This gang, composed of Skeens, Counts and Kiser, proved an alibi for Waid Counts and Joe Kiser, Jr. The gang swore they were at Waid Counts deadening timber and worked from 8 o'clock in the morning until 4 o'clock in the evening. The gang who claimed to be cutting timber were Waid Counts, Jack Counts, Pierce Skeens, Cain Counts, Joe Kiser, Joe Ellis, and Joe Skeens. (Joe Ellis was a brother-in-law of Waid Counts.) He now lives at Spencer, W.Va.- At the close of the trial before Squire Starcher, Mrs. Frances Good came to the writer and said there was not any timber deadened by the gang at Waid Counts'. I knew the ground and I made a diligent search for the deadening and found none. I then took a number of citizens who had heard their testimony and we all looked for the deadened timber. When we became satisfied they had sworn to something untrue I made a full report to Prosecuting Attorney Armstrong. (I was then but an inexperienced young man.) Mr. Armstrong listened to my report but seemed to forget his sworn duty, and his actions towards those murderers was to help them cover up their crime more than to expose them. I had about eight witnesses sum- moned for the state at the trial and any of them could have told all about the murder if they had sworn the truth. Adam Acree was one of the wit- nesses, who on his death bed in Clay County, according to the statement made me by G. W. Arbogast, ex-sheriff of Clay County, talked to Acree on his death bed--said Acree confessed to him of being in the gang that helped murder my brother Nathan. Squire Starcher looked at me with a sigh of contempt and said if I was responsible financially, he would make me pay the eight witnesses. After he discharged Counts and Kiser a general hand- shaking took place and Armstrong and Starcher rode off with the gang. This gang, who had been intermarrying for fifty years, were not satisfied with what they had done, having driven father from home, murdered Bill Litten, robbed the citizens of Jackson County and murdered Nathan Cunningham, to say nothing of their acts outside of Jackson County, not, being satisfied with what they had already done, commenced distilling whiskey again in violation of the Internal Revenue Laws. James Mehan of Parkersburg was then Deputy United States Marshal. Robert Duff notified Mr. Mehan and he came to Kentuck and Robert Duff led him to the still then in operation by Winfield Scott Kiser (an albino). He was arrested and the still destroyed and at the following term of Court Kiser was sent to the Penitentiary for illicit distilling. This enraged the gang against Duff. In June, 1887, I was returning home and in passing through a skirt of woods a mile in length (and on Sunday evening) I heard people taking down in a deep ravine. I saw smoke also and I slipped near the spot and saw a large still in operation. Winfield Scott Kiser had returned from the Penitentiary. I saw him at work at the still and notified Gen. C. C. Watts, United States Attorney, Charleston, W.Va. A warrant was issued for Kiser. Robert Duff and myself arrested him and captured the still, held Kiser and the still until the Deputy Marshal came. This put the gang to work to keep Kiser out of the Penitentiary the second time. The Kentuck gang of the Ku Klux and murderers, not satisfied with what they had done and to hide their own guilt or hellish crimes, that was fast telling on them, went to work and re-organized the old consolidated band, having an outward platform which J. P. Kiser read aloud and they also had an inward oath. This oath was blacker than Dante's Inferno. Their object was to carry their ends at all hazards even if it took life, perjury or the destruction of property. They were like the spider that built its web to catch the fly, then came to the front and sang aloud. The object of the Consolidated Band was to protect but behind the curtain their oath and obligation was to execute all who would not bow to their dictates. As soon as their organization was complete and the murderers were ready for anything, they proposed at once to go and execute Robert Duff, Ches Coon, Dock Jones, George Duff, Jr., Frank Shamblin, myself and others. Robert Duff, acting for the Government, helped Mr. Mehan and me tear down their illicit whiskey dens, and arrest a part of the violators. Winfield Scott Kiser was in a jail waiting the action of the Federal Court at Charleston, W.Va. on second offense for distilling. Court convened in Nov- ember, they saw the critical moment had come and if something was not done Kiser would go to the Penitentiary again. All this, and the murder of Nathan Cunningham was fast telling on them. The Consolidated Band was interwoven by intermarriage. They met every week, their place of meeting (headquarters) was Kentuck, Jackson County and they branched out in two directions, went east as far as Countsville, Roane County near T. P. Ryan's home and west as far as Kenna, Jackson County, holding meeting at the school houses on this line. This organization was kept up from about June 29th until October 15th, 1887. On the night of October 13th, 1887, Reverend T. P. Ryan, of Countsville, Roane County, was shot down in his bed room, after Mr. Ryan fired first shot according to information. The shot that