Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1899-05-12
BAKER FIRED THE RIFLE BARREL

sas. The territory was then being sur
veyed. and I joined party of govern
ment surveyors and: carried one end of
the chain over a large portion of coun-
try south of Kansas City. While en-
gagged in this work found ranch on
the old Santa Fe trail near Council
Grove and bought the claim. 1put up
q little store there and sold supplies to
the freighters and immigrants. For
nearly two years 1 kept a record of
every wagon that passed over the trail.
The freight trains to Santa Fe had
usually about 25 wagons. From four
to six yoke of cattle made one team
1t was a most picturesque sight to
watch these long trains wind slowly
over the plains. for they could be seen
for many miles as they approached or
left. my ranch.
81 lived with Judge Baker. who had
built stone house near my place, and
our closest neighbor was old man An
derson. father of the subsequently IA
nous guerrilla. Jim Anderson was
then about grown. Jim was youngere
and. a sister came between the two
boys. Her name was Mary. / think.
''Bill Anderson was an idle fellow and
never did much regular work. He made
a few trips to Santa Fe with trains,
and became fond of that adventurous
life. He took a fancy to some Mexican
freighters and learned good deal
about their language and habits
''In the summer of 1861. about the
time of the Wilson Creek battle, Judge
Baker had some horses stolen. He
tracked the animals over the trail for
several miles and found them in the
possession of party of MeXicans. The
travellers said they had bought the
horses from Bill Anderson. Judge
Baker swore Out a warrant for the ar
rest of the alleged thief and Bill An
derson heard about this and came over
to see Judge Baker. He was mounted
and armed, and expected there would
be trouble when I saw him coming.
Bill did not like me. for I had drawn
a gun on him some time before when
he tried to ride into my store. Young
Anderson and Judge Baker had some
hot words about the writ. but they
parted without fight.
THE next morning BiH's father came
over to Bakers in a great rage. swear
ing he would kill any man who &C
cused his son of horse stealing. Judge
Baker and L were upstairs makingsa
settlement. had decided to leave Kan
sas and go back to Kentucky. Old man
Anderson was armed with a gun. I
saw Anderson start up the stairway
and warned Baker of his danger. There
was a double-barreled gun upstairs.
One barrel shot rife ball. The other
was loaded with shot. Judge Bakers
took the gun and stood AT the top of
the stairway. When Anderson had
taken a few steps up the stairway
Baker fired the rife barrel. The ball
struck Anderson in the neck and
ranged down into his side. The shot
was instantly fatal Anderson diedo
without speaking ! helped lay out the
corpse and then left the country. I
didn't get away any too soon The next
news 1 heard from the ranch Baker
had. been murdered and his body burnt
with the house. a party of Mexicans-
led by Bill Anderson. had made the
raid on the ranch and avenged the
death of the outlaws father. Judge
Baker was a strong southern sympa-
thizer, and talked of going to Missouri
to join Prices army. There was no
politics whatever in the difficultyObe-
tween Baker and the Anderson fam
ily."@St. Louis Globe-Democrat.