Chauncey Hollow Triple Killing, August 1927

Charleston Gazette
Friday, August 19, 1927

Eye-Witness of Logan Slaying Implicates Trio

Millard Porter’s Surrender And Confession Sends Sheriff’s Posse on New Hunt in Mountains.

Mitt and Bird Nelson And Isom Curry Slew Dry Agent and Two Youths on Ginseng Hunt For Fear They Would Discover Stills Nearby.

Logan, Aug. 18. — Leading a posse of fresh officers. Sheriff Tennis Hatfield re-entered the mountains south of here this afternoon to continue the search for Mitt and Bird Nelson and Isom Curry, named in the confession of Millard Porter as the slayers of Ed Hensley, state prohibition officer, his son, Don, and Ernest Marcum to Chauncey Hollow Tuesday. Porter told the sheriff of the plans of the Nelson brothers and Curry to make their way over either the Virginia or Kentucky, borders, and the second posse, which is made up of state troopers sent from Charleston by Governor Dora and deputy marshals hopes to Intercept the fleeing men. In the meantime, this first posse taken out of Logan Tuesday afternoon by the sheriff continues scurrying the mountains along Island creek. Witness Porter, who surrendered yesterday afternoon to B. T. Browning, a private citizen residing near the village of Chauncey, declared that he was an unarmed and unwilling witness of the ambush of Hensley’s party of ginseng hunters, according to his confession made public by the prosecuting attorney today. Porter, who is a miner, said he went to the home of Mitt Nelson in Chauncey Tuesday morning to buy liquor. Soon after he arrived, Bird Nelson and Isom Curry came in and began a discussion with Mitt of the activities of the “Dangers”. Porter said that the three men knew that Hensley was a prohibition officer, and that they expressed the fear that Hensley would find their stills and come back with “the marshals”. Finally one of the men proposed that they “go up the branch and run the ‘Bangers out”. Porter said. He accepted an invitation to go along, but did not think there would be any shooting, although Mitt Nelson was armed with a riffle, and Isom Curry and Bird Nelson with pistols. Porter said he was unarmed, and stopped about 75 feat from the camp of the ginseng hunters.  Saw two shot he said. Mitt Nelson stopped about 40 feet away, but Bird Nelson walked to within four or five feet of the boy who was sitting down eating out of a pan.” “Mitt hollered for them to ‘throw up their hands’ and the big man (apparently Ed. Hensley) said, ‘I’m a officer of the law’ and drew his gun Porter said “Isom shot the big man he continued, “and Bird shot the boy who was eating out of the pan.” Mitt Nelson also fired some shots but Porter said he didn’t know who killed the other youth, nor who wounded Howard Tomblin, another boy, who was shot as he was running way. Don Hensley, Marcum and Tomblin were about 18 years old. Three brothers of Ed Hensley. Dave Stonewall am Pearl, and Dave’s two sons, Munroe and Cundiff, and Peter Carter and another. man were members of the party. They scattered for safety, and Dave went to Logan to notify the sheriff. The first posse found Tomblin some distance from the scene of the ambush but the three dead men lay where they fell. Each was shot through the head. Tomblin was shot in the side. The officers also found three stills in the hollow, one quite close to the camp. The posse began a search for three men answering the description given by Dave Hensley of three men who came to the camp Monday, shortly after it was established, and warned the party to leave before noon the next day. Porter said he knew nothing of this. Continuing his story, Porter said he fled with the Nelsons and Curry down the right branch of the hollow to a mountain back of Mitt Nelson’s home, which they ascended and concealed themselves on top of a large cliff. There they lay from noon Tuesday until 10 o’clock yesterday morning. Members of’ the posse frequently passed near them. When the hunt passed on to another section of the community, the four made their way down Chafin Branch to a secluded hollow where then Nelsons and Curry fell asleep and Porter slipped away.

Repeats Confession

He went back to the home of Mr. Browning, told him of the shooting and asked Mr. Browning to arrange his surrender to the sheriff. This morning Porter repeated his story in the presence of the sheriff and John Chafin, the prosecuting attorney. He also said that the three men had told him of the plans to escape over the mountains to Virginia and Kentucky.

