the years since Betsy died Lewis has apparently married another woman or at least had a relationship with her. the name that comes up is Martha Bates.

1900 Hardee, Mingo County, West Virginia
Lewis L., head, May 1851, married 33 years, KY KY KY
Fanny, wife, May 1890, 20, married 1 year, had no children
George, son, May 1886, 14 (probably Betsy's child)
Kisie, daughter, Aug 1890 (probably Betsy's child)
Lace, son, Mar 1894, 6 (possibly Martha Bate's child)
Ada, daughter, Jan 1896, 4 (possibly Martha Bate's child)
Christian, Fanny, niec, Dec 1898, 1 WV WV OH

Apparently things didn't work out with Fannie or she passed away. Lewis has now married Tanzie E. Neece.

1910 Logan, Logan County, West Virginia
Louis L. 58, marriage 2, married 7 years, KY KY KY Farmer, general farm
Tanzie E, wife, marriage 2, had 10 children, 8 living, WV WV WV
Lace 16, son, WV KY KY, laborer, coal tipple
Ada, 14, daughter, WV KY KY
Fannie 11, daughter, WV KY WV (possibly Fannie's child)
Arthur, 8, son, WV KY WV, (possibly Fannie's child)
Mollie, 7, daughter (probably Tanzie's child)
Logan H, 5, son, WV KY WV
Robert O. 2, son, WV KY WV

1920 Logan, Logan County, West Virginia
Lewis L. 68, head, KY KY KY, Retail Merchant, Grocery Store
Tamsey E. 51, wie WV WV WV
Arthur, 18, son, WV KY WV
Mollie, 16, daughter, WV KY WV
Logan H. 14, son, WV WV WV
Ida, 9, daughter, WV WV WV
Hornsby, Willie, 5, grandson, WV WV WV

Lewis died on March 31, 1929 in Henlawson, West Virginia.

Jonathan Hall was born on December 22, 1855 in Rockhouse. He married Mary "Polly" Meade on Janurary 5, 1874 in Letcher County. She was the daughter of Robert C. Meade and Sarah "Sally" Collier. Robert was the son of Thomas Kronis Meade and Mary "Polly" Hall. Sarah was the daughter o Richard Collier and Mary Caudill. She was a sister to William Dee Collier who was the grandfather of Sadie Collier, the first wife of Otho Bentley.

I will go on with this family tomorrow.

































I have tried to follow each of the children:

ELECTION OF TRUSTEE BY KENTUCKY COMMUNITY CAUSES PITCHED BATTLE

I found an article that came from the Washington Post on August 2, 1914.  The headline is above in the title of this blog.  Here is what it said:

Whitesburg, Ky., Aug 2---As a result of trouble growing out of the election of a school trustee on the headwaters of Rockhouse Creek, in this county, a desperate pitched battle was fought yesterday evening between members of the Hall and Quillen families, in which four were killed.

The dead are Albert Hall, Elce Hall, Marion Hall, and Dug Quillen, Lance Hall and Mrs. Albert Hall were seriously wounded.

I have a subscription to an online newspaper archive so I tried to find more that might have been printed about this incident.  I could not. 

I have worked on the family yesterday and today.  What I found was Marion, Lance and Albert Hall were brothers, sons of John Samuel "Big John" Hall and Rachel Meade.  The Quillen was Duncan "Dunk" Quillen who was the son of James Quillen and Elizabeth Hall.  Dunk and the Halls were not related by blood, although Marion's wife was a first cousin once removed.  Dunk is my second cousin twice removed through the Wrights (Elizabeth Wright married a Quillen.) on Dad's side.  The Halls are third cousins 3 times removed thru Granny.

The "Elce" Hall I am not sure of, but when I was going through the death certificates I found

77 Albert Hall
79  Duncan Quillen
80  Marion Hall

So I looked to see who number 78 was.  It was Talton Hall son of Lewis Hall, a brother to Albert, Marion and Lance.

The Quillens and the Halls were neighbors who lived in Millstone.  I have searched and tried to find who was in the election -- both who won and who lost, but I could not find it.  I also tried to find who shot who, but that wasn't available either.  All four death certificates said the cause of death was "gunshot wound, sudden homicide".

I sent an email to a cousin who might have access to who was in that election.  I will post that later if she replies.  I will also run more information on the family when I get finished going through all the census records. 

Children of Joseph Hall & Sarah Caudill: Anzie Hall

Anzie Hall was born October 29, 1883 to Joe Hall and Sarah Caudill.  She was 16 in the 1900 census with Joe and his second wife, Lettie Craft. 

On August 30, 1902 she had a son, John Dewey Spangler.

On October 10, 1902 she married John Dewey's father, William R. Spangler, the son of Benjamin Franklin Spangler and Susannah Holbrook. 

On July 12, 1903 Anzie had Alvin Spangler.

On March 10, 1907 Anzie had Sarah Spangler.  Sarah died at birth.

On April 28, 1907 Anzie died of a fever.

Anzie and William's Children

John Dewy married Lula Larue Adams.  They stayed in Letcher County.  He died May 15, 1967.

Alvin married Alta Craft.  They had at least two children:  William and Fred.  They, too, stayed in Letcher county.  Alvin died in 1956.  Alta died in 1992.    

After Anzie's death, William Spangler married again in 1910 to Jane Combs.  They had ten more children:  Lizie Vadis, Benjamin Frankln, Pollia A., Ada, Cora Estelle, Lula, Nola Bernice, Abe, and Audona.  One child died and I have not found a death certificate for it.


I have no pictures of Anzie's line nor anyone in her line that I have connected with who might be able to tell us more about her family.

Bad John Hall

John William “Bad John” Hall was born on October 31, 1880. He was the son of Lee Hall and Eliza/Louisa Little. Eliza was from the same Little family that Agnes Little was part of . Agnes was the first wife of old Booker Mullins’ son, Jim. Lee was from the Anthony Hall family on his father’s side and his mother from our Hall family going back to Masias Hall. He is my fourth cousin twice removed.

A great, great nephew of Bad John, simply referred to as “Bub” on the internet wrote this account of John’s life:

This is the story of my great, great uncle, the legendary Bad John Hall. John was born in 1882 near the forks of Left Beaver Creek and Otter Creek. Many stories about John have stated that he was born in Wheelwright, but in fact he was born in the area that is now know as Bypro, Kentucky, then known as Briar Bottom. Briar Bottom included the areas now known as Bypro and Wheelwright with a mailing address of Melvin, KY. John's parents Lee Hall Sr. and Eliza Hall, lived in a one room log house and it was in this house that John was born. It has been told that when pregnant with John, (Bad John), there seemed to be some sort of mystic power that forced her to visit a hornets nest nearby. She said that she would get up early, build a fire in the wood cook stove, but could not begin to cook until she made a visit to this hornet's nest. The hornets never harmed her. When she had made her visit and rubbed the nest she would return home and start her chores.


