Harvey Myers Murdered in Kentucky, 1874

Murder of a Chenango County Man

Harvey Myers, Bainbridge Native

Chenango Union, Apr. 9, 1874

 

A terrible tragedy occurred at Covington, Kentucky, on the morning of the 28th ult. which resulted in the death of Harvey Myers, a prominent lawyer of that city, and a former resident of this County [Chenango Co., NY], by the hand of Col. W.G. Terrell, also of that city.

 

The assassin, who bears an unenviable reputation, had by his brutal conduct compelled his wife to separate from him, and she had commenced proceedings to obtain a divorce, employing Myers as her counsel.  Some questions asked by him, while taking the depositions of the witnesses in the case, having been repeated to Terrell, he became exasperated, and hurried to Myers' office on the fatal morning, where high words passed between them,  Terrell using gross and insulting language.  Myers ordered him to leave the room, which he refused to do, when Myers undertook to put him out.  While shoving him towards the door, Terrall drew a pistol and fired at Myers, shooting him in the abdomen.  The wounded man staggered back into his office, fell upon the floor, and died in twenty minutes.  Terrell was at once arrested and lodged in jail, and the coroner's jury found a verdict in accordance with the above facts. 

 

Mr. Myers was born in Bainbridge, in this County [Chenango Co., NY], in 1828.  His parents were poor, and he had but few advantages in early life, his education being such as the common school of his native town afforded.  He moved to Kentucky in 1851, and taught school for a short time, meanwhile pursuing the study of law.  In 1853 he entered a law office in Covington, and was admitted to practice in 1854.  As a lawyer he was one of the most prominent in the State of Kentucky, having a large practice in the Court of Appeals and in the U.S. Courts.  He frequently acted as Judge pro tem, in the Circuit Court, when cases were before that tribunal in which the Judge of the Court was interested.  He was elected to the State Legislature in 1865, but declined to serve, on the ground that the election was not a free one, but that the voters were under the coercion of Federal bayonets.  In 1872 he ran for Congress on the Republican ticket, and was defeated by Judge Arthur.  In business he was successful, having amassed a considerable estate from a large and remunerative practice, estimated at $65,000.  He leaves a wife and six young children. 

 

A meeting of the members of the bar was held in Covington on the 30th ult. to express their feelings over the loss of Mr. Myers.  Fifty lawyers were present, besides a large number of citizens of Covington, Newport and  Cincinnati.  Never in that part of the country has a bar meeting been held in which more deep emotion was shown by speakers and hearers, than this.  Many a strong man shed tears as the pitiable loss was brought out in the strongest language of eloquent men, and the many virtues of the deceased were enumerated.

 

We copy from the published proceedings of this meeting, the remarks of C.D. Foote, Esq.:

 

" I believe I knew Mr. Myers thoroughly.  For a number of years I was in the same office with him.  All that has been said of him has not told the whole truth.  I went into that office, on his invitation, almost a stranger to him.  We were there over a year before I had any familiar conversation with him, for he was always full of labors and did not rest to talk when it interfered with his duties to his clients.  After we were together about a year he happened to commence talking to me one day, and we found that we were born in the same county.  He said his grandmother was a Foote, and we found that the same blood ran in our veins.  From that time on we have had perhaps a warmer feeling for each other than before.  I never in all my intercourse with him saw him deviate from the truth and the highest integrity.  He would never do anything that he did not believe to be true and right."

Biographical Cyclopedia of the Commonwealth of Kentucky

John M. Gresham, compiler (J.M. Gresham Co., Chicago & Philadelphia, 1896) p73

 



HARVEY MYERS, son of Aurelia Bridgman and Aaron Myers, was born in Chenango County, New York, February 10, 1828. When but a boy Mr. Myers left his home and located in the west. By hard work he managed to educate himself, and about the year 1852 located in Trimble County, where he taught school and read law. He was admitted to the bar of that county, and, after a few years practice, removed to Covington, where his ability and fidelity were at once recognized. He very soon formed a law partnership with Hon. John W. Stevenson, just then elected Governor of Kentucky, and afterwards United States Senator. Though the practice of this firm was great, and the burden of it fell upon Mr. Myers, he found time to prepare and publish the first Code of Practice of Kentucky, known as Myers' Code, which is held in the highest esteem by the bar of the state. In 1867 he compiled and
published a supplement to the General Statutes of Kentucky, known as Myers' Supplement.

In politics he was a Republican; and in 1865 was nominated by the Union party for the legislature and elected; but it having been charged that bayonets were used at the polls in his behalf, and investigation satisfying him of the truth of the charges, he declined the office. In declining the office, Mr. Myers said : "On the day of the election bodies of armed soldiers were placed before and around each voting place in the county, and there remained throughout the entire day. Early in the day, numbers of citizens, while approaching the polls in an orderly and peaceful manner for the purpose of tendering their votes, were arrested by the soldiers and marched away under guard to a prison, and there held in close confinement until the next day, when they were discharged without any charge being preferred against them. In some instances, persons, on coming in sight of the polls, were met by a military officer, told that they would not be allowed to vote, and ordered to depart; and, while obeying the order and departing from the polls, squads of soldiers were sent in pursuit, by whom they were arrested and marched through the streets to prison and confined as stated above. I could not lend my sanction or approval to such a proceeding, as I must have done by accepting this election." This was at that time probably the only instance of declination of office in Kentucky.