Judge Richard Reid was a man stuck between a rock and a hard place. On April 16, 1884, he went to attorney John Cornelison's office to discuss a case. Unknown to the judge, Cornelison was upset about a perceived slight to his honor and asked him to his office in order attack Reid. He beat Reid with a cane and chased him out into the street, where he continued the assault with a cowhide whip!
The incident in this tiny town was front page national news! How would Judge Reid react? He was a Christian man of the law, but traditional custom dictated that he kill Cornelison in a duel. His feisty wife publicly declared she would kill his attacker herself if her husband didn't. He struggled with the decision for a while, but in the end, the pressure was too much and he shot himself. His grand monument overlooks the Mt. Sterling, but his back is to the town, as if he couldn't face them after what he did.
The monument is in Machpelah Cemetery.
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