When John was born, it is said that his hair was matted just like that old hornet's nest. Later in life the disposition and temper of the hornet began to show up in John. He was a quiet and easy going man who would only defend himself when provoked. You could say anything you wanted to him, but don't try to harm him because like the hornet, he would sting with all his power and that meant sure death.


Education in the mountains of east KY was very limited. The few people with more than a fifth grade education were hired as teachers. Marion Hall and Isadore Hopkins did most of the teaching at the head of Beaver Creek. They only held school when they wanted to--maybe four to six weeks at a time and never more than four months in a year. These terms were in late fall and winter, since farming was the only means of livelihood and it required the help of the whole family during the spring and summer. It was work or starve, leaving little time for formal education.


John entered school at the age of seven. The school house was a one room log building near where the First Baptist Church of Wheelwright is now located. John's first teacher was Mr. Hopkins. John worked hard in school and soon became what we all know as the teacher's pet. By age twelve he had grown into a handsome youngest with soft blue eyes, wavy black hair and a pleasant smile; a boy with an attitude far from that of the hornet which was to dominate his temper later in life. John held his temper very well until the age of fourteen.


John's (and most everyone else's too) lunch consisted of sweet milk and crumbled corn bread which he carried in a two pound lard bucket. There was no other method to obtain a lunch except bring it from home. On a warm fall day in October 1896, John was sitting on a rock near the edge of Otter Creek having his school lunch when one of the school bullies ran by and kicked his bucket into the creek. That's when the hornet took over and the trouble started. As the bullies (Joe and Lewis Little) started to run, John picked up a rock, threw it, and broke Lewis' rib. From that day on, John was harassed by these two brothers.


As John grew stronger, the time came when he was able to handle either of these two in a fist fight (and there were many). This continued until John was about 17; then they would both gang up on him. Finally, they decided to leave him alone after several serious outcomes.


John had a job with Cole and Crane Lumber Company as a logger taking timber out of what is now known as Golf Hollow. Things seemed to be going along rather smoothly for a couple of years until John married the girlfriend of Lewis Little, America (daughter of Ode Little). After this marriage the war began all over again with new enthusiasm.




The Little brothers saved money and bought themselves a silver-plated, high-powered rifle. In those days riflers were used for hunting as well as protection. Hand guns were not practical for hunting and were considered a luxury. John did not own a firearm of any kind so he stayed clear of the Littles.


On September 2, 1903, the Little's decided to try out their rifles and scare John. On this day John and his wife went up the creek of what is now known as Branham Hollow, to help his father, Lee Sr. strip and tie fodder (blades of corn). While they were working in the barn yard where the fodder had been transported by a team of oxen, the Little boys, who lived about half a mile farther up the creek, showed up with their rifles. They began to fire them into the air and before they stopped, they were firing into the ground near John's feet. After they had their fun, they left. This incident proved to be the last of the fun for the Little boys. Afterward, John said to his father, "Pap, this is all I can take. I'd rather be dead than live like this."


Early the next morning, Sunday, September 3, 1903, John drove a young heifer he owned back down to his father-in-law's, Ode Little and traded it for a gun.


Two days later on September 5th, a Tuesday, John and his wife were going to her father's house when they heard someone shooting. Up the creek John and his wife met them, the Little's, about 100 feet above where the old Branham store now stands. They passed each other and one of the Little boys made a few remarks. A few feet away, the Little boys turned around and, tot heir surprise, John, who had sensed something, had turned around also to face them. Lewis fired a quick shot and missed John, only cutting into the collar of his coat. John fired two shots and killed them both.


John was now on the run, but he didn't run far. His wife was pregnant. He and his brother Melvin hid out in the mountains near his home, only coming out to see the Hopkins family, whom he trusted very much. Their home was located where the Wheelwright swimming pool now is. Their only visits to the Hopkins family were to get information about John's wife and family. The Hopkins' lived very well and always gave John a supply of food. It is said that while they were hiding out the spent many nights in the cemetery where the Little boys were buried. This cemetery was very close to John's father-in-law's house where his wife was staying. He said that he wanted to be as close to her as possible when she gave birth.


On November 27, 1903, America Hall gave birth to a baby boy named John Melvin Hall.


Early in 1904, John left Otter Creek and went into Virginia (near Bristol). He had been told that there were a lot of timber jobs there and that he would be safe. John was accompanied by his brother, Melvin-not Marion, as has been mentioned in many stories about John. These two brothers worked at timber jobs in VA around what is now known as Big Stone Gap and the Gate City areas. In order to stay away from as many people as possible, they preferred to work in the mountains, falling and trimming trees.


After a few months, word came to John and Melvin that were several men from Floyd County planning to come into Virginia to get jobs as timber men. On hearing this news, John and Melvin felt as if they should move on into Tennessee-near Bristol and Kingsport-to keep their identities secret. This time they were hired as mill workers.


Once again, they settled down and informed their family as to where they were. This was done by writing to the Hopkins family under an assumed name. They had been working at the mill for only a few weeks when they received a letter informing them that their brother, Marion, had been shot by an unknown gunman and was in very serious condition (January 1904).


John moved back to his mountain home, facing the danger of being killed. When the mid-winter weather seemed favorable, the Hall boys travel was made somewhat easier. It is known that they rode a log train into the foothills of Pound Mountain where they contacted some of John's relatives, Big Ed Hall's family, who provided them with transportation into Letcher County KY. From there, John and Melvin traveled through the mountains to the head of Left Beaver Creek, now known as Skull Hollow in Weeksbury and then on to the Hall Cemetery. It was after dark when they arrived at the cemetery and they saw a fresh grave near where one of their sister's was buried. They knew they were too late to see their brother, Marion.


It was still unsafe to visit their father, so they went to the Hopkins family home where they were informed of the death of their brother, Marion. They were also told that word had come out of Virginia that John and a friend had been hunting and that John had killed a turkey and that two men attempted to take the turkey from him, threatening John at gun point. The word was that John had shot and killed them both. John never confirmed nor denied this story. His only reply was "who can blame a man for defending himself or his friends."


Early the next morning, McKinley Hopkins loaded a pig into the family wagon. They dressed John and Melvin in women's clothes, placed them on the wagon seat beside him and headed up Otter Creek to deliver the pig along with John and Melvin to Lee Hall, Sr's. home.


