New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-06-25
KENTUCKY FEUDS.
CHIEFLY POLITICAL IN THEIR ORIGIN.


-"BAp" TOM SMITH AND HIS BLOOD WAGES.
Lexington KY June q (speciaD.-The mountain
feuds OF Kentucky the results OF natural causes
II is difficult TO impress this fact on the mhos vi
men who live in law-abding communities. wnere
the means Of communication are ample anu "he'o
new men are constantly coming In and members
of old families going out. faction In pohticai
marty obtains control OF the official machinery anu
exercises Il so tyrannically that the opposing lae
ton begins to chafe under the injustice prao''eu
against those who not friends and retainers Vi
the men In power. a personal encounter occurs
II may be between men OF little standing-the rae
t,ons take sides and support the actual begereh'S'
and within a few months the war Is on oe'weei
powerful political enemies. albeit they may oe'o"s
TO the same party.
The ,eud that has been raging in Clay County is
nointed illustration OF these facts. For more 'hah
hancenturv the White family has been ruling the
politlcal destines Of the people of clay county anu
its members have either held all the onces VI NV
tated the choice of the incumbents smut GU. I'm
the world by the hills and mountains, the WHITES
have been enabled to hold their own against inc
opposing faction in their own party "S "0
citizens ever come into the county ..
This was the political situation in clay Coun''
two wears ago when VIII Whites term vi JIM
as Sheriff expired and his brother Bev "hi'e' u"
who had been wins deputy. became oa'u'"
for Sheriff At that time nearly every county VI,
filled
managed the affairs of the county III suo' -
os ~ secure the NEST financial and politisal oene
AZ ~ the White family. The Phlpotts' aiso an IA
Auential family of Republicans Deodnle % 49,
dissatisfied with the way In which the "n''''
hod,rg ALI the offices that they entered into com
h,ra,on with Gilbert Garrard, son OF Generai l.
Garrard and a strong Democrat 10 suppol' M,
Co. sheriff ~ he would make the race. Inc norman
majority OF the Republicans in Clay county rs NV"
% that the Whites felt safe. but the Fhhpo''s
reode CO vigorous a canvass for the independent
Democrat that Gilbert Garrard came "i'"i" 100
than n hundred votes of being elected. 80,
,rhts h,,,er campagn aroused great deal OF III
.oalnc between the Whites on the one side ana 'he
Carrards. PhilIpots and Bakers on the other' ~
was when this feeling was at Its highest point la
A r. Howard a friend OF the whites anu io'
Baker q Republican. but strong supporter u ''
bert Garrard became involved In the diHcuiN o'e.
the Judgment against Howard which Baker hau
bouch. When the Bakers and Howaros got 10
eobti,g the Whites naturally took sides Win the
Towards. and the Garrards supported the baheIs
II was largely account OF this TACT 'hat Ao'"
Raker killed VIII White VIII had been ABUSING
the Bakers to old Mrs Lucas and she hau .oiu
than that VIII White had threatened to XIII all OF
the Baker family. When Tom heard OF TINS ne
armed himself and when he met VIII WHITE ne
shot and killed him. This aroused all the Dormant
fire of the Whites. and they determined 10 aVense
their brothers death by Staying Tom BAKER AZ any
cost. and so It was that when the state Gualus
took Baker 10 Manchester for trial this month MS
.sass,nation was assured at least in the minds OF
those who know how intensely the Whites can
hate. ~.
The famous French-Eversole feud OF Perry
Co lty was another illustration or the power OF HAo
tenure In office to promote vendetta Inc Ever
sole family In Perry County occupied ABOUT the
same position there the Whites do In Clay county
No Office could be held, II appeared. save by an
Eversole or a relative of an Eversole' fulton
French had political aspirations, at least Tor MS
friends but he could induce the Eversoles 10 al
low any of them 10 be elected. A trivial encounter
brought on hostilities. and mountain war resulted
which cost the State of Kentucky more than slOooV
and filled thirty Eight graves. OF these there are
seventeen occupied by Eversoles who died with
their boots on and at the hands OF Fulton french
men.
The Tolliver-Martin feud in Rowan County, which
was settled twelve years ago by Boone Logan
then a young lawyer. taking the law into his own
hands and exterminating the Tollivers was another
of the same kind The Tolvers ran everything In
the way Of an office in Rowan County with high
hand, and their followers became so terrifying 10
law abiding citizens who had taken no interest in
the fight that they determined to stamp out the
Tollivers. after about thirty men had been killed.
The strong-Amy feud OF Breathitt County was
also built on political oppression The Strongs dlc'
tated the political destinieS of the county and the
Amys objected. The actual fighting began as usual
over some trivial matter, and it was kept up with
unvarying regularity until not only were thirty
two men killed but Captain Bill Strong, leader o
his faction, and John Amy, leader Of the opposing
clan, shot 10 death
THE LEADERS ARE NOT UNEDUCATED.
The popular idea that the leaders OF these feud
are men OF low standing and culture Is CHROME
Gus. The Whites descended from the sam
family that produced John White, once Speaker o
the House of Representatives of the United States
a. ar,- rltvr a1.ta Tpt,tN n
Clay County. who has served two terms as Con
gresham from the Xth District. Fulton French
leading lawyer and his opponent Joe" Ever
sole. prosperous merchant and real estat
owner. whose brother, II. c. Eversoe, is Circu
Judge OF the Clay County District to-day. Boon
h Logan the man who raised little army OF on
y hundred and nifty and extermnated Graf
n Tolliyer and his elan. is now 0ne Of the ieadin
Captain Bin" Strong are prominent in politics 1
this and other States. one of his nephews is to
county seat OF Breathtt.
1t is true that the actual fighting men In tn
average feud belong TO tho lowest strata Of noun
tain society many of them being unable to rea
and ready TO KIN man for small sum. provide
their employer pays them promptly and stands be
tween them and az danger Of the Is% one re- Of tn
feuds Was BAD Tom Smith ' who was the cham
pon killer in the employ OF Fulton French. II
scafIold he confessed to having killed six, and CAV
details OF his bloody work he had always com
d for French Saa Sa me he ns
killing on his own account that he ran afoul Of tn
law He murdered one Dr. RAIDER while the latte
was asleep in bed. and for this he was hanged
French succeeded in having him cleared for killing
the five men he confessed to killing for him. ii
telling the scaffod about the killing OF one maj
who especially obnoxious TO French Smith
said: "Mr. French paid me 81 day and gave mi
all the bacon and meal ! needed while I wal
laying out and when l killed man who wa!
badly wanted out OF the way he would give me
new suit Of clothes. You see II is mighty hard OF
clothes to lay out for men, We have 10 Gu
bushes and lean them against pole so as {
make blind behind which eat and sleep anC
watch for the man are TO XIII. It's awful tire
some business. and s. day amt any too much
And when q ruins his clothes lying in the dirt
there is nothing wrong for Mr.. French TO buy hin
new clothes"
PRIMITIVE HABITS OF LIFE.
The masses Of the people in these isolated noun
tain regions Of Kentucky live In the primitiv
fashion In fact they have been apty callet