 "Bill" William M. Bailey and Martha (Smith) Bailey  |
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"Bill" William M. Bailey and Martha (Smith) Bailey |
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Bill Bailey and all three of his sons were violent men. Martha(Smith) Bailey egged on a "you are Baileys" mean-mindedness, and always carried a loaded pistol or two under her apron. All were caught up in the infamous "Clay County Feuds" of Kentucky, which began in the 1820's and lasted for over a hundred years. Today, Clay County is peaceful, but some 150 people were killed during the times of (because of) the feuding and vandettas. The descendant list on this page includes excerpts of news accounts from the 1920's and 1930's about the violent escapades of "Old Bill" Bailey and his sons. Bill & Martha(Smith)Bailey outlived all of their children (their sons having all died violently). Bill and Martha each died alone, he in a nursing home addicted to morphine, she in a mental hospital in a crazed state of meanness. |
 "The Corbin Times-Tribune" |
KNOX MAN, 70, IS FREED IN SLAYING Barbourville, Ky- Nov. 18, 1930 William Bailey, 70-year-old retired farmer, and large landholder of Knox County, was acquitted today on a charge of killing Ramsey Smith, 20, a tenant on one of Bailey's farms. Bailey's plea of self-defense. Testimony showed Smith to have been the aggressor in a quarrel growing out of the division of crops. The two men were related. At a previous trial of Bailey, a jury was unable to agree. ~ Website Footnote: Floyd "Ramsey" Smith was murdered by Willian on 03 Oct 1928. Ramsey was the son of Pierce &Nancy Ann(Bailey) Smith (Nancy is sister to William Bailey) The murder was actually over a black man, but "Old Bill" was found not guilty because people were afraid to convict him. NOTE: CLICKING ON PIERCE/NANCY LINK WILL OPEN SEPARATE WINDOW. |
and reprints of news accounts for this "Bill/Martha" page was generously provided to us by  William Edward "Bill" Smith, Sr. son of T.B.&Grace(Sheahan)Smith, Jr. grandson of Theo&Maude(Hopkins)Smith, Sr. great-grandson of Pierce &Nancy Ann(Bailey)Smith (Nancy is sister to William "Old Bill" Bailey) THANKS, CUZ BILL, FOR SHARING! |
Matt Young (John's father-in-law)
"The Courier-Journal" Louisville, KY |
FEUD SLAYER FLEES TO HILLS Locomotive Chases Handcar Seized By Fugitive and Party After Shooting. BIG POSSES HUNTING HIM ~Special to The Courier-Journal~ Barbourville, Ky- April 7, 1921 Posses tonight are searching the hills of Clay County for John Bailey who today shot to death Beverley White, Versailles, at the Cumberland & Manchester Railroad Station here. The shooting is an outgrowth of a feud between the White and Bailey families and dozens of friends of the slain man are aiding in the search. Bailey, who was arrested after the shooting, escaped from a Deputy Sheriff who was guarding him while awaiting orders to take the prisoner to Pineville for safe keeping. The fugitive and a party of friends forced a section crew to give up a handcar and escaped on this, abandoning it twelve miles from here and taking to the woods. Deputies Give Chase...... TO SEE THE COMPLETE NEWS ITEM, CLICK HERE (will open separate window) BAILEYS HOLD UP DRY MEN. Brothers of Slayer Appeal Sentence In United States Court. ~Special to The Courier-Journal~ Lexington, Ky- April 7, 1921 Mrs. Cassie White, widow of Beverley White, who was slain at Barbourville this afternoon, left tonight with her three sons, S.P., W.L. and J.D. White, for Barbourville. Mr. White removed to Woodford County twenty-five years ago so that, he said, his sons might be brought up free from the danger of conflict with the Bailey family. He had been operated on at a northern hospital and was returning to Clay County to look after property interests here. The body will be brought here tomorrow or Saturday. |
BATTLE FEARED IN HUNT FOR FEUDIST Fugitive-Slayer Surrounded By Friends In Rendezvous Awaits Posse In Clay ~Special to The Courier-Journal~ Barbourville, Ky- April 8, 1921 A pitched battle is expected to take place when officers, with thirty members of the White faction, reach the rendezvous of John Bailey, who made a sensational escape yesterday after shooting and killing Beverly White. Bailey's father, William Bailey, and brother, James Bailey, accompanied him in the flight.... TO SEE THE COMPLETE NEWS ITEM, CLICK HERE (will open separate window) OLD FEUD WAS BITTER Slaying Of White Another In Long List Of Murders In Enmity Of Two Factions. ~The Courier-Journal Frankfort Bureau~ Frankfort, Ky- April 8, 1921 The murder of Beverley White, former Sheriff of Clay County at Barbourville yesterday, recalls the famous Baker-White feud, in which the families of Beverley White and the Howards warred for years against the Bakers and Philpotts.... TO SEE THE COMPLETE NEWS ITEM, CLICK HERE (will open separate window) |
April 10, 1921, Section 1, Page 1 FEUDIST SURRENDERS; ADHERENTS ARRESTED Conspiracy to Slay White Is Charged; Baileys Select Jail for Leader. ~Special to The Courier-Journal~ Barbourville, Ky- April 9, 1921 Surrender of John Bailey, fugitive slayer, and indictment of his father, William Bailey, brother, James Bailey, Deputy Sheriff George Perry, and partisan, John Lee, were today's developments in the revival of the White-Bailey feud. John Bailey, who escaped Thursday after killing Beverly White, surrendered last night.... TO SEE THE COMPLETE NEWS ITEM, CLICK HERE (will open separate window) |
