The times., 1899-06-26

were the best of friends ten years ago
A leading attorney who practices at this
bar made this statement:
The Whites and Bakers are not heredi-
tary enemies, and the feud has none OF
the elements of the Corsican vendetta, as
so many able writers have tried to make
1t appear. l happen to know that the
Whites and Bakers were the best of friends
when Gerard Baker, a cousin to Tom Ba-
ker's father. was waylaid and killed by
John Wilson ten years ago. l was employed
to defend Wilson along with Judge James
Black. of Barboursville. We found the
Whites were the best friends the Bakers
had. and the feeling against Wilson ran
mountain high. 1t required three trials to
dispose of the case. In the first two the
juries hung. By this time every man in
Clay county had formed an opinion, as the
trials were largely attended. A jury had
to be procured from an adjoining county
for the third trial, and we had the salts
faction of seeing our client acquitted, much
to the disgust of the Whites and other
friends of the Bakers. Some of these gen.
tlemen even went so far as to abuse Judge
Black and myself in a violent manner and
they scored the judge for sending out of
the county for jury.
THE feeling against Wilson was so
strong that he left Clay county and went
" hauisOA, Nutlc iiNtu until ilSt SoA,
when he came back to Clay county, and in
less than a month he was killed from am
bush, presumably by John Baker, son of
the man he killed nine years before. Had
he killed Wilson Immediately after he was
acquitted for numbering his father the
Whites would have rushed TO his rescue,
but. owing to the changes Of the past year,
they were so anxious to kill Bakers that
when John Baker was recently waylaid
and shot TO pieces the crime was at once
laid at the door of the Whites"
Murder of Tom Baker.
Another leading attorney, who, for OBJ
vious reasons, does not wish his name
used said:
The man who killed Tom Baker from
Bev Whites house was the most nervy
man 1 ever knew He must have known
that detection meant death or life term
in the penitentiary, and / do not believe
man would take such an awful risk for
money. There must have been some high
er controlling motive than money. Then
who did 1t? Certainly man who dreaded
Tom Baker. and who wanted to get re-
venge on him. Tom was the most danger
Gus man on the Baker SIDE and scores of
the Whites and Howards breathe easier.
believe the Whites are satisfied now that
Tom Baker can do them no harm, and will
not try to kill any more Bakers unless the
latter kill some member of the White fac
ton
An attorney who had a long talk with
Tom Baker q short time before he was
shot said Tom made this statement to him:
If can get two or three OF the Whites
and Jim Howard l would be willing for
them to burn me at the stake"
The attorney said he believed Tom Baker
was the coolest man he ever saw in the
presence of danger; that the Howards and
Whites were aware of this fact. and for
that reason the most desperate chances
were taken to slay him, even while a
prisoner under the protection of one hun
dred State troops.
man well acquainted in the adjoining
counties of Laurel, Jackson, Leslie, ows-
ley, Letcher. and Knott says that the kill
| ing of Tom Baker is just the beginning OF
| the feud. that his relatives and friends
from these upper counties will oome
| around into Clay, and that some moonlight
night they may have pitched bate in
| the streets of Manchester in the same
manner the Strongs and Amys fought in
Breathitt county.
| When asked how the state of anarchy in
| Clay county can be abolished, the leading
lawyers here cannot answer. One judge
VINO Is famliiar with all the lactS ana con-
! ditions in the feud, said:
Governor Bradley will have to cal &
special session OF the Legislature and in
duce it TO pass law empowering him tG
use the State Guard in any manner he see.
fit. Under the present laws the troops
| have TO be subordinate TO the local author
| tiles, and as these authorities in Cay
| county are themselves members of tht
feud, provision will have TO be made by
, the Legislature for such an emergency a.
this. Then the local authorities canno
thwart the ends of justice and the law caI
be enforced. With the law strictly en-
forced the feud could not live and do bust
| naes -