John tried to get as much detail as he could about the death of Marion. There was not much, if any, true information to be found. Marion had been bushwhacked (shot in the back) in Otter Gap (head of Otter Creek) and he was alone at the time of the shooting. It was believed that Riley Little, a brother to the two that John had killed, shot Marion. There was no solid proof of this, but the revenge motive was there.


As soon as John found out where Riley had moved to, he set out to avenge the death of his brother. He returned home late one afternoon and informed his parents that he had located Riley, but the only chance he had to shoot him was from the back. John said that he never killed a man without a reason and for sure never shot a man in the back and he wasn't going to start now. Besides he wasn't absolutely sure that Riley had killed Marion, so he decided to wait and see what time would tell.


It was late fall of 1904, and John didn't want to return to Virginia and face a cold winter working in the saw mill, so the family passed the word around that he had returned to Virginia without his brother Melvin. They passed the word around that John had returned to Virginia without his brother.


John and his father fixed a room in the loft of the old log home, to give John a place to hide when company came to visit. John stayed here under cover until late spring of 1905 when once again trouble found this young mountain man. Someone had let out the word that John was staying at his father's home so the posse was on it's way-not to apprehend John-but to kill him. Since he had gained the reputation of being a bad man, a wild man and a killer, the posse didn't want to take him in-they wanted him dead.


His brother Melvin was to play the role of lookout for him. On a late spring morning in 1905, Melvin was supposed to be plowing the garden while also being on the lookout for anyone he saw approaching the house. If he saw anyone he was to fire one shot. He heard horses stepping on rocks as they came up the creek bed. He ran to the end of the garden where he could a good view of the posse. His rifle fired twice. Once again, John was on the run-and he had to run fast!


John was cleaning his guns when he heard the signal. He jumped from the lost and his pistol, which was in the holster of his ammunition belt, got caught on a peg. Not knowing how close the posse was, John left the ammunition and his side arm hanging there and ran up the ravine behind his house. He came out on high ground on his way to a barn located near to where he is now buried in Branham Hollow. As he approached the barn, the posse opened fire on him. Not once did they call for him to surrender as he tried to jump the fence surrounding the barn. Joe Cable shot the fence railing off directly under John's hand, causing him to fall to the ground. Cable continued to9 fire as John crawled behind the barn. Once behind the barn, John realized that he did not know the man who was shooting at him. He called out and told him not come any closer and asked him to stop shooting. Joe Cable did not heed the call and continued his pursuit. That was a fatal decision for John fired from the corner of the barn hitting Cable in the heart. Cable spun around, too four or five steps and fell dead.


The remainder of the posse did not know how many rounds of ammunition John had left. One thing they did know was that they had found a man who would fight back against all odds. Joe Cable died approximately 75 feet from where John is now buried. During the exchange of shooting about 25 rounds were fired. The horses belonging to the posse got scared and ran off. The posse had to leave the scene in a run to catch their horses. Had they known John had only two more rounds of ammo in his rifle, chances are they would not have left or there would have been three more dead men on this battle ground in Branham Hollow-two of the posse and John because he was not going to be taken alive and he was posed and ready to take two more of them with him.


Cable and some more of the posse, maybe all of them, were from Pike County and they had no warrants for John (which was later proven in court). John, concerned that posse would return to retrieve the body of Joe Cable, decided to continue on up the mountain where he could safely watch their return and departure.


John's mother was a small woman, but very fiery. All her life, she had more fire than a pot bellied stove on a cold December morning. It is said that when the posse came to get Cable's body, they found it just as he had fallen. One of the posse asked why someone didn't place a pillow or something under his head. John's mother said that if he been home with his family where he belonged instead of here trying to kill her boy that he could have been sleeping on his own pillow.


After the posse was gone, John came down from the mountain and asked if any of his kinfolk had been shot or injured. After being assured that everyone was safe, they said that you could see a sigh of relief and a small smile come across his face. He walked over to his mother and asked, "Mammy, why has so much trouble come upon me and why does everyone want to kill me? It looks like I'm going to have to leave my family again."


Once again John was on the run. This time he went alone for some reason. He did not return to Virginia. Maybe it was because of the stories that filtered down from there. He was now branded as a wild man-a killer and he was now known as Bad John, a name that stuck with him until his death.


His dodging the law this time took him into the Shelby Valley of Pike County, Kentucky where he would be safe and cared for by his mother's family (his grandfather, Moses Little). He was just about as safe here as he could ever hope to be because he was sheltered by his relatives, the Littles, Johnsons, Halls and Burkes. After residing there for a few months, John learned of the birth of his daughter, Elva, a sister to John Melvin. John was tierd of running and being away from his family, so he decided to make his move back to left Beaver Creek.


He traveled up the valley to the Robinson Creek Gap and from there he went down to the mouth of Indian Creek (still in Pike County), where he spent the night with his grandfather, Moses Little. John told his grandfather what he was going to do. He said he was tired of running and being away from his family and "that it just wasn't right to have to run and dodge the law the way he was doing because every man that he had killed was trying to kill."



At daybreak the next morning, John set out for home accompanied by his grandfather and his mother's brother, Ben Little. They crossed Indian Creek mountain over into what is now known as Abner Fork of Beaver Creek. They traveled down Abner Fork to Beaver Creek, then up Otter Creek until they reached his father's home. John told his father that he was tired of running and that he was going to stay close to home until he decided as to what would be best for him to do. He said that if the law came for him in a peaceful way that he would go with them, but if they came a shootin' like before, he would shoot back and more men would die.


It didn't take but a few days until John had a small army of friends who were willing to fight and die for him is cause came. Two of John's older brothers, Melvin and Sill, and the youngest one, Lee Jr. were all ready to fight. So were some of his uncles and cousins; Talt, Evan and Nick Hall along with Marion and Miles Little, John Lee Hall, Ben Little, Albert Little, Willard Little and Calloway Osborne. They all stayed close to where John was and they all were ready for a fight.


The posse came a number of times and there were sometimes as many as twenty men. They came in peace, always traveling the same road and searching the same places, knowing that they would not find John. John spent some time hiding out in the mountain ranges dodging the law, but this was not too much of a problem for him since the law wasn't really interested in catching this mountain man, because they themselves felt like most of John's troubles were caused in self defense.


John spent time with friends such as the Jim Hopkins and Hiram Osborne (RIN 253) families. He became very close to these people and they to him, especially McKinley Hopkins, Corbet Osborne and Calloway Osborne. There grew a special friendship between the Halls, Osbornes and McKennley families that has lasted for more than four generations.


