Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-11
Often Arise From fractional Troubles
in Local Politics.
SIMPLE LIFE OF PARTICIPANTS
Encounters Between Leaders Fol-
lowed by Wars Of determination.
MURDERERS HIRED CHEAPLY

means of communication are ample and
where new men are constantly coming in
and members of old families going out.
faction in political party obtains control
of the official machinery and exercises 1t so
tyrannicalIy that the opposing faction be-
gins to chafe under the injustice practiced
against those who are not friends and
tanners of the men in power. personal en-
counter occurs-it may be between men of
little standing-the factions take sides and
support the actual belligerents. and within
few months the war is on between pow
erful political enemies. albeit they may
belong to the same party.
The feud that has been raging in Clay
county is a pointed illustration of these
facts For more than a half century the
White family has been ruling the political
destinies OF the people of Clay county, and
its members have either held all the offices
or dictated the choice Of the incumbents.
Shut out from the world by the hills and
mountains. the Whites have been enabled
to hold their own against the opposing fac
ton in their own party, as no new citizens
ever come into the county.
This the political situation in C-ay
county two years ago. when Will Whites
term OF office as sheriff expired and his
brother, Bev White, jr., who had been
wills deputy, became a candidate for sher-
IN At that time nearly every county Of
nee was filled by a White and the incum-
bentS had managed the affairs of the coun-
ty in such a way as to secure the most
financial and political benefit to the White
family The Pnilpotts. also an influential
family of republicans. became so much dis
satisfied with the way in which the Whites
were holding all the offices that they en-
tered into n combination with Gilbert Gar
rard. son of General T. T. Garrard and a
strong democrat. to support him for sheriff
If he would make the race. The normal
majority of the republicans in Clay county
is 1000. so that the Whites felt safe but
for the independent democrat that Gilbert
Garrard came within less than 100 votes
of being elected.
Republican Faction Rows
This bitter campaign aroused a great
deal of i'll feeling between the Whites on
the one side and the Garrards, Philpotts
and Bakers on the other. 1t was when this
feeling was at its highest point that A B.
Howard. friend Of the Whites. and Tom
Baker a republican. but a strong supporter
of Gilbert GatIrard, became involved in the
difficulty over the judgment against How
ard which Baker had bought When the
Bakers and Towards got to fighting the
Whites naturally took sides with the How
ards and the Garrards supported the Ba-
kers. 1t was largely on account of this fact
that Tom Baker killed VIII White Will
had been abusing the Bakers TO Old Mrs
lucas. and she had told them that viii
White had threatened to kill all of the Ba-
ker family. When Tom heard of this he
armed himself. and when he met VIII
White he shot and killed him. This aroused
all the dormant fire Of the Whites, and
they determined to avenge their brothers
death by Staying Tom Baker at any cost.
and so it was that when the state guards
took Baker to Manchester for trial his
assassination was assured. at least in the
minds of those who know how intensely
the Whites can hate.
The famous French-Eyersoe feud of Per-
ry county was another illustration Of the
power of life tenure in Office to promote
vendetta The EversOle family in Perry
county occupied about the same position
there the Whites do in Clay county. No
Office could be held. il appeared, save by
EversOle or a relative of Eversole. Fut-
ton French had political aspirations, at least
for his friends. but he could not induce the
Eversoles to allow any of them to be elect
ed A trivial encounter brought on HOSTILE
ties. and a mountain war resulted which
cost the state of Kentucky more than
100000 and filed thirty-eight graves. Of
these there are seventeen occupied by Ever
soles who died with their boots on and at
the hands of Fulton French's men
The Toliiver-Martin feud in Rowan coun-
ty, which was settled twelve years ago by
Boone Logan. then a young lawyer, taking
the law into his own hands and exterminat-
inp the Tollivers. was another Of the same
kind. The Toilivers ran everything in the
way of an office in Rowan county with
high hand, and their followers became so
terrifying to Iaw-abiding citizens who had
taken interest in the fight that they de-
termined TO stamp out the Tollivers, after
about thirty men had been killed
Educated Men as Leaders.
The Strong-Amy feud of BreathItt county
was also built on political oppression. The
Strongs dictated the political distinies of
the county, and the Amys objected The
actual fighting began. as usual. over some
trivial matter, and it was kept up with I'M
worrying regularity until not only were
thirty-two men killed. but Capt. Bill Strong.
leader Of his faction. and John Amy, leader
Of the opposing clan. were shot to death.
The popular idea that the leaders of these
feuds men Of low standing and no Gull
ture is erroneous. The Whites de-
seconded from the same family that pro-
duced John White. once Speaker of the
House of Representatives of the United
States, and they are closely related to John
d White Of Clay county, who has served
two terms as representative from the tenth
district Fulton French is a leading law
yer. and his opponent, Joe Eversole. was
q prosperous merchant and real estate
owner. whose brother H. C Eversole is a
circuit judge Of the Clay county district to-
day Boone Logan, the who raised a
little army Of $50 men and exterminated
Craig Tolliver and his clan. is now one of
the leading attorneys at Pineville, KY.
while the relatives of Capt bill" Strong
are prominent in politics in this and other
states. One Of his nephews is today United
States commissioner at Jackson the county
seat at Breathitt-
1t is true that the actual fighting men in
the average feud belong to the lowest
strata Of mountain society, many of them
being unable TO read, and ready to kill
man Tor a small sum, provided their en-
ployer pays them promptly and stands be-
tween them and all danger of the law One
or the most accomplished man killers devel-
oped by these feuds was Bad Tom Smith
Who was the champion killer in the employ
OF Fulton French. He was charged with
Killing eight men. and on the scaffoId he
confessed TO having killed six and gave de-
tails of his bloody work He had always
come clear. the mountaineers saw for
the killing he did for French. and ii was
only when he went TO killing on his own
eccount that he foul Of the law.
Murderer Hired for 81 m Day.
HE murdered one Dr. RAIDER while the
safer 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. In telling on the scat
fold about the killing of one man who was
especially obnoxious to French Smith said.
Mi French paid me 81 a day and gave me
al the bacon and meal | needed while I
way lying out. and when | killed man
VINO was badly wanted out of the way he
would give me u new suit OF clothes You
MNa