WITNESS OF THREE SLAYINGS CONFESSES  Sheriff Hatfield, who returned here about daybreak, left early this afternoon to resume the search. Funeral services for the three victims were held at the homes on Bart’s creek, north of the city, today. Tomblin, who is a patient in a local hospital, will recover. It is said Mart and Bills McCoy, father and son,  A. F. Roberts, Arch Adkins, Sherman Bragg and Moscow Adams, who had been held for investigation in connection with the ambush, will be released, the sheriff announced.


The Lima News
August 17, 1927

POSSE PURSUES MOONSHINERS IN TRIPLE SLAYING
Rifle Volleys From Ambush In Mountain Kill Three; One Wounded Missing TWO SUSPECTS ARRESTED
Tragedy Follows Warning of Two Days Ago; Campers Taken For Dry Agents

LOGAN, W.Va. Aug 17 — (AP) — Volleys from rifles of moonshiners in ambush, who are thought to have taken a party of campers for spies, today had raised the total of such killings In the mountains of West Virginia to four in less than two months. Three men, one a state prohibition agent, dropped under the sudden fire which whipped their camp on Island Creek yesterday. Gus J. Simmons, another prohibition agent, was shot from ambush Jury 11 while searching for moonshine stills. Two men were under arrest today in connection with the ambush yesterday in which Ed Hensley, the prohibition agent, Don, his 18 year old son, and Ernest Marcum, all of Hart’s creek, were killed. The six surviving members of the party, one, Howard Tomlin, also of Hart’s creek, wounded, fled to shelter among the trees but had been accounted for today.

POSSE IN PURSUIT
Meanwhile a posse continued a search for the assailants. Dave Hensley, a brother of the slain man spread the alarm, escaping the withering fire in a dash thru the woods and tramping 14 miles for the posse. The bodies of the three slain men lay as they fell, bullets thru the head of each. Other members of the party clung to concealment in the woods until the posse appeared. Not until then, and not until the three, bodies had been carried over mountain trails to the nearest highway was the real search for the assailants be- gun. The attackers apparently fled immediately after the shootings. The attack had not been with- out some warning, however. Dave Hensley told posse men a party of men visited the two-day camp Monday, and warned them to be gone by noon the following day. But the warning was disregarded. A few minutes fire, and three lay dead, and the rest were scattered. Hensley said members of the were not searching for stills and, as far as posse men were able to learn, the fact that Ed Hensley was a prohibition agent was unknown to the attackers. Hart’s creek is about 39 miles north thru wooded mountain region from the scene of the killings. The two men arrested, Arch Adkins and A. F. Roberts, residents of the district, are held for questioning. Three stills were found during the search, one near the scene of the shooting.


Charleston Daily Mail
January 20, 1928

Sherman Nelson, co-defendant of Millard Porter who was given a life sentence last Tuesday when convicted of first degree murder in the Chauncey Hollow triple slaying of last August 15, is being tried in Logan Circuit Court on Friday. Both Nelson and Porter, together with the other three accused men who escaped, were indicted on five different counts for the murder of Dry Agent Ed Hensley, his son Don and Ernie Marcum in an alleged moonshiners’ attack on their ginseng camp. Following the killings two large stills were found close to the murder scene, and in his testimony on trial here Porter admitted the stills belonged to the attacking party. The other three accused men are Mitt and Bird Nelson. sons of Sherman Nelson, and Isom Curry. This trio escaped immediately following slayings and have been fugitives from justice since that very hour despite a lengthy man-hunt and the $2,000 reward out for their capture. When Sherman Nelson goes on trial same time Friday, the state will attempt to prove his part in an alleged conspiracy which preceded the actual killings.


Charleston Daily Mail
November 28, 1930

CHAUNCEY HOLLOW CASES ARE NOLLED
Indictments Against Alleged Slayers Dropped to Clear Court’s Docket