Then in early March, 1906, John made up his mind that he sould turn himself in to the law. He was accompanied to the court house by the Osbornes and McKennleys. Upon arriving, John discovered that he was charged with two counts of manslaughter instead of three, since there had never been evidence other than that John was trying to save his own life when he killed Joe Cable.


As to the killing of the Little brothers, the evidence was very light since John and the Little boys were cousins and the two families being very close and neither wanting to cause any more trouble between them. Had John not made the statement to his mother and father that he was tired of being pushed around by these two brothers, and had he not traded for a rifle on the same day of the shooting, and had John's mother not been an honest woman and testified as to the remarks made by John at the fodder stripping, John would not have had to spend a day in prison.


The trial ended with John being sentenced to three years in prison, but after serving sixteen months, he was pardoned. Once again he returned to his mountain home to settle down without the worry of having to look behind every rock and tree for someone that was trying to shoot him. During this time, John worked on the family, gardening, raising cattle and looking after all of the other daily chores.


John's wife America had become very jealous of all the time that John had been spending with the Hopkins and Osborne families, maybe rightfully so, but this is an area that I'm not going to venture into, because I don't know enough about the facts to say what was really going on. I do know that John made the statement that no woman was going to keep him away from his friends, especially friends that were ready to die for him. John and his wife quarreled over this matter for another year and a half. Then John left her and went to Pike County to work.


He relocated in the Robinson Creek area where he went to work for Cap Branham, once again doing timber work. It was here that John met and married Belle Roberts sometime around 1910. To this marriage was born two children, Hatler and Gertrude some time after 1912. Belle died and I am not sure about the cause of death but I have heard it possibly due to childbirth. John wanted another wife to help raise the children so he married again. This time he married Kate Branham, early in 1913. Into this union was born two children, John Jr. and Gladys. Kate had a daughter, Sarah Mae, who was very young at the time of their marriage and it is said that John treated her just as if she were his own child.


John's stay in Pike County ended in 1916 when the Elkhorn Coal Company began to buy property in the head of Otter Creek. They began to cut and clear timber in preparation to build the town of Wheelwright. John moved his family back to Otter Creek and was hired by Elkhorn Coal. He helped clear land and fall timber until Elkhorn got equipment such as a sawmill and planer. John had gained experience running a saw mill and a planer while on the run in Virginia so this work was not new tohim. He was a good worker and soon became a favorite of the company officials.


Once Elkhorn had acquired the land, the clean-up began. John's younger brother Lee Jr., was hired as a foreman or straw boss. He supervised the moving of fences and the building of things that were necessary for developing the town of Wheelwright. Once this clean-up was completed and the building of houses, railroads, and opening of the mines had started, Consolidated Coal Company ran a high-voltage power line from Jenkins to Wheelwright. Once the power lines and railroad made their way into Wheelwright, things really began to boom.


Workers of all nationalities made their way to Wheelwright. At this point, it became necessary to hire a city policeman . . . so John's brother, Lee Jr. was hired as the first wheelwright city policeman. Charlie Klein took Lee Jrs. place as foreman of outside mountains and clean-up. As the town grew, more people came: blacks and whites; Hungarians, Polish, Russians and Czechoslovakians. The blacks and whites came from Alabama and Georgia while most of the foreigners migrated from Ohio. (More Melungeon mixtures likely).


John continued as the saw mill and planer operator. His brother Lee Jr. was still policeman, but he was having problems with some of the outsiders who had migrated into Wheelwright. He was also having more trouble than he felt he should have with a company foreman by the name of Reese and the young son of one of the mine foremen by the name of Elihew Mitchell. Elihew was mean and rough and liked to drink and fight. Lee Jr. had put him in jail more than a couple of times for disturbing the peace and using profanity in the soda fountain.


One Friday afternoon, Elihew came into the pool room and started knocking pool balls off into the floor and saying that he was going to wreck the place. Mrs. Charlie Klein, who ran the pool room sent for the plice. Lee Jr. came in, arrested Elihew and put him in jail for a few hours and then released him. The next day Elihew entered the pool room again, making remarks that he was tired of being pushed around by "them damned halls" and that he and his friend bill Reese were going to run everyone of Halls out of town-everyone except Bad John and they were going to carry him out.


Charlie Klein, who was a good friend of Lee and John, came and told Lee to watch Elihew and Reese. He also said that if he needed help he would be there. Lee talked to John who had long since stopped carrying a firearm because he wanted to stay out of trouble if he could. However, once again, it looked as if he would have to defend himself or run. He didn't run.


John told Lee that he didn't have a pistol and asked him to get him one. Lee sent Tilton Hall to his house on #79 hill to tell his wife to send a pistol for John. The pistol that she sent was a single action Colt that used .38 caliber Winchester center fire cartridges. John didn't have a holster so he placed the pistol under his belt near the center of his stomach and pulled his vest down to conceal the weapon as best he could.


Elihew told the people in the pool room to stick around and watch the big show. He walked out of the pool room and up the porch to the southeast end of the building. He crossed the street to the clubhouse where he satred talking to some young ladies who worked in the company office and boarded in the clubhouse. John and Lee gave no indication that they knew Elihew was anywhere nearby, but they were watching every move that he made. The plan was for Lee to watch Reese and John was to keep an eye on Elihew, since he was the one who they were going to carry John out of town.


After a short time at the clubhouse talking with the ladies, Elihew told them that it was time for the show and he started on his way back toward Lee and John.


It was a warm spring evening and on his way back toward the Hall boys, he stopped and picked a flower from the side of the road. He then acted as if he was going to put the flower in the button hole on his shirt. He unbuttoned one button . . . then two, and on the third his hand went into his shirt and came out with a German Mauser pistol. The Mauser didn't clear his shirt before John flipped; up his vest and came out with the Colt. He fanned it western style, with three of the bullets hitting Elihew in the chest, dropping him in his tracks. When this happened Lee turned to check on Reese. Sure enough, he was at the far end of the porch in a crowd with his pistol out. Lee, not wanting to take a chance on hitting some innocent bystander, fired over the head of Reese, and that was all it took to scare him off.


On the following Monday, Lee and John boarded the train headed for Prestonsburg, to tell their story to the judge. They had several singed statements from witnesses to prove their story was true. One statement was from M. B. Mitchell, Elihew's father. He said that after learning what his son up to that he begged him not to try it because he would get killed. John and Lee returned home Monday evening, both free men.


