The Respected, Feared and Compassionate
"Bad" Sol Fleming

King Solomon, "Bad Sol", Fleming was born in Pike County, KY on 27 Nov 1881. He was the first of ten children of John Jefferson Fleming and Mary Francis Johnson. He died on 5 Jan 1925 at the head of Beefhide Creek, in Pike County, KY. This photo was taken at the reformatory in Frankfort, KY.

Sol Fleming, prison

"Bad" Sol Fleming, the oldest child of John Jefferson Fleming and Mary Francis Johnson, is noted as being the meanest of all the Fleming clan. If you want to gain the attention of a Fleming relative begin talking about Sol. Through the years his life story has been told and recanted making him a type of "bad", but highly respected "hero". Sol went by "Bad Sol" among his peers. John Fleming said it was a name he had earned and he wore it proudly and surely was not ashamed of it. Sol was only a young man when he became acquainted with "Devil" John Wright. Many believe the influences of Devil John on him only fueled an already mischievious young man into more lawless deeds. Sol was probably born in either 1881 or 1883. The date on his grave marker is November 27, 1881. Others believe his birth year to be 1883.

His sister, Isabelle, always told her kids that he was only a young teenager of about 15-16 when he began running with Devil John. His first encounter with the law was in 1899/1900. Apparently Sol had become affiliated with the Ku Klux Klan. Elijah Fleming, Mack Yonts and Sol were arrested in early 1901, for the murder of Widow Jemima Hall and her son. Widow Hall was living in a cabin near the area where the Hemphill School is now located. The KKK had been in Letcher County about four years when this event took place. The Klan had a name of upholding right morals in the comunity. F.W. Schaefer's memoirs of traveling in eastern Kentucky around 1901 said that the KKK or regulators as they were sometime called, had recently burned a mill and also a schoolhouse was destroyed because they didn't like the school master.

Elijah, Mack and Sol were finally tracked down and arrested for the murder of Widow Hall. After being arrested Elijah confessed to the killing and turned in 13 names also associated with the murder. Boone Creek or Hemphill was reeling from so many being involved. Those named fled into Pike and surrounding counties. Many of them armed themselves and dared the officers to come and arrest them.

During the course of the case Sol was charged with an additional count of purgery. When detective Jim Wright came to Boone Fork to arrest him. Sol was ready for a shootout. He and Wright exchanged fire until Wright wounded Sol hitting him in the hip. It was Wright that finally broke the case and collected the evidence in the Widow Hall incident. As he was searching Widow Hall's cabin he noticed some tracks in the mud. The tracks were unique. One of the murders had worn a shoe that had been patched with either an additional piece of leather, rubber or tape. Wright then located Elijah Fleming in Pike County and he was still wearing the patched shoe.

Those arrested for the murder of Widow Hall were taken to the Whitesburg jail. The KKK then threatened the Judge who was to come from another county. They sent him word that if he came to Letcher County it would be his last session in court. So, the suspects had to be moved to Stanford, Lincoln County, Kentucky because of threats to dynamite the courthouse. The trial was held in Letcher County in 1900/1901. Court records show a 70,000 word transcript of the trial. But the transcripts cannot be located and is apparently lost.

Sol and Jacob LEFT: Sol Fleming and Jacob Fouts seem to be posing for this photo. It is interesting to note that Sol has both a pistol and a rifle, while Jacob is holding what appears to be a Bible.

RIGHT: Sol spent several months running from authorities. This photo was taken in the edge of the woods somewhere in Pike County. This shows Sol wasn't very afraid of being arrested.

Sol in woods.

It's unclear just how many years Sol spent in prison. Sol was convicted and received the death sentence in the murder of Jemima Hall. However, Governor Beckham pardoned him and he was released from prison. Some believe he got out on parole once, but had to return to prison for parole violations. The newspaper article that follows says that at the time of his death he was wanted in the murder of Sid Tackitt. Both Sid and Sol were law officers when Sol shot and killed Sid. This probably happened in the mid 1910's while Sol was a carpenter for Elkhorn Coal Corporation in Weeksbury, KY. Sol was a good carpenter and supervised the building of the Weeksbury coal camp. The trial in Prestonsburg revealed no legitimate reason or warrent for Sol killing him. He was sentenced to life in the reformatory. In October of 1917 he reported to the reformatory in Frankfort, KY. It is believed that Sol worked in the mail room and was trusted by prison officials.

In November of 1923 the prison officials were contacted and informed that Sol's mother was very ill. Sol was then brought home under prison guard. After making it home on Longfork he somehow tricked the guard and slipped away from him. Others believe and tell of Sol getting home and telling the guard, that if he wanted to be living tomorrow, he had better leave Longfork today. In either case, he became scared and left.

While Sol was dodging the law he would stay for days and days in the hills. Some of the neighbors who knew him well and those whom Sol could trust would hide him in their houses. Others tell of Sol walking up and down the road during this period of time like nothing was wrong. The events leading to his killing vary. There is no way of really knowing just what happened. The newspaper account says Sol was hit 12 times by gunfire. Opal Bentley of Jackhorn, KY, her Mom (Isabelle) having the belt he was wearing at the time of his death. She remembers counting 10 bullet holes in his belt alone. Others have told of him being shot over 60 times.