LOGAN, Nov. 28 — Terminating a three-year fruitless search for a trio of moonshiners wanted for the famous Chauncey Hollow triple killing of 1927, indictments were nolled in circuit court against Mitt Nelson, Bird Nelson and Isom Curry. They have been fugitives from justice since the day of the slaying. One of the four originally sought is now serving a life sentence in the state penitentiary. He is Millard Porter. The murdered men were Ed Hensley, Harts creek prohibition agent; his son, Don Hensley. and Ernie Marcum. The three were members of a Ginseng party camping in the Chauncey hollow woodland. The night prior to the killings, the Harts creekers were ordered out of the vicinity. The next morning as the campers were eating, the moonshiners bore down upon them with shotgun and pistol, killing three men and injuring Howard Tomblin, who later recovered. Sherman Nelson, father of the two hunted men, was under surveillance for a time, and was once tried as an accessory before the fact. He was acquitted. Recent public notice was drawn to the three-year-old killings by the appointment of Amos Sullivan as a special officer to probe the case. Sullivan, who since figured in the alleged attempted wrecking of a Madison newspaper office. The officer since has disappeared. The two Nelsons and Curry were indicted on three murder counts for the triple slaying and were also jointly indicted for ownership and operation of a moonshine still found near the scene of the killings. There was also an indictment against them for maiming Tomblin. All four indictments were nolled. Thirteen murder indictments were included in the 157 nolled and warrants quashed during the October term of Logan Circuit Court, just ended. This large number of cases was wiped off the docket by Judge Naaman Jackson in order to start the new year. beginning with the January term, with a clean slate.

The complete record of cases dropped during the term was entered on the law docket this week. They were nolled for various reasons, including absence of defendant or witnesses, lack of evidence technical errors and other sufficient causes. An order to grant bail to Lottie McRandle, a negro charged with husband-slaying, was revoked Tuesday by Judge Jackson, circuit court. The woman was re-arrested shortly afterwards and placed in the Logan county jail pending action of the January grand jury. Cancellation or the order “was made allegedly due to misrepresentation of the facts at the bond hearing”.

1927-1930 Newspaper Clippings Credit: www.angelfire.com/bc3/conley/EdHensley.html

You may also enjoy: My Life by Millard Porter Jr.

33 thoughts on “Chauncey Hollow Triple Killing, August 1927”

  1. Does anyone know what the cause of death was for Isom Curry’s daughter, Hazel Marie Curry (1924-1948). Born in Logan County.

  2. Maybe the Hatfield connection was Elba Hatfield. He may have still been JOP in early 1940s when Curry returned
    from Canada. He may have done this at his uncle’s request if his uncle was still alive. I’ve heard that Tennis Hatfield
    may have had a financial interest in the Nelson still. Elba moved to California about 1944 so he could have still been
    in Logan as JOP

    1. Mike if you look in the newspaper it tells which one set him free. I am almost sure it was Devil anc son . And I don’t know if he went to Toronto Canada but I know he went to Canada and I can find out how many years he was gone and I am like you it must’ve taken a long time to get there

    2. Mike, read the article again, as it says that Sherman
      was tried for encouraging his sons to protect their
      stills.

      He was acquitted of being an accesssory before the fact.
      You can get more detail doing online research.

      I don’t think he went to Canada. He probably had help
      by hiding out in KY where there was lots of
      Moonshine business.

    1. Brian K Marshall

      Hello Cousin! Roy is my 1st cousin 3x removed. My papaw told me stories about this case. He talked about how they tried to railroad the boys.

    2. Michael Nelson Binn

      Steve I would appreciate you contacting me about this family tragic event in our family history. I wish my mother and aunts had been more forthcoming, but they were not. The dots just don’t connect on a lot of this. You can call at 661 871 2466, or email at mmmmbinn@aol.com or send me a way you might want to be contacted if you do. Thank you, Mike Binn

      1. Mike, on the right hand side of this site down toward the bottom you will find Brandon Kirk Blog. There is a photo of Bird Nelson that was in the Logan Banner August 30, 1927. Brandon has an e-mail address for one to contact him. To see photo, in search put in Bird Nelson.

        1. I just saw this picture for the first time. Bird Nelson is my great grandfather and the resemblance to my father Walden Nelson and his father Roy is obvious.

          Thanks for pointing out that the photo exists.

          1. Ok BMassie, were you able to make contact with Brandon Kirk on his site?
            He could help you a lot by looking up the Court Case at the Logan Courthouse. Brandon lives in Logan and he is the Historian in Logan. Just wondering how much research have you done on the six other people who were arrested in the case? Judge Jackson let them all go. I looked up Arch Adkins, 1885-1952. He was a Timberman in the coal mines. He is buried in Ruffner Cemetery in Braehelm,Logan County WV. He was the Uncle of David Adkins. You can contact David through the findagrave.com site. Maybe he knows something about the case.

