Person:Thomas Lanter (1)

Early on, Thomas Jefferson Lanter purchased a 26 acre tract of land near Jackson's Ferry, Clark County on the Kentucky River. His neighbors were the the Dunbars, the Eades and the Kindreds. Jackson's Ferry crossed the Kentucky River to the Madison County side and the Doylesville Road (near the mouth of Muddy Creek) where generations of Oldhams, Turpins and Lanters had lived since the Revolution. December 28,1887, Thomas Jefferson Lanter purchased for $9.860 ($85/acre) the Dan Scott 116 acre farm at Hayden's Corner near Becknerville, Clark County. He moved in there March 1st 1888 and on March 28th, 1888 he had an auctioneer sell everything he had accumulated over the years at his old farm. E.Jasper Powell moved in to the old Thomas Jefferson Lanter farm in February 1888. This farm would be sold in 1889 to John Thomas for $1,100. Thomas Jefferson Lanter lived in Becknerville until his death in December, 1889.

1.   .

   Jeff Lanter a highly respected citizen of this county died at his residence near Becknerville Thursday. He had been sick for some time but his death was quite unexpected. He had lived in this county but a few years having come here from Madison county. He was aged about 65 or 70 years and was noted as one of the most skillful farmers in the county.
   The Democrat, Wednesday, January 1, 1890[5]
   
   
   
   Mr. J. Frank Lanter, son of T. Lanter, deceased, has gone to live with his mother, at Becknerville, Clark county.—Richmond Climax.
   
   The Democrat, Wednesday, February 5, 1890.[6]
   
   
   
   J. Frank Lanter appointed administrator of T. Jeff Lanter, and Thorn W. Hampton, Wm. Harris and W. H. Tucker appraisers.
   
   The Democrat, Wednesday, February 5, 1890.[7]

2.   The Climax, March 6 1889.
   Property transfers. T.J. Lanter to John Thomas, 26 acres, $1,100.
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3.   The Climax, February 8, 1888
   Mr. E. Jasper Powell has removed to the T. Jeff Lanter farm near Jackson's Ferry. Mr. Lanter will remove March 1st to his new purchase at Becknerville, Clark county.
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4.   The Climax, January, 25 1888.
   Third Tip's Out. Mr. Hiram Shearer, lord of the Dooley Bottoms, took unto himself a rib, so to speak, last week, and is now for the third time in his eventful life, in the midst of that belief peculiar to all newly married people, that he is the first man ever really married. The fortunate lady was Miss Dunbar (ps.Annie), ward of Mr. T. Jeff Lanter, who resides on the Kentucky River, near Jackson's Ferry. May the good Lord prosper the Dooley Bottoms.(Annie Dunbar is listed in the 1870 Census as being born in 1856).
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5.   The Climax Wednesday March 28, 1888
   Auctioneer Z E Bush reports the sale of T.J. Lanter near Jacksons Ferry on last Thursday, “the meanest day you ever saw for a sale” as follows: Fair attendance. Six 2 year old steers sold for $44 a head: 12 yearlings $31; 8 milen (milk?) cows $20 to$28 6 steer calves,$18;7 heifer calves, $14; a 17 year old mare, $69; yolk of oxen, $85 ; 100 barrels of corn, $335; 100 bushels of wheat, $95; bacon, 13 cents per pound; 6 stacks of hay, $10 to $13 per stack.[11]
   
   The (Richmond) Climax. Wednesday, December 28, 1887.
   Mr. Jeff Lanter, who lives near Doylesville, has bought the Dan Scott farm of 116 acres at Haden’s corner in Clark county at $85 per acre, or $9,860. It is an excellent farm.
   [12]
   