Elihew's father, M. B. Mitchell was a mine foreman for Elkhorn and lived in house #403. Mr Mitchell had taken the body of his son to his home and Lee and John, on their way home from the railroad station had to walk within three feet of his front door. They saw a number of men on the porch, so they decided that one should by while the other watched for any activities. The only activity or words were friendly.


John and Lee's brother 'Sill' owned a general store in Hall Hollow and M. B. traded with him. After the death of his son, Mr. Mitchell continued to do business with Sill. That fact is that Mr. Mitchell was always friendly with all of the Hall family.


John and Lee returned to their regular jobs, Lee as a policeman and John as planer operator. Elkhorn did make one change however. Reese was fired and he was replaced by a Mr. D. L. coulter from West Virginia.


The planing mill was located where the old Wheelwright bath house is now. The side walk ran directly in front of the mill and all day long people would stop and talk to John and ask him how many men he had killed, how many times he had been shot and if he thought that he would kill again. This situation became somewhat of a problem for John and Elkhorn, so the company transferred John to the repair shop near the opening of mine #79. He worked at this job for about a year and a half when one day he went tot the 'head house' where coal was dumped on conveyer belts and carried to the tipple for processing. While there a trip of coal cars got loose. To avoid getting hit by these cars, John had to jump over the railings that enclosed the platform. In doing so he went 15-20 feet straight down, severely spraining his ankle. He was off work for about four weeks.


John never returned to his job. His brother Lee had been placed on the tipple as foreman and John was hired as the City Policeman. This was in 1923. Lee did not stay as tipple foreman very long. He resigned and took over ownership of the general store that Sill had in Hall Hollow. It has been rumored that Lee won the store in a poker game but others have told that he paid Sill $6,000 for it.


By 1924, the town of Wheelwright had grown. With the Elkhorn holdings, such as the movie theater, general stores, recreational facilities, 400+ houses and millions of dollars worth of equipment and supplies, the company decided to hire a deputy to assist John. They hired Joe Cook.


Joe was a native of upper Beaver Creek and had married John's first cousin (a sister to Bad Talt Hall who later was killed in the infamous shootout at Martin Depot). Joe had only been on the job a few weeks when he was called to a house in Branham Hollow where there was a disturbance going on. A lot of men were drinking, playing poker and generally raising Cain. When Joe arrived, he told the men about the complaint and asked them to break up the game and go home. Instead of cooperating, they began making fun of him and one even roughed him up a bit. Joe left and went straight to John's house, woke him up at 3:00 A. M. and told him what happened. He asked John to go back to Branham Hollow with him and help arrest the men. John got dressed and accompanied Joe back to the house.


When they arrived about 4:00 A. M., the situation was still the same. John, no doubt angered by what the men had done to his friend, didn't even enter the house. Instead, he rapped on the porch railing with his pistol and informed them of who he was. He asked them to come out and told them that if they didn't he would be coming in. The men, all five of them, came out. Once outside, John lined them up on the sidewalk and asked Joe which one had roughed him up. Jack walked around behind the men and said, "this one here in front of me." John walked over and hit the man on the head with his pistol. The pistol accidentally went off and killed his friend Joe.


Once again tragedy had come John's way. This was almost more than John could take. Joe was not only family but one of John's closest friends. My grandfather told me that he has heard John say many times, "I have killed many men; men that were trying to kill me and I have lost no sleep over them, but Joe's death should never have happened."


Joe Cook had been killed early on a Sunday morning. The following Sunday, two of the gamblers were found shot to death in Hall Hollow. One was lying between the sidewalk and the church and the other on the creek bank beside the church. No one seemed to know anything about the killings or if they did, they weren't telling. The next Sunday morning another of the gamblers was found dead on his back porch. He too, had been shot. Again, no one knew anything and no one was talking. The other two gamblers who were in the house in Branham Hollow the night Joe was killed just disappeared. When or where no one knows.


Had John made the full payment for the death of his friend, Joe? May he had for his own personal satisfaction, but surely it was not a healer for the pain he held inside.

Many times John made the statement that he had killed seven men that he counted, but some that he didn't count. Could the two men in Virginia be among the ones he counted? Could the ones he didn't count include the gamblers? No one will ever know for sure because the answer to these and many more questions lay buried in a grave in the Branham Cemetery under the head stone marked John W. Hall born 1881-died 1932. This marker keeps watch over the many secrets of the legendary man called Bad John Hall.


The Shoot-out at the Martin Train Depot


By Bub


This story is being presented here exactly as it was told to me by my grandfather and in his own words.


It was late in January or early February 1925, when John's ex-wife Kate and Emaline Grigsby, Sill's girlfriend, made a trip to Prestonsburg KY On their way back, the women had to change trains in Martin and they had to wait for some time on the train to Wheelwright. It was then that they were confronted by Lewis White. He knew Emaline, but did not know Kate. He was introduced to Kate by Emaline. Kate had John's son, John, Jr. with her. As soon as Lewis learned who she was, he walked over to her and pinched the baby (John Jr.) and told Kate to "go home and tell the baby's damn bad daddy who pinched him and made him cry and then see if his daddy was as bad and brave as everyone said he was." I feel as if Emaline told sill of this incident and that Sill told John, but John never let anyone know about it and no one knew that he had been told about the incident until the Martin shootout was over.


John's brother, Lee, who was in the general merchandise business, was having a much larger business that he had anticipated because of all the people who had moved into Wheelwright. It became necessary to haul more freight and start making deliveries. On Thursday, February 22, 1925, he boarded the early morning train headed to Big Sandy Hardware to buy a two horse wagon. His plan was to buy the wagon on Friday, return to Auxier, KY on Saturday, to attend the funeral of one of his customer's baby. This was the child of Jim and Eva McCoy. He did this and spent the night. On Sunday he went to the depot to catch the train back to Wheelwright.


John and some of his friends and relatives decided to ride the train to Marton on that same Sunday, so they could come back with Lee. It wasn't unusual for someone to take a train ride on Satruday or Sunday to martin and back. Those accompanying John were Talt Hall (John's double first cousin, not Bad Talt), and his brothers Nick and Howard, John Melvin Hall (John's son), Johnnie Little and Arlin (Peg Leg) Jones.


When they got to Martin they went to a restaurant just across from the railroad station and ate breakfast. I have been told tht the restaurant was operated by a man named Frasure. After breakfast, they returned to the station to wait on the arrival of the Right Beaver train and John's brother Lee. Lee had missed the early train up the Big Sandy. If he had made this earlier connection, there would not have been a Martin shootout, at least not at this time.