  3. Ed Hensley was my great-grandfather. I would love to know more about this event and the lives of those who participated. I sometimes hope that the men who took my great-grandfather away from my Pap were good fathers to their children and good men to their families. Times were so different back then.

    1. Josh, the 1940 census records shows that
      Millard Porter Sr. working in the coal mines
      & Isom Curry working for the WPA to support
      their families. So one could say they were
      good to their families.

      1. Bob, I am Isom Curry’s granddaughter Sarah was my mother. I wish I could say that he turned into a good man but that would be a lie. There is a man on here that makes post that is totally wrong and I want to make a few things clear.

        1. After this happened my grandfather Isom Curry Fled to Canada for several years. He did sneak back in to West Virginia and him and my grandmother Bertha had Two or three kids in the following years. He was finally caught but never spent time in prison because Devil Anse Hatfield Son threw it out of court and made a clear record for that year I am not sure if he was just a sheriff Or mayor but he was also a relative to my grandfather.What I remember my grandmother was a wonderful working woman,She was a good mother in her own ways but my grandfather was a devil on earth and God will forgive me for saying this but he knows it’s true my mother and her brothers and sisters lived a hell tormented life because of this man. All his kids did and his wife was live in fear my mother and her brothers told horse stories of this man but what I remember most is the Chauncey Hollow incident.How can you be so cruel to take a man slight cold hearted murder And then due to your kids what you did which I am not going to post this.But I do want to set the story straight That Isom curry Do you have to come back to West Virginia and why I don’t know.This man had no heart he had no love he had no respect all he had was height and he was a evil soul.

        2. Thresea, thanks for your amazing search about Isom.

          He must have had a very good support system to be
          able to go from WV. to Toronto Canada through the
          mountains I guess. Today by vehicle its 500 miles
          and takes about eight hours.

          It would be wonderful if someone knew who in the
          Hatfield family was able to set Isom free?
          Did they owe him favors for something else
          he might have done for them?

          Do you know more about this story?

          1. The best way to get to Canada from WVA in 1928 was probably to “hop a freight.”
            It was safer detection wise than, a car, passenger train or “hitch hiking.’
            Another subject. I am pretty knowledgeable about the Nelson family. I
            did not realize until reading more about The Chauncey murders that Sherman Nelson
            was charged with murder as a result of this crime. I know Byrd and Mitt were his sons etc;
            but what did he do exactly to be charged with murder. I hope someone interested in
            this crime can answer this for me.

        3. Thresea, could you please post the links
          where you found your info about Isom going
          to Canada.

          It would be wonderful if you could show some
          written proof of what you have found in your
          research project with records.

          Try looking online at the 1926 Old National Highway
          Map. The map I was looking at is of today which
          shows how he might have gotten to Canada.

          Please read about the Canada Moonshine business
          at this link. http://prohibitionthemobmuseum.org.

          If you have any newspapers that show the Hatfield
          connection to this story please post the link.

          The 1940 census record at familysearch.org shows
          three Curry sons working in the coal mines.

    2. Byrd Nelson was my great grandfather. His son Roy was my grandpa and his son Walden was my father.
      Although I was a Nelson at birth and for the first 8 years of my childhood, that is unfortunately no longer my last name. I am very interested in putting together the facts of this story if anyone would like to work together to do this. I am extremely proud of my WV heritage and believe that if facts aren’t known then someday the story that will be told is nowhere close to real. It’s our responsibility to preserve what is factual and pass it along.

      BKNM

      1. Steve= Your grandfather Byrd was my uncle. His sister was my mother.
        Please contact me at mmmmbinn@aol.com Like you I have interest in this.
        I hope giving you my email is ok with Bob Piros. He has done a great job
        in researching this family tragedy. Mike Binn

  4. Just a few questions if someone could answer them for me. Was Isom curry tried for murder? If so what were the results? If not, why not? Where did Byrd Nelson die in 1990? It is my understanding that he and Mitt were never heard from again. I heard Byrd contacted a family member once. They were my uncles and I am just curious. Reading this article left me with a slightly different slant on this case than I was brought up with over the years.

