Carl Hall, Cult Leader, Hiding in Portsmouth

Article taken from The Lima News, January 13, 1937

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KENTUCKY CULT
LEADER HUNTED

Chief of 'Black Legs' Mountaineer
Terrorists, Believed "
In Ohio

PRESTONBURG, Ky., Jan 13---(AP)----Belief that Carl Hall, purported leader of the 'Black Legs', secret organization accused of terrorizing mountain folks in this community, was hiding in Portsmouth, Ohio., was expressed today by Commonwealth's Attorney O. C. Hall.

He declined to disclose his source of information but said he to look for Carl Hall, one of the six alleged members of the band still at large.

The others, officials said, are Earlie Risner, German Risner and Morg Perkins, Henry Risner and Everett Risner. The officials said he planned today to issue warrants against Perkins and Earlie and Everett Risner.

Twenty six men were indicted by a Floyd-co grand jury on charges of criminal syndicalism growing out of the alleged flogging last April of Miles Barnett, storekeeper. Sixteen of them either are in jail or a liberty on $10,000 bond.

Trials of the 26 were set for Jan. 18 by Floyd-co Judge John W. Caudill yesterday at arraignment of nine of the indicted men. He denied a plea of the refense attorney for lower bail. Seven previously had been arraigned.

Attorney Hall said some of the men told him they didnt learn they had been indicted until they read of it in the newspapers.
Bad roads was assigned by the official as the reason officers had been unable to serve warrants.

Carl Hall was named leader of the "Black Legs" by Common-wealths Attorney Earl R. Cooper of Magoffin-co. He said Hall formed the black-hooded band from hand-picked members of an unemployment league he organized a year ago.