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Subject: [KYHARLAN-L] Re: Conley Dabney Held For Murder--Harlan American-1926
Date: Fri, 10 Sep 1999 13:10:23 EDT

Harlan American
March 10, 1926
Harlan, KY

Of Girl Whose body Was Found In Old Mine -Trial Next
Thursday.

Conley Dabney charged with the murder and criminal assault growing out of
the death of Mary Vickery, is in the Harlan County jail, held without bond.
His examining trial has been set for Thursday. The cumulation of a private
investigating reaching back to the middle of last August, when Mary Vickery,
a 14 year old girl disappeared from her home in Coxton, five miles from
Harlan.
Persons aquatinted with Darbey claimed that the girl was last seen riding
in his car toward Harlan late in the afternoon of August 19,1925. A futile
search was made for the girl lasting several weeks, and when the hunt had
almost been abandoned, revenue officers searching for contraband liquor in an
old mine, just outside the city limits, came upon the decomposed body of the
Vickery girl, about a 100 feet from the entry of the mines.
The search for Darbey started about the middle of October and a little
later the Commomwealth issued a warrant against Darbey, charging him with the
murder of the girl. He was located near Coal Creek,Tenn and arrested, but was
released before the officers from Harlan County could reach Coal Creek.
Little more was heard from Darbey and mean while the chief witness for the
commonwealth disappeared and for a time the chase looked hopeless. Then last
week Darbey was said to be stopping at the home of a relative at Coxton, the
place where the Vickery girl started on her trip. About the same time the
witness on whose testimony the warrant against Darbey had been issued
returned to Harlan and Tuesday morning an officer was dispatched to Coxton.
He arrested Darbey and lodged him in jail.
All day Tuesday, Sheriff, James Greene and County Attorney George R. Pope
and Attorney G. J. Jarvis were in conference with the witnesses, going over
the scene of the murder and evidence.
The sworn testimony now is in possession of the commonwealth is of the
most revolting nature. It is said, upon being arraigned before Judge G.J.
Jarvis, Darbey stated that he was unable to employ counsel and G. Rawlings,
attorney was appointed to represent him. Darbey seemed very nervrous and
anxious to be led back to his cell away from the curious crowd that gathered,
when it was learned he was to be brought before the court.
Circuit Judge J. G. Forrester is holding court in Pineville and will
convene the regular criminal Circuit Court in Harlan, March 15.

Researcher; Elva Nolan Morgan

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