Jim and John was over a still. Jim had a legal still prior to prohibition, John wanted it and bugged Jim till he sold it to him. A short time later prohibition came to be and John was stuck with a worthless still and believed Jim only sold it to him because it was going to be worthless. As long as John stayed sober there was no trouble between them, but as soon as John got liquored up he was a madman looking to kill Jim. |
 Jim Bailey |
... "Corbin Times-Tribune" ... "Harlan Daily Enterprise" ... "Sentinal Echo" |
Brothers Kill Each Other in Pistol Duel Nephew Only Witness to Fatal Battle in Bedroom Harlan, Ky- March 29, 1931 Jim Bailey, 43 years old, well-to-do timber contractor, and his brother, John Bailey, 45, shot each other to death early this morning at the home of the father, Bill Bailey, at Wallins, Ky., ten miles from here. A nephew, Denver Bailey, 12, who was in an adjoining room, was said to be the only witness.... TO SEE THE COMPLETE NEWS ITEM, CLICK HERE (will open separate window) |
Monday, March 30, 1931 Two Brothers Kill Each Other Sunday Jim, John Bailey Shoot Each Other To Death At Wallins In Home Of Parents; Will Be Buried Side By Side At Resthaven Cemetery Tomorrow NEPHEW, 12, WITNESSES TRAGEDY Two brothers will be buried side by side tomorrow at Resthaven Cemetery, each the victim of bullets from a pistol in the hands of the other. Jim Bailey, 43, and John Bailey 45, brothers, shot each other to death yesterday morning about three o’clock at the home of their parents, Mr. and Mrs. William Bailey, of Wallins, with a nephew, Denver Bailey, 12, the only eye-witness to the tragic shooting.... TO SEE THE COMPLETE NEWS ITEM, CLICK HERE (will open separate window) |
BAILEY BROTHERS KILL EACH OTHER AT WALLINS CREEK Wallins, Ky- March 30, 1931 Two brothers, Jim Bailey, 43, and John Bailey, 45, disagreed at a party here Saturday night and settled their controversy with guns Sunday morning. Both were killed... TO SEE THE COMPLETE NEWS ITEM, CLICK HERE (will open separate window) |
"Corbin Times-Tribune" ... "Pineville Sun" |
Friday, October 24, 1924 SHERIFF DISARMS MAN IN COURT Sheriff J. H. Blair had a "run in" with George Lee and Bev Bailey, in the office of the County Judge Howard, in Harlan, last week, when Lee refused to surrender his pistol to the sheriff. Lee and Bailey had some trouble with Chief of Police Pearl Noe, early in the day, when they drew their weapons on the officer and later forced him to go to the court with them. When the sheriff came into the office, Judge Howard suggested that the men be searched, to which Lee objected, and when he reached for his front pocket, as if to draw a gun, Sheriff Blair grabbed his hand and stuck him, finally taking from him two large revolvers. Lee and Bailey were then remanded to jail, in default of a peace bond of $5,000.00 each. Lee shot and killed Neal Christian, a deputy sheriff, at Wallins Creek, two years ago. Bailey was mixed up in the White-Bailey feud, in Knox County several years ago, in which six or seven men were killed, including two sons of John C. White. |
Thursday, May 5, 1927 BEV BAILEY SLAIN Bev Bailey was shot and killed in Clay County Monday morning in what is reported to have been a resumption of the old Bailey-White feud of long standing, according to information received here. Bailey, whose brother John Bailey killed Bev White sometime ago, was shot about ten times. |
"THE NIGHT THAT STARTED IT ALL" - by Grover Brit Smith CLICK HERE (Clicking on will open separate window.) |
Charlie Bailey
Denver, at age 12, witnessed his uncles, John & Jim Bailey, kill each other. ~~~~~ According to a 1987 conversation with John Bailey's son, Cecil, by relatives Grover Smith and Ted Jackson, Cecil said that his grandmother, Martha(Smith)Bailey, told him that John and Jim had been arguing over some money that Jim owed John that day. They went out that night running around. Jim came home early and laid down on the couch and went to sleep. A few hours later John came home real drunk. He shot Jim three times while he lied there on the couch. Martha heard the shots and came running. She opened the door just in time to see Denver reach above the fireplace mantle and get a 38 pistol and shoot John one time through the heart. Bill and Martha Bailey told the law that their sons shot each other. |
"CECIL BAILEY'S STORY" - by Grover Brit Smith CLICK HERE (Clicking on will open separate window.) |
Resthaven Cemetery, Harlan Co, KY | |
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The Brothers Three Bill & Martha had this one built, plus the one for themselves, after John's and Jim's deaths. Bev had originally been buried at Nan Riley Cemetery near his wife and son. Bill & Martha had him moved to Resthaven when this was built. This photo was greatly enhanced to make legible some of the faded lettering. |
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Bill, Martha, Denver No one ever had the death dates carved for W.M. (left) nor Martha (center). And no carving done for Denver's marker (right). It is not yet confirmed that Denver was indeed buried in the far-right plot, but it is highly likely that he was, since both of his parents were already dead ...Bill and Martha were all he had. The two monuments are identical in size. |
 Guestbook of the overall Cobb-Sasser Family Lineage Website |
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