Robert "Bob" and Mary (Mullins) Stewart were crossing the mountain near where Sol had been killed. They were riding mules and were either going to or returning from church. When they reached the top of the mountain and turned over the other side their mules became spooked and didn't want to travel the path. They took another path to reach the bottom of the hill. After arriving in the bottom they were told of Sol being shot and killed. Apparently the mules could smell or detect something. Sol was still up in the mountains and hadn't been brought out yet.

Kennis Johnson and his father, L.D. "Dow" Johnson, were carrying a load of peddle goods to McRoberts to sell. They were near the top of the mountain on the other side of the hill the day Sol was killed. Kennis remembers counting over 60 shots being fired in the exchange.

Following is an article that appeared in the "Pike County News" on Friday, January 9, 1925. I have no explanation for the discrepancies in the dates at the end of the article.


SOL FLEMING ESCAPED CONVICT KILLED MONDAY


Sol Fleming, an escaped convict from the Frankfort reformatory, was shot and killed at 3 p.m. Monday on the head of Beefhide Creek of Shelby, some thirty miles from Pikeville. Reports of the tragedy reaching Pikeville have varied from time to time, but it has been generally reported that he was killed by his brothers-in-law, Roosevelt Bentley and Simon Bentley.

A short time ago Fleming married Martha Bentley, daughter of Joe Bentley, and since had made his home in the Bentley settlement. So far as is known all went well between him and the Bentleys until Monday. On that day he was called to the home of his mother on Long Fork of Shelby Creek from a nearby neighbor's and found his brother George, suffering from a bullet wound inflicted by a younger brother, Morgan. On being told that the trouble was over the Bentley girl, it is said, that with threats against the Bentley family he set out madly in the direction of their home armed with a high-powered rifle and a 45-Colts on either side. After a five mile ride, chiefly along a bridle path and across a rough hill, he reined his mule to the door of the Bentley home where he informed Adeline Bentley that his brother who was her friend was hurt by a horse and wanted to see her. The two set out up the creek and after going a short distance, the girl becoming alarmed resisted going farther, it is said, and was shot twice. Shortly after in trying to escape, Fleming was fired upon from the surrounding hill, and a running battle kept up for a quarter of a mile, it is claimed. After some forty or fifty shots had been fired. Fleming's gun had been silenced by twelve gaping wounds to his body.

The next day the body was borne over the same rough mountain trail over which he rode so fiercely the evening before with some thirty men as an escort. Among those was the aged father, J.J. Fleming.

The wounded girl was removed to the hospital at Jenkins Monday, where Wednesday she was reported to have had a good day. She is suffering from two bullet wounds, one of which perforated the stomach and intestines.

At the time he was killed, Fleming was under a $600 reward for his return to the reformatory at Frankfort from which he had escaped by breaking guard while on a visit to his mother in November. One hundred dollars of the reward had been offered by the State of Kentucky and $500 by the Mutual Protective Society of Frankfort. At the time of escape he was serving a life sentence for the murder of Sid Tackitt, on Beaver Creek several years ago. Both he and Tackitt were officers at the time of the murder. Tackitt being a constable for Pike County and Fleming, a deputy sheriff of Floyd. Following some difference in Pike County the two met in Floyd and under the pretense of an attempt to arrest, Fleming shot and killed Tackitt, for whose arrest he held no warrant, it developed on the trial at Prestonsburg and the jury in the case imposed a life sentence.

About twenty-five years ago Fleming was sentenced to prison for life for participation in a clan raid that resulted in the killing of Jemima Hall, an aged woman on Boone Creek, in Letcher County. A former trial of the case is said to have resulted in a death sentence. He was pardoned later of the life impriosonment by Governor J.C.W. Beckham.

Tuesday John W. Call, a prominent merchant and Corner of Pike County went to the scene of the tragedy on Beefhide, but the body of Fleming had been removed before his arrival.

Mr. Call was given the following certificate -
Beefhide, Jan. 7 1925

This day the affiants personally appeared before me and states on oath that Sol Fleming, the same man that escaped the state prison at Frankfort, KY., was killed in the proceeding of an arrest by G.W. Johnson and others and his body is identified by these witnesses.
G.W. Johnson, D.S. Pike County., Sol Mullins, George Tackitt, John B. Johnson, Joel M. Johnson, W.C. Carder, Louis Burk, John Fleming.
Subscribed and sworn to before me this Dec (?Jan) 7, 1925.
W.A. May by L.D. Spears.

I certify that this is the body of Sol Fleming.

L.D. Spears, D.C.


Sometime in the early 1900's Sol married Tacy Burnside who apparently was from West Virginia. They had three sons. While Sol was in prison Tacy remarried. On November 24, 1924, while running from the law, Sol married Martha Houston in Letcher County, Kentucky. Family members describe Sol as a considerate and caring person. In a letter to his mom in 1921 shows his love and concern. It also shows how much he cared for her and his family. His life was very unique. He was educated and very intelligent. He was a loving husband and father to his family. Many only remember the bad things about Sol, and not the good.

Sol's gravesite.

Sol's gravesite is located near the old homeplace, on Long Fork of Pike County, KY.