Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1899-06-16
A KENTUCKY FEUD.
Tom Baker Shot in Front of the
Court House

While Guarded by the State MIIIIIa---
Shot Was Fired from the sherIh5s
House and sheriff and His Friends
Are under Arrest.
Tom Baker, leader of his faction in the
Baker Howard feud which has cost six
lives and thousands of dollars, was shot
dead before the court house at Manchester,
KY, Saturday, while under the protection
of battalion of state guards commanded
by Col. Williams of Lexington. 1t seems
certain that a bullet fired by White or a
Howard ended the life of their old enemy.
Judge Cook had granted the Bakers re-
quest for a change of venue, and had or
dered the trial to be held at Barboursville
in Knox county. Col. Williams was max
ing preparations to take the prisoners to
Barboursville in the morning
While the preparations were in progress
Tom Baker, his son Jim his brothers, Wi
ley, Dee and AL Baker; Robert Henley
and Tom Bakers wife remained in their
tent in front of the court house.
Jim went out of the tent and was pick
ing up stick. His father stepped out and
began talking to him. In less than min
ute Mrs. Baker came out and said:
Tom, you ought to come in. They
might shoot you out here"
Before he could reply shot was fred =,
and Tom Baker fell back into his wife's
arms crying, ooh, my God, am killed. ~
His wife pressed kiss on his lips just as
he gave final gasp and expired.
The body of the murdered man was hur-
ried into the court house, where the other
Bakers were escorted, and Col. Williams
had the assembly sounded. The soldiers
responded quickly, and line was formed
across the front of the court house yard.
The Calling gun was brought out and
| loaded.
A puff of smoke was seen to rise as if
the shot was fired from the house Of Sher.
i'll Beverly White, across the street, and
Col Williams ordered the men TO charge
the house. They started at the double
quick, scaling the court yard fence, and
had reached the middle of the street when
20 desperate men, with Sheriff White al
thrir head, all armed with revolvers, block
ed the way. One of Whites deputies at
tempted to shoot Capt. Bryan, but a friend
told him to stop, and at that instant the
mountaineers, as if by common impulse
turned and fled. The house was quickly
surrounded, and the ten or a dozen mer
who rushed into it are still prisoners but
they will not come out.
Col. Williams, seeing that Sheriff White
was disposed TO give the troops further
trouble, had him placed under arrest, al
well as several of his deputies and friends
| Mrs. Baker, in the meantime, was utter
ing loud cries of anguish, saying, "Oh
God they have murdered my defencelesi
husband" Tom Bakers son Jim, who i.
only II, begged for his gun so that he coulC
avenge his fathers death, and when it wa.
refused he shouted 81 will never rest un
til Bev White is dead" Dee Baker alsC
begged for his gun that he might aveng,
the death of his brother.
Within ten minutes a crowd of citizen,
was gathered at the scene but Col Will
liams allowed no one to enter the yard
Many women and children fled from tn,
town and ran to the hills while the mer.
chants closed their places of business anC
hid in their cellars.
The friends of Baker who had been en-
camped on Goose Greek all the week cam,
into town about 80 strong and all armed
but when they reached the scene none Of
the Towards was visible and no further hos
tilities ensued. Nevertheless in view o.
the intense feeling that the tragedy haC
aroused, there was no rest for the militia
men that night. Col. Williams ordered tn,
| SuhTu uOuDleu, anu All men Slept on Lnell
arms. 1t was reported during the night
that the Whites and Howards would attacl
the camp, and for several hours the sol
diers expected trouble at any minute
During the day the troops left with Dee
AL, Wiley and Jim Baker for Barboursville
where they will be placed in Jail to avail
trial. The body Of Tom Baker was takeI
to his old home on Crane Greek, where j
will be buried.
This is the first time in the history of tn
state that a prisoner has been molesteC
while in the custody of the state guards
There is every probability that humble
of killings will grow out of the murder
John Baker, whose father, Garrard,
brother of Tom, was killed many year
ago, sw ore that he would kill the man VIII
waylaid his father, and he did so last year
The threat of young Jim Baker that h
would kill Beverly White and would ais
try to get the others implicated has alarm
ed many of the Howard men, and they ar
likely to attempt to kill off young Jim Ba
ker to keep him from following the exam
pie of his cousin John.
William Morrison, a negro, forced an en-
trance to the house of Mrs. Margaret Rob
erts, aged Il, at Stratford, Conn, Satur
day and brutally assaulted her. He wa
given a hearing Monday and pleade
guilty and held in $4,000. The court wa
crowded and there were many threats
Mrs Roberts, although weak from tn
shock, was present in court.