The Saint Paul globe., 1899-07-24

LONDON, KY, July 23.-The gravity of
the situation at Manchester, KY, and
generally throughout Clay county, can
not be over-estimated. 1t is felt pro-
foundly here, twenty-six miles away.
Many non-combatants have left their
homes, abandoning their crops, and as
many others as can will leave soon Even
here in London the insecurity is felt to
such an extent that some families are
leaving.
An outbreak is expected tomorrow. the
day set for the trial of the Phillpots, ac-
cused of killing Aaron Morris and 9TH
ers. Both parties are mastering armed
forces for marching into Manchester 40
morrow morning. The Phillpots have
fifty-two armed horsemen, and no one
knows how many footmen. The Morris
and Griffin faction also has a large forcA
Inc Phtllpots say the latter element in
cludes the White-Howard faction. On
the other hand the Morris faction saws
that the Bakers have made common
cause with the Phillpots. Both sides
VIII march fully armed into Manchester,
arriving at o'clock tomorrow morning
to attend the trial.
A statement is made that Deputy Sher-
iff Chadwell, of the White-Howard fac
ton, has openly espoused the cause of
the Grifhns. 1t is hard for the people to
conceive how, under these circumstances.
conflict can be avoided tomorrow.
INTO THE FEUD.
1t has been feared ever since the Ba-
ker-Howard feud assumed such wide
range that the PhillpOt family would be-
come interested parties, and now that
they have gone to fighting the Grifins
and have killed Aaron Morris. there is
considerable likelihood they will get into
the feud, and if they do the Whites and
the Howards will find themselves in much
greater danger than they were with only
the Bakers after them
Ihere has been bad feeling between
the Phillpots and Whites ever since the
killing Of Jim Crow PhiIlpot by Aaron
Morris, for the Whites went on Morris.
bond at that time, and the Philipots
have never forgiven them for taking the
part OF the man who killed member OF
their family.
If the Whites, as officers of the law.
put any hardships on the Phillpots who
were engaged in the recent battle 1t will
stir up all the old hatred between the
families, and there will be a mountain
war OF the nrSt class, for If the Phil
pots get into the fight in earnest there
will be more desperate battles and the
fighting will not take on the nature of
bushwhacking
In one precinct in this county every
voter is either a Phillpot or is related 10
one, and 1t is estimated that the entire
family and connections number not less
than 75O. The men are all adopts i'll the
use of the rifle and revolver, and, being
fearless they will make all the fighting
the Howards and Whites want. They
will, of course be joined by the Bakers,
for the latter would be glad to get so
good and powerful an ally.
County Attorney A. c. Turner. of CIay
county, comes of a fighting family, and
has transmitted 1t to his children. for
one of his sons has just been released
from the penitentiary for killing a man.
He is a fairly good mountain lawyer, and
yet he does not seem to think it any par>
ticular harm to kill man under certain
circumstances.
The situation in Clay county Is about
as bad as could be imagined The peo-
pie are In the most abject terror and at
times the citizens seem to be possessed
of an epidemic of nervousness Without
knowing why, they will close their
houses, call in their children and barri-
attack from some deadly enemy. Nearly
every night there is shooting and ca
rousing going on in town, and frequently
the men shoot into the houses in which
lights are burning.