Dark side of Hazard's history

The dark side of Hazard's history included a lot of shootings. During the 40's, when I lived there, several of them occurred right down town. In 1946, I was sitting in front of the Hazard Herald waiting for the papers to come off the press, when I heard shots down the hill toward the Firestone Store. I didn't think much of it, because someone said it must be someone shooting pigeons. But after a while, three men came up the hill walking slowly, the two on the outside were helping the one in the middle. He had blood running down his chest. They took him into the hospital and I heard later that he had been shot with a .38. I think he recovered.

Another time there was a shooting in a parking lot behind my father's store on Main Street. Again, the victim was only wounded. My father asked Mr. Engle, who had a funeral parlor behind his hardware store, if he got any business out of that one.

One day I was down on Main Street and I noticed a hole in the plate glass window of the pool room. Big cracks ran off in three different directions and I wondered why the glass didn't fall out. Someone told me there had been a shooting there the night before. Since it was wartime, you couldn't just go out and buy a new window, so someone put a big bolt with a nut and two washers in the hole to hold the window together. It stayed like that until the war was over.

The only shooting I can remember hearing about where someone was actually killed, happened on Main Street down near Watson's Store. They said the dispute was over someone's wife.

Even up in our neighborhood, there was a story of a drunk who came down Cedar Street firing a pistol. One shot hit a curb and ricocheted back wounding him in the leg. Another wild shot went through the windshield of a '39 Ford and out the back window. The car was parked at the time with no one inside. I didn't hear or see the incident, but the car was still there about a block up the hill from my house.
Howard

My mother, who grew up in Hazard, from 1941 to 1953, told of a woman being attacked, going up Baker Hill and the attacker bit off a part of her upper body and that he was later hanged!

From the 1940's, thru the 1970's, Hazard was a wild place, were many got shot and many were killed.

I guess the wildest time, may well have been, from just after WW11 to the 1957 flood.

At least, that is what I am told, by former police and fireman, I know, why grew up here and went thru a lot of it!

Hazardman, that was in 1942 but the man who committed the murder was not hanged. He was given the electric chair. That's a common mistake that people make. It has almost become legend and it's hard to kill a legend. Another story I have heard was the KKK hung the man that killed the girl on Baker Hill in a tree. It never happened. Similar incidents did occur in Hazard but over time people have gotten the stories confused.

Hi, you all seem to know great details about Hazard. Maybe you can help me. My grandmother, Minnie Combs shot and killed my grandfather, Harrison Combs sometime in 1962. I believe it was in their home, but I'm not positive of that. She was born a Smith and apparently they moved her to the capital city, to keep trouble between the two families to a minimum. My father was young and doesn't remember much about it. We are trying to find out what happened to Minnie as a result, or any other information anyone may have. Thanks for any and all help!

Sam's version is the way I remembered it. I was about 9 years old at the time. They said a group of Boy Scouts found the body in some trees near the bottom of Baker Hill. I think it was on the left going downhill just past the curve near the bottom.

I almost cashed in my chips on that hill about 1944. I was riding in a car that lost it's brakes just as it started down the hill. The driver drove into a parked car to stop us. Ruined both cars, but at least we didn't sail off the hill at the bottom. My head hit the windshield and the windshield shattered. My head was OK. I guess I have a thick skull.
Howard

I was told back in the day that my great grandfather was a stage coach robber and his partner killed a blind man. My great grandfather was Thomas Tracy and I have no idea of the partners name. All I really know was that he gave his self up because he didn't believe in murder. I have also been told he lived to be 110 years old. If anyone knows about this let me know.

ya know the bad thing 'bout this I dont kno any of it...i would like to kno about the shootings...they sound interesting...

[zonesapper]

I love those old tales if anyone knows anymore please pass them along.