killed Mr. Ryan was fired from the outside passed through the wall of the house, through the foot board of the bed, through Mr. Ryan's body, through the head board of the bed and lost its force in the ceiling over head. The next morning a Winchester cartridge shell was found under the window outside where the man stood that fired the fatal shot. It was soon ascertained that only one Winchester gun was in the whole community at that time, and that belonged to Si Counts, be being a member of the Consolidated Band. After this I head the gun was taken to the then Prosecuting Attorney, J. A. A. Vandale, of Roane County, and from there it was carried up into Nicholas County and disposed of--left in care of John Hammons. Their program was arranged. The Ryan family said on their oaths they did not leave the house after Mr. Ryan was shot at 10 o'clock at night until daylight the next morning to carry the news of his unexpected and sad death. The Consolidated Mob element of Kentuck, Jackson Coun- ty, twelve miles away understood it thoroughly; at sunrise they were in arms and enroute to the scene. I would like for the Ku Klux gang to explain to the public how they received the news fourteen miles away (there being no phone or telegraph communication) from the Ryan house by the time the nearest neighbor received it. I want the father, Frank Skeens, of all those hellish murderers to explain by what supernatural power he told his niece and nephew, Mr. and Mrs. Rowley, that Reverend T. P. Ryan was killed the night before the real murder took place, why he could see it in a spiritual sense and talked of it the day previous. The Grass Lick element of the mob twenty-five miles away from the Ryan house understood it and at eight o'clock in the morning they were passing Mr. Beverlin's of Kenna, Jackson County, some five miles on the road to the scene spreading the news as they went. Mr. Ryan was a God like man, and loved by many. His conversation and songs were full of hallelujahs and praise for the Most High. The Consolidated Band, whose names will be given further on, had no love or respect for Mr. Ryan--they opposed him politically, morally and spiritually. He is murdered; we must make a bold front. Frank Skeens, Bob Cleek, Ab Kiser, Asa Harper and Joe Cook, the leaders, met at John Price's store on the County line between the counties of Jackson and Roane. Young T. P. Ryan came down and swore out a warrant for Perry Drake upon the dying testimony of his father. Mr. Ryan said there was a voice on the outside of his house which sounded as though it was the voice of Perry Drake when the fatal shot was fired, but told his family he might be mistaken. Young Ryan wanted to get warrants for Dock Jones, Will Legg, Frank Shamblin, Ed Smith and Dick Burdett. Old Frank Skeens and Bob Cleek called their murderers together in Joshua Presley's field, threw pickets out and held an Indignation meeting. Drake was arrested and no warrants were issued for the Duffs and Coon. Old Squire Gibson and Zack Hubbard mustered all the murderers and thugs they could get and started after the Duff boys and Coon. They slipped to Robert Duff's and found him at home and at work. He lived in a beautiful cottage, happy and contented, with his intelligent wife. Robert Duff was just a man in age, but in business capacity he was old. The murderers that had marked him were raised in the same locality, but not two percent of them could write their names, and they were jealous of Duff. Duff was seized and tied by the gang his house pillaged, and then the murderers started for George H. Duff's. They slipped up to the house where young George Duff was reading, and all at once they fired a volley in the house. George ran to the west door and there Bob Skeens, a son of old Frank Skeens, and Joshua Presley stood with rifle guns, and fired, one ball taking effect in the abdomen. Young Duff fell but recovered, grabbed his revolver and by the aid of Coon whipped the cowardly gang, shooting Bill Skeens down and wounding young Raines. George had to succumb to the fatal wound, and Coon drove his assailants away. W. S. Duff came and told Coon he was accused of helping to kill Reverend Ryan of Roane County. Coon told W. S. Duff to go and see the gang and tell them he would surrender on condition he was to be protected, and said if the gang had come like men there would have been no trouble. Coon surrendered and he was tied, and then the torture began. He was taken to Peter Skeens' where he met Robert Duff. Here the bloody gang led by one Bill Fields, sang the war song and Indian scalp dance, keeping it up all night. Asa Harper arrived with ropes in his saddle bags and said they intended to hang every man their Band accused. This was October 14, 1887, on the morning of the 15th they carried the two men, Coon and Duff to the Ryan house, followed by the Kentuck mob, (murderers). The gang thought they had their program nearly completed, all they lacked was to have the writer of this story tied and in their clutches. By murdering me they would save their gang from the Penitentiary and would stop further attempted prose- cution and exposure of the murder of Nathan Cunningham. Squire John C. Lowe, then of Walton, Roane County was coroner, he being summoned