    1. Mike, you can look for Thresea Phillips on
      Facebook as she is the granddaughter of
      Isom Curry, maybe she has done some
      of the research about the case.
      Please read the story again as it states
      that the charges were dropped against
      Isom after 3 years because the law
      couldn’t find where he was hiding.

      There are no records about Byrd Nelson.
      A Nelson family member sent me the
      info saying that Byrd might have died
      in 1990.
      It is thought that he & Mitt are buried in
      unmarked graves in Wayne County.
      You can read about the Nelson family
      by going to findagrave.org. Put in
      Webb Cemetery, Wayne County,WV.
      Put in Emanual Nelson.

    2. Mike, this is info that I found
      while doing my Nelson family
      research.
      Byrd’s son Roy is buried in
      Ross Cemetery in Salt Rock,WV.
      Sherman Nelson is buried in
      Nelson Family Cemetery in
      Ranger,WV.
      Emanuel Nelson is buried in
      Webb Cemetery in
      Wayne County WV.

        1. No, I’m not a family member.
          I don’t have anymore info.
          You might try searching for
          more info at familysearch.org.

  5. Carla Haslam Herkner

    Such a tragic end for so many. Marcum is one of the earliest surnames to immigrate to Jamestown, Virginia. They have many descendants in the Virginias.

  6. The following info was taken from records at
    familysearch.org & wvculture.org.
    Anyone who can add more please do so.
    Those involved in this case were:

    Millard Porter Sr.(1887-1955).
    He worked in the coal mines most
    of his life.He married Bessie Stewart
    in 1913 in Lincoln CO.Wv.
    He signed up for the draft in 1918 &
    1942 but didn’t serve in the military.
    They had six sons, five served in the
    military.One died at a young age.
    Millard is the only one to serve
    in prison,almost ten years.

    Those murdered were, Ed Hensley
    (1879-1927),Don Hensley(1908-1927),
    Ernie Marcum(1904-1927). They
    were all farmers.Ed was also a
    Probation Officer.

    Those charged with the murders were,
    Isom Curry,(1897-1963)he was born in
    Bias,WV & he died from Asthma in
    Delbarton WV.

    His father was Sherdan Curry(1869-1951).
    His mother was Sally Duty(1869-1948).
    Sherdan was a farmer in Mingo CO.WV.

    Isom signed up for the 1918 & 1942 draft,
    but never served in the military.
    From 1918-1920 he worked for the
    Peytona Lumber CO.in Omar,WV.
    In 1919 he married Bertha Curry.
    They lived in Barnabus WV.They
    had six children from 1920-1939.

    In 1940 Isom worked as a laborer for
    the WV WPA. From 1942 till 1963
    he worked for Island Creek Coal
    Company in Holden,WV.

    The Nelson family started with
    Emanuel Nelson(1837-1923).
    He married Mary McCann(1834-1928)
    in 1858,they had eight children.
    He was a farmer in Wayne Co.WV.
    He served in the Civil War in
    Captain Thomas Damron’s
    Independent Company VA.Volunteer
    Infantry.

    Sherman Nelson(1869-1966),married
    Ellen & they had 10 children.He was
    a farmer in Wayne Co. Living near
    Gill,WV.

    Byrd(Bird)Nelson(1897-1990),married
    Lizzie Tipton(1902- ?) in 1919 in Lincoln
    Co.WV.They had five children from
    1921-1929.Byrd was a farmer but
    he also worked in the coal mines.

    Milton(Mitt)Nelson(1903-?).In 1920
    he worked in the coal mines.

    In 1922, in a Lincoln County newspaper
    it was reported that Milton & his father
    Sherman while out fishing in the Guyan
    River near Gill found a dead body.
    A Dr.Crockett was called & after he made
    an examination of the body,stated that
    the man had been dead for three months.
    He was wearing very costly cuff links &
    had a fine billbook. He had insurance
    papers on which his name & address,
    John Smith,Huntington,WV.appeared.
    His billbook contained $ 2.

    Note: I’m not related to any of those
    in this article.

    1. Regarding Dwight Williamson’s article,
      Logan Banner Oct.16,
      Chauncey Hollow Murders.
      The 1930 census shows Millard Porter as
      an inmate in Moundsville,Marshall WV.
      He is the only one to serve time.
      The 1940 census shows Isom Curry as a
      laborer for the WPA, so he didn’t serve
      any time.

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