[gracieshae]

does anyone out there recall a deputy sheriff in vicco sometime in the 70s by the name of otis fields? that is my husbands father and we would love to hear some info on him if anyone knows anything or knew him. he passed away in 1979, when my husband was only four years old. please post if anyone knows anything.

Will say that I agree with "bubbieperchswang" on his comment about the town of Hazard. We used to have a small town atomsphere there, but it has certainly gone bye-bye. I am all for "progress", but total destruction is a different situation. I do think this is "The Dark Side" of Hazard today.

[darth05]

when i was real young around mid 1970s.me my mom and grandmother was riding a small bus back to our home in hardburly.as the driver was setting waiting for more to get on.i seen a old drunk man passed out on the side walk.he was a mess.a young city police officer was trying to get this guy up.i mean this man was wasted.pepole on the bus started to shout insoults at the cop.like all the police did was cause trouble for some old helpless man.i was stunded.i asked the loud mouth jerks whould it look good on hazard if pepole just walk over this old drunk like he was just trash blowing in the wind.i told them the cop had every right to remove him off the street.not for the pepole of hazard,but the old mans safty as well. they had to remove him with a ambulance streatcher.if he was taking to jail,then he whould be out of the storm that blew in.he slept in a warm dry bed.i thought man police have it rough.so much rude things like that. another rember how the cops whould walk the streets.they whould take chalk and mark tires.if the car with a mark on it was still in the parking spot when the cop walked back.a ticket whould be wrote out.

[beattheheat]

this post is interesting, when I was working in Phx. at the commisary I had a couple come threw my line, hearing my accent they asked me where I was from I told them Hazard, Ky. they were shocked as they rattled off the old stories they had heard about this dangerous lil town. I had to laugh and told them they needed to do more research.

[Admin]

This category and this topic are about history, if you want to talk about current social and political problems put it in the Politics and News section please.

[kidwidball]

One night while I was working a graveyard shift at a BP Mart on Grapevine around 89-90, this weird looking man came in with his shirt tied around his head. Old cheap necklaces on, and a cross earring that dangled from his ear. He came through the back door that was only supposed to be open from the inside out, but he came in from the outside. As he approached the counter, my boyfriend at the time (husband now) pulled up, so the weird looking man left. Later on that nite there was a murder in Hazard at the Laundary mat. Come to find out it was the man I had in the BP mart less than an hr earlier. I was told I was lucky that nite, due to the circumstances, he was up to no good from the start. The elderly lady was badly mangled that nite, and parts of her body was eaten on.

hi i was wondering if anyone heard of a Murder that happed on a street in hazard called Lyttle Blvd. back in the 80s, my sister is renting a place there and heard the rumors that it happened in a house on her street. her curiousity as taken over now and thats all shes been talking about. If you know anything about it let me know if appreciate it and this way i can tell her so she will shut up talking about it hehe.

[monkeymine]

Can any one tell me about the cop shootings that took place at the Buckhorn Lake Dam? In early 80's I think.

During some genealogical research, and as the result of some family stories I found this story in the Hazard Herald about a 1928 shooting in Lothair.

home.cfl.rr.com/n4ocb/genealogy/lm/index.html

This was an astounding event insofar as four women were indicted. What is not revealed is the specific reason for the shooting. We have some stories about this but I'd like to hear from some others that may have heard of this event.

[MadiMel]

Does anyone know of any Violent crimes happening in glomar or stormking 40 years ago or longer. im trying to find info about my moms family history and apparently she had a relative who killed a lady.

[Herb]

There was a shootout between three men between Viper and the mouth of Leatherwood about a year or two ago. I think they were fighting over some land or logs. Two of the men were killed and the third was injured. Does anyone know anything about this incident?

[maggiemae]

I am sure that some of the old timer's remember the jailbreak that took place many years ago. The driver of the "get away car" was found dead at Sky Bridge and her sister was told to never come back to Perry County. She did and was found dead in Winchester. This all ties in with the families that were involved in the Harburly payroll holdup.