to the scene--an inquest was held over the body of Mr. Ryan, Mrs. T.P. Ryan, and her son T. P. Ryan, Jr., were sworn by the Coroner, as was also Thom- as C. Hunt, Ryan's nearest neighbor. Mrs. Ryan and her son swore they did not see or recognize any one, but that Mr. Ryan told them that he heard a voice on the outside and it sounded as if it were the voice of Perry Drake. Robert Duff, George Duff and Ches Coon's names were not mentioned before the inquest. At the close of the inquest Mrs. Ryan and T. P. Ryan, Jr., signed their sworn statement, made then and there before Coroner Lowe and his Jury of six men. Mrs. Ryan and he son had not met Pontius Pilate, the old villain, Frank Skeens and his cohorts. After this inquest, on October 15th, and the Ku Klux Band arrives at the Ryan residence with Robert Duff and Ches Coon tied and surrounded by about thirty of the Consolidated Band of Ku Klux. I was told that John A. A. Vandale, the then Prosecuting Attorney, was present at the Ryan residence and saw the men-- Duff and Coon--in the hands of the mob, and a word from him would have given Duff and Coon a trial after a legal writ had been issued for them, (there was never a warrant issued for them). Perry Drake was arrested on a warrant sworn out by T. P. Ryan, Jr., October 14th. For the truth of this inquest story I reefer the reader to Mr. John C. Lowe of Walton, W.Va., and his six Jurymen. Franklin Shamblin was arrested also after the mob arrived at the Ryan house. Squire Gibson (now dead) took charge of Perry Drake, Frank Shamblin and Ches Coon aided by fifteen of Skeen's, Counts, Presleys, John Faber, Jess Winters, Ben Coon and some others. Zack Hubbard, a fugitive from Craig County, Virginia, shot while in the act of stealing, now living in a hovel in Charleston, W.Va., with fifteen murderers for guards, had Robert Duff in custody at the Ryan house on the evening of October 15th, 1887. Asa Harper, Bob Cleek, Frank Skeens, Joe Cook, Isaac Counts, Squire Gibson, Ab Kiser, and Zack Hubbard went some distance from the Ryan house and held a consultation, and called their band around them; after the meeting closed Gibson and Hubbard, with thirty of the mob took the four men and went west to Flat Fork of Poca. Hubbard and fifteen of his demons took Robert Duff to Dave Cox's. Squire Gibson took Ches Coon, Perry Drake and Frank Shamblin to Joe Cook's. Outside of the Ryan family this organized mob all belonged to one church and were howling members in it. The distance from Dave Cox's where Duff was to Joe Cook's--was one half mile. Half way between Cox's house and Joe Cook's stood the Lynn Camp School House. At dusk, on the evening of October 15th, the murderers from Joe Cook's and Dave Cox's went to the Lynn Camp School house and threw out pickets, they retained their old pass word which was "Black Board." A number of good citizens learned the pass word and entered the school house. Some of these men are living and ready to testify at any time. The spectators of citizens who were present heard the deliberations of the Band. Bob Cleek, who lived at Kentuck, was the first man to make a speech, telling what they must do that night--their purpose was to kill Duff and Coon. Cain Counts, the man who with Joe Kiser was accused of setting fire to Nathan Cunningham's barn and stable, referred to in this article, was one of the men sworn to alibit when his brother Waid Counts was arrested for the murder of Nathan Cunningham, was the second man to raise in the meeting at Lynn Camp and tell his murderers what they must do that night. A vote was taken, Duff and Coon were to be assassinated at nine o'clock P.M. October 15th, 1887. A vote was taken as to Perry Drake and Frank Shamblin. Frank Shamblin was to be turned loose and Drake was not to be hurt as he had married a sister to Winfield Scott Kiser, whose family belonged to the Organization. Elihu Presley was selected as a committee-man to wait on Drake and tell him to suffer no uneasiness, that he should not be hurt, but they were going to murder Coon and Duff at nine o'clock P.M. The question arose who would lead the mob. Jess Good of Kentuck, Jackson County was first chosen, he refused but said he would go along and take a hand. The second selection was Lewis Johns, a son-in-law of Bob Cleek, (Johns was like his father-in- law, did not know his letters.) He also refused. Ben Coon, an uncle of Ches Coon, who then lived in Bell Grove, Jackson County, was the third man called on and he accepted. This Ben Coon has four living wives, all of whom left him for cruel treatment. Coon has spent one fourth of his life in the jails of the country. The meeting adjourned and the mob started for Ches Coon at Joe Cook's. Information on arrival Ben Coon, Hen Kiser, and Waid Counts entered the house and called for Coon. Coon asked Gibson to protect him--he refused. Coon then asked Gibson to let him have aa gun and he would protect himself, this was also refused. Coon was then drag- ged one fourth of a mile down the Creek to the Lynn Camp school house and hung to a water beech. This Organized Band hung him so his toes touched the ground. He fought for life all night-- wore the toes off his shoes and toes trying to liberate himself. After Coon was hung the gang of