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From: Anne Kenworthy <>
Subject: [KYHARLAN-L] One Dead, three wounded article
Date: Thu, 02 Sep 1999 21:25:01 +0200

So many people have asked me for this whole
article, so here it is :

1925 Harlan Enterprise --Week of Feb 27

ONE DEAD THREE WOUNDED

John D. (Gouder) Creech, County Patrolman, age 38,
was shot to death, Mary Sergent, 20, Cyrus
Gregory, 30, and Thomas Carroll, 38 were seriously
injured at RIdgewood, a mining camp near here
Sunday at 12:00. The scene of the shooting took
place in front of the Harlan Coal and Coke Co.
store. Gregory and the Sergent girl were walking
down the railroad and the county patrolman, with
Carroll, his helper, was running towards them, so
witnesses of the shooting state. WHen they met,
the shooting begam.
Several witnesses say that a few words were spoken
and the patrolman began shooting. Miss Sergent,
they say, was iln front of Gregory and that she
was the first to be shot. Gregory, after being
shot once through the abdomin, killed Patrolman
Creech and wounded Carroll, who ran away. When
the shots ceased and the smoke cleared away,
Creech was dead. Gregory and the woman shot twice
each, lying in a pool of blood and Carroll had run
to a distance where he dropped.
The girl and Gregory were rushed to the Harlan
Hospital, where at first slight hopes were hellld
for each, but contrary to the seriousness of their
wounds, they are reported to be getting along as
well as could be expected and hospital authorities
say they will recover.
GIRLS SAYS PATROLMAN STARTED TROUBLE
In an interview with Miss Sergent Wednesday
afternoon, she said, "I had been invited to High
Splint by Mr. Gergory, with whom I was keeping
company , to attend a dinner. When I got off the
train, Gregory was there to meet me and because
the day was so beautiful, we decided to walk down
to the next station, where we intedned seeing some
coon, which a man had in a cage. We had just
neared the company store at RIdgeway when we
noticed two men running towards us. This was
about 12:00. Gregory said, "I wonder what athey
are running towars us for?" I don't believe he
even knew the men. When they neared, I recognized
(Gouder) Creech and I told Gergory to do away,
that it meant trouble.
WHen asked what happened after the patrolman met
them she said: " I saw them coming and Gregory
stepped behind me, to save trouble,. They came
with their guns in their hands and did not even
ask to arrest Cyrus, but began shooting after Cy
said, " Boys don't do that, I don't want to hurt
you." And after that I was shot and did not
remember anything else except that I tried to stay
in front of Gregory. I had rather have been
killed then he."
She was asked if the patrolman had warrants for
Gregory's arrest and she said " I do not know, I
did hear that they dad something against him. If
they had only asked for his arrest, I believe
there would have not have been any trouble."
WHen the girl was asked what she thought the
trouble started over, she said" Gregory has had
some trouble before and they were afraid that if
they tried to arrest him, they would be kiled and
they tried to beat him to it.
Gregory according to the local police authorities,
is a fearless man and had been mixed up in two or
three shootings affrays before. When the girl was
asked if Gregory was drinking, she sais " As for
as I could tell, he was perfectly sober."
Witnesses and spectators of the tragedy say it was
one of the most gruesome battles they ever say.
Gregory killed Patrolman Creech and ran Carroll
away wounded , after being shot twice in the
abdomen.
Ms. Sergent was shot once thru the neck and once
thru her left arm, fracturing it. Gregory was
shot thru the abdomin twoce. Hospital authorities
thought that an operation would be necessary to
save Gregory's life, but according to physicians
late Wednesday night, they think that he wil
improve without the operation.

*******Cyrus Gregory, age 30, died two weeks
later.

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• [KYHARLAN-L] One Dead, three wounded article by Anne Kenworthy <>