The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1874-10-29
LIFE AND DEATH IN TEIIs.
Revenge at the RcT0IEer's MazEIe-
How Aea Bled with Their Boots on.

D --~- 8ANA " AhA nVVAS UU.
AUSTIN, TEXAS, Oct. 10, 1874.
During the past ten years Northern
Journals have at intervals published
accounts Of the TaylOr-SuttOn imbrog-
lilo, but SO meager have been the re-
ports that tue pdblic nave invariably
lost track of the affair altogether until
sOme new horror connected with IL
refreshed their memories. At no
time have full facts been published.
and the public can have no idea of the
magnitude IL has assumed or Of the
number Of lives lost, and hence it il
that | write the history OF the feud for
the Inter Ocean. Il Is now very diff
fieult 10 obtain any reliable Informs
ton or data, from the fact that the
entire surrounding section IS in q ter
rible condition Of lawlessnessa and COM
motion, and it is decidedly unsafe
travelling in that neighbOrhOOd. I
have Collected what items could be
gathered from outside parties, and
terse and incomplete as they are, they
1 disclose state OF affairs which would
be disgrace to 4 community Of saw
ages. 1t is understood that the tToub-
le originated in Alabama, near twen-
/ ty years ago, when one Of the TaylOrs
killed Sutton in a drunken Affray,
the particulars Of which l have been
unable 20 learn. Two years later the
Taylors moved to Texas and settled
in Dewitt or GOlisd County. The
Suttons followed soon after, and set
tied in the same neighbOrhOOd, where
they lived in peace until the close of
the late war, each party being in ig-
norance Of the proximity OF the other.
The stealing of q horse by young
William Taylor and q companion
named Jim sharp, frOm q neighbOr Of
Sutton's, was the immediate cause Of
the resum ption Of hostilities. The
stealing took place in the fall OF '65,
and a number of citizens, including
old William Sutton, pursued the
thieves into B4strop County, where
they were overtaken and killed.
From that time until the present there
has been open warfare between the
two families, and gradually the neigh
bors, for miles around, have been
drawn into the quarrel, until the prln-
clpal and their sdherents number
some twelve or fifteen hundred per-
sons. 1t is said that near
FIFTY MEN HAVE BEEN KILLED.
since the war in the frequent eollis-
ions which have taken place, but the
| folljwing is list of all the deaths Of
which could get any reliable infOr-
nation:
Iu November, 1866, Buck TaylIr,
uncle of William Taylor and John
Chisholm were killed by the Spttons
in Wilson County for strongly de-
nouncing the killing OF Taylor and
Sharp. II have HO record OF those
killed during succeeding i've years.
| Iu 1871 C.. 5. Bill, q State police
man aid sutton man, killed Hays
Taylor in Goliad County.
In 1872 Dobey Taylor was killed 10
Kerr County by Sutton man whose
name | have been unable to learn
10 the same year Messrs. Cox and
/ Dayton, both Sutton men, were am
bushed and Killed by gang of Tay-
lor men near Helena, Karnes County.
Shortly afterwards Jack Helm, a no.
torious desperate, a Sutton man OF
State police nOtoriety, killed Mark
Taylor near Yorktown, Dewitt COun-
ty and was himself killed tEO weeks
after by the TsylOrs In AtaseOas
County. 1t is safe to say that Helm
killed ten or fifteen men in 1s7l-72
under the protection Of his position as
| Lieutenant of State police.
! In the spring of this year both par
ties collected their adherents aud took
the field with the intention Ofsettling
the matter by extermlnating each
other. It very soon became apparent
| that the SuttOns were largely IN the
i majority. and the TaVlOrs being un-
able to openly cope with them, resort
ed TO . guerrilla mode of warfare.
After much maneuverlng and little
/ fighting, the Suttons succeeded In
completely surrounding the TSylors,
and but for the interference Of friends
OF both parties, there woul ! not have
been Taylor left to tell the story.
After some .parley old William Sutton
was induced TO agree to 3 conference
in which 1t was decided that they
should go To the county seat court be-
ing in session. and get the District
Judge to draw up