murd- erers went to Dave Cox's, (see deposition of Charles Burdett who was guard over Duff) called Zack Hubbard out and had a secret confab with him. Ben Coon and Waid Counts called for Duff. These two men went in, tore him from his wife and dragged him one fourth of a mile up the Creek to the Lynn Camp school house, where they cut his throat from ear to ear. After this was done, this gang of Skeens, Counts, and others went back to Joe Cook's where a reception was given them. Information they sang psalms the remainder of the night and had a love feast. Si Counts, now of Parkersburg, was so near Duff according to information when his throat was cut that the blood from Duff's neck flew in his face and he fainted. He was carried to the Flat Fork Creek and washed. Black Charles Harper and Rev. Jeff Kiser were in the house of Joe Cook when the mob came and called. Information--Harper and Kiser answered the called and went out into the mob. While the mob was dragging Duff up the road Hen Kiser stabbed him in the abdomen according to information. The very men that helped killed Duff ate and slept at his father's house scores of times. Perry Jones, Josh Presley, the Skeens and Counts gang, Hen Kiser, Bob Frank, and Ad Cleek, Jesse Good, Ben Coon, Si Counts and Lewis Johns held Duff down while Waid Counts and Cain Counts cut his throat. On the next morning which was Sunday, October 16th, there hung Ches Coon on a tree and Robert Duff lying in the road with his throat cut, and Perry Drake, the only man there was a shadow of evidence against, was not molested or hurt. The whole gang of cut throats and murders started after me-- claimed Coon, made a confession implicating me as an accessory, and that Drake was equally guilty, to use the language of the demons in the first instance, there was a shadow of evidence or a circumstance against Drake, and in the second they claimed Coon made a confession and implicated Drake as a principal and that I lay back twelve miles and planned for the execution. Now if this gang of thieves and murderers were out to revenge the death of the Reverend Ryan--why didn't the murderers kill Drake also? The writer had to keep out of the way. I went to Jackson C.H. and Charleston, W.Va., and stayed with the officers, keeping out of the hands of the murderers. On Sunday a mock inquest was held over the bodies of Duff and Coon and a verdict rendered that the two men came to their death at the hands of a mob, parties unknown. Zack Hubbard and his crowd killed Robert Duff, and Gibson and his guards killed Coon. On the evening previous Robert Duff was seen in the care of Hubbard and fifteen guards, Coon was in Gibson's care with fifteen guards. The next morning Coon and Duff were found dead and Drake and Shamblin not hurt. The questions might be asked here, Why are not those murderers and those cut throats prosecuted? It is no secret who committed the wholesale butcheries. In the summer of 1888 a list of names was presented to the Court, then in session at Spencer, of those who were eye witnesses to the affair at the Lynn Camp meeting, heard all their deliberations and went with the mob to the scene of death, learned their pass word, etc. Hon. Judge Fleming made the matter a specialty and gave instructions to the Grand Jury to that effect. Jonathan Smith, a minister of the Gospel was foreman of the Grand Jury and acting under oath, but let the matter pass as though it was some plaything. A second Grand Jury was convened and two of those Jury men were unfriendly to me. Dave Simmons, one of those Grand Jury men against me, accused me of exposing his brother as an accessory in the murder of Thomas Deskins. Wilson another Jury man was against my father and family over Union and Secessionism, growing out of the siege at Spencer and Civil War. At this Grand Jury an indictment was framed, not by ten members of said Grand Jury, and I was told never voted for, an indictment against me as accessory to the murder of Reverend Ryan. By this procedure Si Counts and gang of his murderers thought I would leave the country. The following affidavit was made State of West Virginia, County of Kanawha,

ss: This day personally appeared before me the undersigned authority in and for the County and State aforesaid, L. W. Looney, of Buffalo Lick, Roane County, West Virginia, who being first duly sworn deposed and said that he was a member of the Grand Jury in said Roane County at the fall term of 1887 or spring of 1888, at which term of said Grand Jury an indictment purported to be made and re-turned by said Grand Jury against Daniel W. Cunningham for accessory to the murder of one Thomas P. Ryan, that there was no evidence before said Grand Jury connecting said Cunningham with said murder in any manner, and from that affidavit and ten other members of the Grand Jury voted against said indictment; that John A. A. Vandale who was then Prosecuting Attorney of said Roane County, ap-peared before said Grand Jury and said he wanted an in- dictment made against D. W. Cunningham, and that he would get the evidence to convict him by the time of trial.

L. W. Looney

Taken and sworn to and subscribed before me this 18th day of July, 1905.
F. L. Beardsley Notary Public in and for Kanawha County, West Virginia.