   The (Richmond) Climax. Wednesday
   August 15, 1888
   A Quarter of a Century ago.
   Madison County’s last legal hanging, and the participants therein.
   The first day of this month was the 25th anniversary of the last execution of a criminal by du process of law in the county of Madison.
   About the first of February,1863 a prominent farmer, Lewis Eads, lived on Kentucky River, in Madison county, a short distance below the mouth of Muddy Creek. The war between the States was in progress, and horrors were not uncommon. Mr. Eads was an old man, but one of courage, and usually went armed with a formidable Bowie Knife, which he well knew how to use, and was not afraid to wield to when occasion demanded. He grew up far back in a time when pistols were not so abundant and effective as now. He thought a man was best armed who had the best knife.
   One-night Mr. Eads retired with his wife, at the usual hour; and in another bed, in the same room, was his grandson, Lewis Baxter, while on a bed on the floor was a slave named Claibe. The doors were securely locked, and all was quiet. Suddenly, the inmates were awakened by the presence of several strong men in the room, on of whom seized Mr. Eads, and the others the grandson. The grandson reached for his gun in the rack, but at that moment was shot in the head, whereupon he leaped out the then open door, followed by his step mother, and the two ran to a neighbor’s house, young Baxter’s head profusely bleeding. Mr. Jefferson Lanter, to whose house the escaped parties wen, informed several neighbors, and together the went out the house of Mr. Eads. There he lay dead on the floor, and near his Bowie Knife. Some money and a few things were missing.
   The news spread rapidly over the country, and numbers of excited men assembled at the place. A good old citizen had been murdered in cold blood, and several men carried with them stout ropes swearing vengeance against whoever might prove to be the murderer.
   The fluger of suspicion pointed to the slave Claibe and to several slaves of a neighbor, on Daniel Dunbar. The decree of “judge Lynch” was about to be employed when the late Milo Baxter and others interceded, and the slaves were brought to Richmond and lodged in jail. One of them bore marks of knife that showed the old man, notwithstanding he was pounced upon while asleep, had used his knife on his powerful assailants.
   The March term of the Circuit Court come on, and a grand jury was empaneled as follows.: David Martin, J.S Runyon, Thomas Palmer, S. Golden, Overton Harris, Ben R. Ford, Robert Miller, E. Roberts, I.N. Hill, John I. Garret, Wm. A. Williams, Thomas C. Adams, E.R. McCreary, Sam C. War. Mr. Martin was made foreman. An indictment was found against Claibe and Perry, and their cases continued till the June term of the Circuit Court. The witnesses were recognized in the sum of $50 to appear and testify: William Williams, Jefferson Lanter, James A Powell, David McCord , Jackson Eads, Harvy Lanter, William Kindred, L.D. Kindred, Polly Eads, Raymond Shearer, Lewis Baxter, Willis Olds, Milo Baxter, John Dunbar, and Ab Shearer.
   The June term of the Circuit Court came on, and the prisoners were brought ou. Judge William C Goodloe presided. Commonwealth’s Attorney was William S Downiey, the Clerk, James M. Shackelford; The Sheriff, Talton Walker; the jailer, Thomas Francis, Maj. S Turner was appointed to defend the prisoner Claibe, and the case of Perry was continued to the September term.[Before the term arrived, Perry was taken from jail, and it is said, put into the regular army]. The records of the court recite: Tuesday, June 23, 1863. Commonwealth of Kentucky vs. Clabourne, slave of Lewis Eads, charged with murder. This day come the attorney for the commonwealth, and the defendant being in custody was placed at the bar, and who also appeared by his counsel, S Turner, appointed for by the court, and dispensed with the formal arraignment, entered his plea of not guilty herein, and for his trial put himself upon God and his country; and the attorney for the Commonwealth doth the same.
   A jury was composed of Silas Cobb, D.M.Lackey, Alexander Tribble, W.G.Watts. Webber Sale, John F. Rabourne, R.A. Shearer, Talton Embry, Thomas R. Stagner, Caleb H. West, Wm. L Biggerstaff, Bartleson Taylon.
   Having heard the evidence, the jury returned a verdict, to wit: ‘” We of the jury find the defendant guilty of murder, as charged in the indictment”
   In those days, a verdict of guilty of murder meant that the accused must be hanged, as there was no discretion as to the penitentiary for life, as is now the law.
   Accordingly, on the following Saturday, the prisoner was brought before the court for sentence. The court asked the prisoner and his counsel if he had anything to say why sentence should not be passed in accordance with the finding of the jury, and they answered that they had “nothing of a legal nature”. The court then ordered that the prisoner be remanded to jail and there safely kept, until “the first day of August 1863, upon which day he shall be taken from the jail by the sheriff and hung by the neck until dead”.
   The clerk was ordered to certify to Auditor that the slave was worth $500. The attorney for the prisoner was allowed $50, to be paid by the administrator of the murdered man.
   The day came, bright and warm. A great crowd assembled at the bend in Irvine street, at the junction of the Four Mile dirt road in the eastern edge of the town, where the gallows ha been erected. A spring wagon about midday, bore the condemned man to the gallows. In the wagon were several men. S.Parrish, Deputy Sheriff, tied his rope about the silent prisoner’s neck, and the cap was adjusted. The wagon was driven out, and the poor fellow was left to whirl one way and then the other, according to the twist of the new cotton rope. In a few minutes he was pronounced dead, was lowered into a coffin and put into the grave prepared at the foot of the gallows.
   The people then went quietly away to wait many years for a like repetition. Years had elapsed since they before had seen a hanging.
   Now the judge of the court, the Commonwealth’s attorney, the attorney for the prisoner, the clerk, the jailer, and the foreman of the grand jury are all dead. Four of the jury, tree of the four of the witnesses and ten or more of the grand jury have passed away.
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