#cat fry

[brandonraykirk]

Vergia Rooney recalls the "murder house"

Vergie Rooney recalls the #murder house. #Appalachia #LincolnCountyFeud #crime #amwriting #history

In the early summer of 1996, Brandon made contact with Vergia Rooney, a daughter of Jim Brumfield and granddaughter of Paris Brumfield. Vergia was born in 1899 (making her the oldest person interviewed in this project) and was raised on Green Shoal. She was an older sister to Ida Taylor, with whom we had spoken in 1995. She had lived in Texas since 1930.

Vergia said Al Brumfield practically…

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[brandonraykirk]

In Search of Ed Haley 269

#JohnHartford explores #HartsCreek for Imogene Haley's grave. #Appalachia #history #amwriting

Back in the car, I mentioned to Brandon and Billy that we hadn’t made any real progress on learning what happened to Emma Haley. Billy suggested trying to locate her grave in the old Bob Mullins Cemetery at the mouth of Ticky George Hollow on Harts Creek. He said it was one of the largest and oldest cemeteries in the area. I told him that I was all but sure that Emma was buried in one of the…

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[brandonraykirk]

In Search of Ed Haley 230

Garnet Adkins recalls the #Haley-McCoy murders. #Appalachia #WestVirginia #history #crime

As we stood at Runyon’s Branch staring at weeds and trying to imagine John Runyon’s 1889 spread, Billy said Garnet Adkins and her son Johnny lived nearby. Garnet was a granddaughter of Hugh Dingess and had been raised at Huey Fowler Hollow just off the…

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[brandonraykirk]

In Search of Ed Haley 197

Ida Taylor speaks of the 1889 #Haley-McCoy murders. #Appalachia #history #crime

At that point, Ida gave us her account of the Haley-McCoy murders.

“Some man that lived down there at Hart had a business and Al Brumfield had a business,” she said. “Al Brumfield, he wanted to get rid of him so he would get all the trade and so he was…

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[brandonraykirk]

In Search of Ed Haley 196

Ida Taylor speaks of the old #Brumfields. #Appalachia #history

To get to Ida’s house, we drove a short distance up Green Shoal Road, a somewhat narrow strip of pavement that snaked its way alongside the creek. We were welcomed inside by some of her family, who knew Billy and Brandon. Just inside the door, I spotted…

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[brandonraykirk]

In Search of Ed Haley 192

Billy Adkins gives an account of the Haley-McCoy #murders. #Appalachia #history #crime

Brandon asked Billy what he knew about the old vigilantes around Harts Creek, and he said his grandfather Fed Adkins had been affiliated with the Brumfields and their gang. (We use the word “affiliated” lightly since Fed and Hollena Brumfield supposedly…

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[brandonraykirk]

In Search of Ed Haley 190

#JohnHartford and #BrandonKirk learn more of the 1889 #murders. #Appalachia #history #feud #amwriting

Before we could head over to Billy’s we were knee-deep in conversation about Milt Haley’s death. Billy told us about the Brumfields retrieving Milt and Green in Kentucky.

“Now, I don’t know where they come from over there,” he said. “I know they had a…

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