After finding out that Lee was not on this early train, the group decided to walk the railroad tracks on down to Allen and visit a friend, Glever Collins, who owned a hotel there. They would spend time in Allen visiting and wait on the big Sandy train, which they were sure Lee would be on. Sure enough, he was on that train. He got off and they all boarded the Right Beaver train for Martin.


Lee had purchased his ticket to Wheelwright in Paintsville and when the Right Beaver train got to Martin, he said that he was tired and went straight to the Left Beaver train. He took a seat beside the window facing the railroad station. The others had to buy tickers, so they gave their money for the tickets to Talt. For some reason, Talt failed to get a ticket for himself and had to return to the ticket agent to buy another.


They were waiting for Talt to get his ticket when John saw a man in a read sweater coat come out of the Right Beaver side of the depot. He came out between the depot and the supply building on the lower end. He stopped and leaned up against a power pole and stood there with his arms crossed. John walked a few steps ;towards the lower end of the platform. This put him straight in line with this man and the window where Lee was seated. John called to this man and asked him if he was Lewis White. His reply was, "Yes, I'm Lewis White." Then John said, "Lewis White, I'm John Hall. Would you step over here for a minute because I need to have a word with you."


His reply was "John Hall. I have no damn talk for you." With these words, he drew a pistol from under his coat and started shooting at John. With his first shot, he hit John of his little finger on his right hand. Lee had heard part of the conversation and looked out of the window just in time to see Lewis start shooting. Lee pulled his pistol and broke out the window, then fired at Lewis. His bullet hit Lewis just below the left eye, knocking him down. The fight was on.


Talt was in the ticket office when he heard the shots. He being a deputy sheriff and not knowing what the shooting was about, drew his pistol and came running out onto the platform. As soon as he came through the door, someone broke his arm with a table leg, took his pistol and shot him in the head. I remember seeing Talt when they took him out of the baggage car at Wheelwright. He had a white, bloodied pillow under head and I remember very well seeing his brains that had run out on the pillow. Talt had been taken out of the shout out without ever firing a shot.


By this time, bullets were flying from all directions. If you had gun in your hand or if you were running, someone was shooting at you. Lee had left the passenger car and had come out on the platform. Lewis White had pulled himself up by a guide wire. John saw this and leveled down at him, grazing the right side of his head. This time he went down to stay. As Lee stepped down onto the platform, one of White's men ran by him, shooting. With the power from the shot throwing powder into his face, Lee was knocked down onto the rails. John in the meantime, was trying to take care of someone who was shooting at nim from behind the tool building. John stopped whoever it was that shooting at him and then turned to see what had happened to Lee. He saw that Lee had raised up to his knees and was shooting at the man who had shot at him. John also took a shot at this man as he was running down the railroad. John or Lee one put a bullet in his shoulder.


John Melvin, John's son, was making it hot for the m an who went by John shooting at him and one of his bullets found it's target, hitting the man directly in the butt. I later heard that this man was a Flannery. One of White's men shot Talt's brother in the back, the bullet hitting him just below the shoulder blade, passing through both sides of his back muscles, making four holes in his back.


Johnnie Little and Arlin 'Peg Leg' Jones were shooting at anybody that they didn't know because as many as there were in this fight, you couldn't take a chance.


There must have been a dozen or more men shooting. No one knows for sure. Neither does anyone know how many were wounded nor how many were treated and made no reports because they didn't want to end up going to court. When the shooting stopped, there was one man dead, Lewis White, and one man dying, Talt Hall.


After seeing his brother and believing him to be dead, Nick came down the platform shooting in every direction. When he saw Lewis White lying there, he must have been in shock because he went over and finished emptying his gun into the dead body of Lewis and screaming, "You S.O.B., you caused all of this!" John took the pistol from him and gave it to his brother, Howard.


They placed Talt on a stretcher that had been furnished by the depot agent and loaded him into the baggage car. Lee, John and Howard got into the baggage car with him and the other men got onto the back of the train so as to take care of anyone who tried to follow. When they got up to the old Beaver Valley Hospital, Fred Damron, the baggage clerk, had the train stopped so that Dr. Walk Stumbo and his staff could help the wounded. They gave Talt a shot, bandaged, John's hand, treated Howard's bullet wound and put some salve on Lee's face to relieve the powder burns. The depot agent at Martin telephoned the agent at Wheelwright to tell him that the train would be late because there had been a shooting at the Martin Depot. He said that one man from Wheelwright was dead and there were several wounded.

On March 4, 1925, the Floyd County Grand Jury, with M. V. Allen as foreman, indicted John Hall, Howard Hall and Arlen 'Peg Leg' Jones. Why were there no indictments for shooting at Lee Hall with intent to kill? Why were there no indictments for the shooting and wounding of the Flannery's or the Osborne's? Who informed Lewis White that John and his friends were in Allen and would return by way of Martin? Why did White have so many men there to assist him? Was he planning on a gun battle or was this just another coincidence? Why did John have these men with him? Was he also planning on a gun battle? I don't think that he would have wanted his son, his brother and three of his double first cousins involved in a gun battle which would have meant taking a chance on their lives. In all of the other encounters that John had, he never asked for help from anybody. He fought his own battles and it is hard for me to believe that planned this one.


No doubt there are many mysteries hanging over the Martin shootout and no doubt there will be many stories told about this incident. Some will call it another O. K. Corral, but to me, it is just another episode in the life of a man who was destined to live in trouble and forced to fight for his life.


Even after the indictment, Elkhorn Coal Company continued to carry John on the payroll as the city policeman. He continued his duties as until there were warrants issued for his arrest. At this time, he returned the keys to the jail and informed Bill Thousneck, the general manager, that they needed to hire someone to take his place. He felt that the indictment was unfair and he did not intend to surrender at this time. He thought it was better to go into hiding than to have another shootout in the streets of Wheelwright.


I don't remember the exact date that John decided to turn in his keys, but I do remember that it was a warm day. It may have been around the last of April. The time of day was around noon, because school had let out for lunch. Greenberry Johnson, Ervin Little and myself were on our way to the old tennis court to play marbles. We had arrived at the top of the steps leading down to the courts when I saw John coming down toward the office. I remember that I ran up the street and met him close to where the old city all used to be. He took my hand and I walked with him down to the city office where he turned in h is keys. He then walked down to the marble yard and played marbles with us boys for awhile. When the school bell rang, John left us and I didn't see him again for about three weeks.


