McCreary County Record..Newspaper Story

April 11, 1928

Isham Strunk Killed Fight occurs at State Line

While this news may seen a little late to the county folks, we would call attention to the fact that our paper goes to press on Wednesday afternoons., and therefore it was impossible to carry in our last issue the killing of "Bad Isham" Strunk, which occurred last Wednesday afternoon at the State Line, about two o'clock. However, we are now in a position to give straight news on the affair.

The shooting brought to close one of the most fitful careers in the section, and the death of Strunk came as a shock to the folks who have known him for lo, these many years.

According to the story told our reporter by Mr. King, himself, Isham came to King's cafe at the State Line on the highway last Wednesday shortly after noon, and it is assumed he had been drinking. The story goes that he entered the cafe and demanded King's guns of the boy in charge. When the youth refused to produce the artillary he shot several times in the floor, and fired twice at the boys behind the counter, the bullet holes and plow marks in the counter showing the direction the shots took. The guns were handed over to him and we are told Isham went outside and entered a parked car of Jeff Watters. There were several women in the car at that time, also Mr. Watters.

Mr. King was in Oneida that morning and did not know of the occurrence in the cafe, he states. When his car pulled up at his regular stopping place he started toward the cafe. He claims a man met him on the road below the state line and told him Isham was "looking" for him. As there had been bad blood between the two men for some time, according to rumor, he knew what was meant, but he did not know of the fracas at his place of business.

He claims he was approaching the house, expecting Isham to be awaiting him from inside. Glancing into the parked car he saw Strunk and started towards him. Watters and one of the women tumbled out and ran into the "Dew Drop Inn" across the street, while the other two women in the back seat with Isham also took French leave. Mr. King states Isham was carrying four guns, three in his belt and one in his pocket. He states when Isham caught sight of him he started for a gun and he ( King) knocked up his hand as the gun exploded, the bullet grazing his stomach, powder-burning his clothes and putting a hole in his necktie. Mr. King claims Isham then reached for a second gun with his free hand and it was then that he drew his gun and started firing.

Five shots were fired, Mr. King states, from his gun, all taking effect immediately, and Isham fell from the car dead. Mr. King immediately called the Tennessee officers and gave up. His examining trial was held before Police Court Judge John Lee West at Oneida on Saturday and the case dismissed, it being held the killing was in self-defense.

A queer turn is played in the drama by the famous state line. Argument arose as to just where Isham was killed, in Kentucky or Tennessee? A survery, we are told, showed that ten inches of his body, from the soles of his feet up, were in Kentucky while the balance of his torso was in Tennessee. the claim now is that he was shot in Kentucky and fell towards Tennessee, which accounted for his being dead in that state.

Isham was an outstanding figure, in a certain way, in this section, and while his death was not unexpected, it came as a shock. He was 52 years old, and during the war was a member of the U.S. Marines, stationed at Panama. He had an excellent war record, and was honorably discharged from the service upon his application for same.

About 25 years ago he killed two college boys near the State Line, and a strange coincodence is that he was killed, so we are told, within 200 feet of where he shot down the youths a quarter of a century ago. He was tried for this crime at Williamsburg, and given a life sentence in the penatiary. He served nine years and was paroled. He returned to Stearns and one night at Xmas time, he shot into the work train of the K&TRY and the bullet entered the lung of John Redon, now Chief of Contruction for the Stearns Company. He held no grudge against Redmon, in fact he barely knew him, but apparently just was shooting at the car. As a result- Redmon's lungs were temporarily affected and he was forced to live in Colorado until a cure could be made.

Isham's parole was withdrawn after this and he returned to the pen. He was later released on bond and entered the army, and on his return to civilian life Gov. Ed Morrow pardoned him, due to his excellent war record. Strunk then went to eastern Kentucky and joined what was known as the "Sucide Squad" -- a group of deputies who were known to always get their man, dead or alive. While in pursuit of his duty he seriously shot another officer, so we recall, and was sentenced for five years in the pen. His case was pigeonholed in some manner, and he went down to Tennesse where he had been living for some time.

For a while he served as a deputy under Sheriff Tom Davis in this county, and was a very good officer. In fact, Isham Strunk was harmless until he took a drink or two, when he became imbued with a lust for blood. He had a host of friends and his death marks the passing of the last of the "frontier day" crowd. Dave Strunk, Cole Coffey, George Stanley, Oliver Slaven, Levi Dobbs-- in fact we could name many more whose doings were always exciting and whose private warfares kept the community always on the qui vive--whatever that is.

Mr. Strunk is survived by two sons, Frank and Ed, both living at Stearns. His mother lives at Silerville and he is one of a family of eighteen boys a nd girls.

Interment took place at Silerville Cemetery on Friday afternoon with funeral services at the home of his son Frank Strunk, at Stearns. Rev. T. H. Roark, of Oneida, preached the funeral while Fred M. Leavitt was in charge of the obsequies.

[note by dlp: Story courtesy of Sandy Strunk]