While coming home from school one afternoon, I stopped by my fathers, (Lee Jr., John's brother) store for a pice of candy. I saw three strange men talking to my dad. They all had badges on and pistols strapped around their waists. I hurried on home to see my mother, knowing that she would have something for a hungry school boy to eat. I could tell that something was wrong with Mom so I ate my buttermilk cobbler and went on to the barn to attend to my pony, Ned. I also had two mules to water and feed. There I met Uncle John and his Uncle Riley coming around the barn. He hugged me and said that my dad was working me too hard. This was all in fun because he knew that my grandmother would be all Dad if she thought that he was overworking me. I asked Uncle John where he was going and he said, "Lee and some men there wanted to talk to me."

Later that night, Dad came home from the store and told my mother to get some clothes ready for him so he could go to the Prestonsburg with John. He said that John had decided to give himself up. I later learned that one of the three men in the store that day was Bev Mellon. As well as I can remember, he was the sheriff of Floyd County. They were to meet at our house at 4:30 A. M. and go from there to the railroad station and catch the 5:20 A. M. train to Prestonsburg.


Early the next morning, someone knocked on our front door. Dad opened the door expecting to find John, but instead it was Sheriff Mellon and two of his deputies. They waited for John until 4:30 A. M. and they asked my dad if he thought John would show up. Sure enough, a few minutes later, there was another knock at the door. Dad opened the door and his Uncle Riley walked in. He looked around and then called for John. John came, but he was not alone. He had Willard Little with him. He was not unarmed as they expected. He had his pistol strapped on his waist and in his right hand he held a high powered rifle. This visit I saw for myself. The sheriff and my dad were surprised to see John armed as he was.


* This is where the story ended without a resolution. I do not know what happened from this point on nor how John died.

I wish I knew more or could identify “Bub” for you, but I am sure that is a nickname and can’t put it to the correct person. I figured it was better to put his version of John’s life rather than just reword it.

In searching for the file I had Bad John's picture in, I came across a picture of Big Bud Hall the son of Rachel Meade and Big John Hall.  I ran a relationship calculation on the two men and found they were second cousins twice removed, so it is probably not the Bud who wrote the articles.  If I ever identify him, I will tell you so that he has more credit for the legaxy he lfet us about Bad John Hall.  Maybe it won't be as hard to find now that I know some of the Halls were actually named Bud.

Children of Joseph Hall & Sarah Caudill: Mary Ellen Hall

Mary Ellen Hall was the first child of Joseph Leonard Hall and Sarah Caudill.  She was born October 4, 1880 in Pike County, Kentucky.  She was not in the 1880 census with Joe and Sarah because she was born after the census was taken.  The 1890 census was burned.  On January 23 1897 she married Isaac Martin "Ike" Profitt, the son of Hiram and Chrissie Adams Profitt.

In 1900 Isaac was 23, Ellen 18 and their children were Joseph, 2, and Crisy, 10 months.  They were in Rockhouse.

In 1910 they were in Camp Branch.  Isaac was 33, Mary E. 29, Millard 12, Crissie 8, Jesse 7, Alvin 5, Israel M. 3, and Gilbert M. 6 months.

When Ike registered for the draft for WWI in 1918, he was listed as tall, medium build with blue eyes and gray hair.

In 1920 Isaac was 42, Mary A. 39, Millard 22, Crissie, 20, Jessie 18, Alvin 15, Martin 13, Moses 10, Benna 7 and Marion 4 years 3 months old.

In 1930 Isaac M. was 55, Mary 49, Cecile 31, Alvin 26, Martin 23, Moses 20, Benjamin R. 17, and Marion 14.

Mary Ellen's Children:

Joseph Millard  married Mary B. Collins.  They had three children that I know about:  Millard, Joseph Isaac, and Dewy Robert.  Millard was born in 1926.  Joseph Isaac  was born on Janurary 13, 1927 at Thornton.  He died on January 14th of "bold hives."  Dewy Robert was born August 4, 1929 and died in Whitesburg in 1990.  Millard and Mary stayed in Letcher county.  He died in 1971.

Chrissie who was still at home at age 31 and was listed as Cecile died in Knott County in 1982.

Jesse married Minnie Hart.  I found them in the 1930 census, but they were very hard to read.  The ancestry transcribers had Jesse as Jean and children Edn soemthing, Meda, Famenmasen.  Jesse looked like Jesse to me, age 29.  Minnie 21 and the children were 2 daughters and one son.  I went to the birth records and input Minnie Hart as a mother and came up with the following children:

Eddie E. July 21, 1927
Alta O.  September 15, 1928
Famenmasen (could it be Free Mason?  ) from the census.
Isaac Marion February 3, 1930
Minni I.  Dec 12, 1931
Hiram J.   April 30, 1934
Zella G.  April 9, 1938
Bradley M.  December 12 1939
Hazel L. January 13, 1944
Karen E. July 27, 1945
Zeola F.  September 28, 1947
Clare D.  August 23, 1950
John M.  May 22, 1954

Isaac Marion died in 1952 of traumatic injuries to abdominal organs, also chest area due to a carwreck when his auto ran against an embankment. 

Jesse and Minnie stayed in Letcher County.  Jesse died in 1975.

Alvin married a Meade.  He died in Letcher County in 1991.

Israel Martin first married Lona Jane Powers.  She died of pulmonary tuberculosis in 1945 at age 25.  He married again to a Collins.  He died in Letcher County in 1993.

Gilbert Moses Profitt became a minister.  He attended the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville.  He was the minister ofr Mt Zion Baptist Church in Bedford, Virginia.  He was also a minister for the Quaker Baptist church.  He married Ella Livingston.  They had two sons, Dale S and Alvin G.  He died March 22, 2004.  The Bristol Herald Courier in Bristol, Tennessee printed the following obituary:

Gilbert M. Profitt



BEDFORD, Va. – Rev. Dr. Gilbert Moses Profitt, 93, died Monday, March 22, 2004, at his residence. He was born in Colton, Ky., a son of the late Isaac Martin Profitt and Mary Ellan Hall Profitt.


He received his master of divinity degree from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Ky.


He was a retired Baptist minister, having served the Quaker Baptist Church and the Mt. Zion Baptist Churches in Bedford County, the Gladstone Baptist Church in Nelson County and the Liberty Baptist Church in Appomattox. He served as pastor emeritus of Quaker Baptist Church.


Surviving are his wife, Ella Livingston Profitt, Bedford; two sons, Dale S. Profitt, Floyd and Alvin G. Profitt, Bedford; three granddaughters Anna Anderson, Bedford, Lara P. Waura Arlington, Va., and Lynsey C. Profitt, Floyd.


A funeral service will be held Wednesday, March 24, 2004, at 2 p.m. from the Quaker Baptist Church.


Arrangements are being handled by Updike Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Bedford.

Benjamin R. Profitt married a Blair.

Marion Profitt died in Letcher County in 1994.

Ike and Mary Ellen

Ike and Mary Ellen were members of the Old Regular Baptist Church at Craft's Colly (Ermine). In each of the census records and on Ike's WWI Draft registration his occupation was listed as Farmer on his home farm.

Isaac Martin "Ike" Profitt died at Rockhouse on August 13, 1932. 

Mary Ellen died on January 22, 1948 at the Fleming Hospital of an intestinal obstruction.  She was buried at Colson.

I have no pictures of Mary Ellen's family.  I have no contacts from this line to do any more filling in of information or to interview for stories on this line of the family.

Children of Joseph Hall & Sarah Caudill: Minnie Elizabeth "Mindy" Hall

Minnie Elizabeth "Mindy" Hall was born April 25, 1882 to Joe and Sarah Caudill Hall.  She was in the 1900 census with her parents as 18 years old.  In 1901 she married Lee Johnson. He was a widower with two sons, Caleb and George.  They lived in Millstone.  By the 1910 census Minnie had five chldren, but only four of them lived:  Lula 6, Isabel 4, Alice 3 and Dewey 1 year and 4 months.

By 1920 Minnie had three more children:  Willard, Willie B, and Lola. 

On October 18, 1926 Lee Johnson died.  Minnie was on her own in 1930.  Living with her were Willard, 16, Willie , 15, Lola 12 and Bennie 7.  Also in the household listed as a boarder was Belle Davis, 25 with her children Joseph, 2 years 10 month, Herman 1 year 7 months, and Minnie Lee 1 month.  This was her daughter Isabel "Essie Bell".

Minnie and Lee Johnson's children:

Lula

Minnie married a second time to William Cain.

Who's Going to Hug My Neck First?

I haven't been well lately.  I had probably four days when I didn't even turn my computer on which is very unusual for me. I have wanted to write about grandpa Joe Hall for a long time.  I probably let the anniversary date of his death push me to finally publish something -- even if it wasn't well written.  I guess it always disturbs me that my grandmother Lettie Craft was so humilated, so worn down, so disturbed that she killed herself over Joe's activities with other women.  Some women can move on to another man.  But there are some who take their vows til death do us part seriously.  I suppose that is noble and flawed at the same time.

Obviously, Joe was a likeable man.  Definitely by the women.  The Mountain Eagle article spoke favorably of his family.  The Crafts didn't care for him, but then it was their daughter who hung herself.  I can't imagine they took it well when Druscilla married him within weeks of Lettie's death. 
I like finding out the things about people which make them come alive.  I wish I knew more about Lettie.  I wish I knew more about Joe.

I always heard he was a preacher as well as owning the store and being a post master.  At first I thought he must have been an Old Regular Baptist, but I could never understand them letting someone with so many marriages preach in the church.  Uncle John Vint told me Joe was a "no heller".  They believed that there was no hell after death, but that your hell was on earth.  I have googled no hellers and read various descriptions of the group.  Most say they were Old Regualar Baptists who split in 1924 over the no hell doctrine.

Joe was appointed as the Millstone postmaster October 7, 1890 in Letcher County, KY   He was  succeeded in this role by the appointment of Arch C. Craft on  June 22, 1892. He was appointed postmaster of the Hellier (Pike County)  post office on July 1907.  He succeeded Isabella Hall, who served from March 20, 1907 to July 16, 1907 . He was succeeded as postmaster by Shade R. Combs on March 17, 1908. He: was reappointed as the Millstone postmaster September 23, 1920 Letcher County,  He continued to serve in this capacity until his death in October 1928. Irvin Collier was named as his successor on November 22,  1928.

I wanted to know what kind of father or grandfather Joe was.  Did he pay attention to the kids?  I asked Aunt Hazel if she saw her father after he divorced her mother. 

Oh yes. I had a stone bruise on my foot. You probably don’t know what that is – it’s from going barefoot. It was ready to open. Dad came and held me and opened the stone bruise.

She went on to talk about gifts that he gave her as a child:

The first gift my Dad gave to me and Lettie was a paperback songbook. Oh how I wish I had that songbook today, but I was little and I didn’t know how much I would want it later on. The second gift we got from Dad was a little gold compact with powder. The third gift we got was a child’s umbrella.



At Christmas when I was five years old (1924) Dad gave me a little rocking chair. It was made by John Bentley. (Hazel said she still had the chair and Myrtle brought it out for us to see. Myrtle keeps a doll sitting in it now.)

This is Hazel's son Arnold in the rocking chair.

This is the rocking chair today.

Cousin Opal said that Joe always kept a yellow slicker which he would have draped over his arm.  When he would come toward them he would hold his arms out and say, "Who's going to hug my neck first?"  Hazel told me the same story.  I would like to think there were a lot of hugs.

.

Nobody has questioned it yet, but if you think I made a mistake on Sarah Caudill's date of death, I might have.  It might not have been August 8th, but it was 1889. 

(1) I believe this because it is written in Joe Hall's Bible as 1889.  Everything in the Bible was written in Joe's hand except that entry.  He apparentley bought the Bible for Lettie or at the occassion of their marriage.  The marriage page is filled in with his marriage to her.  All the deaths and births and some marriages are filled in.  Sarah's death was written in by Nancy Alice Hall, his daughter.  I believe what granny wrote. 

(2)  Opal Hall Holbrook said that her dad was about two when his mother died.  She said she heard this from her mother and father.  She also spent time with Granny Siller and heard it from her.

(3)  Hazel Hall said that Alvin was about two when Sarah died and that he married Lettie right away.

(4)  It follows the pattern.  I doubt Joe was alone with five children for two years before he remarried.

I did go to the Frank Tackett cemetery where I had heard Sarah was buried to try to find her stone.  I found many Hall stones in one section.  There were several that you could not read, but appeared to fall where the Halls lay.  It is possible she was in one of those graves, but there wasn't anything I could do to say any was hers for sure.  I have not found any record of her death in Kentucky vital records.

So, though most of the genealogies you see online will list Sarah's death as childbirth when Alvin was born, I don't believe it because of what Granny, Alvin, Hazel and Siller said about her time of death.

As a post script, maybe this little saying doesn't mean that much to you, but I like knowing that Joe would come toward the children and grandchildren seeking hugs.  Uncle D. V. made up a sticker of a saying that Poppy used which read "I'm ashamed of my People".  Now it was supposed to mean the opposite was the way it was explained to me.  He made them up on the 100th anniversary of Poppy's death, but I just never got it.  I guess you had to be there.  For me, I hope someone remembers that I wanted a hug.