Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1900-02-26
TRAGIC DEATH OF HUGE sMrn

'ablished bet ween the Amies aal Gale.
hans. two strong factions who lad be-
come enemies on account Of q dispute
between them over grasinG cattle ~ the
mountain range.
On a summer day the factions met ap
at the ford on the east fork Of the Ken
tucky river and without began
firing into each other. -Four or Eve mea
were wounded and half 4 dpses horses
killed. This matter MAS takes to court.
The courthouse at that time vas q large,
low structure located on Goose creek,
near the present site OF MaAehsster, tie
county seat. Both factions. heavily arm
ed. came in early on the day Of trial and
stacked their guns in the courtroom.
John Amies Of the Aniss faction was in
the witness box testifying, when Jobs
Eikins Of the Callahan factisa teok ~.
ceptions to the testimony he wal sivlnS.
seized his fiae and with dslibesats ain
shot Afnies through the head. sDlattePing
his brains over the judges stand aSd the
walls OF the courtroom When Anles
fell from the witness chair. he wa0 tie
first man ever killed in Clay coU1Ay. The
sight that followed between thsse fac
tons caused the courts adjeurn0snt sine
die. Elkins was hanged.
DIR. Abner Baker. who killed IOAA
Bates, was the next man to be hanged il
t4dt COUNTY. 4uO u tuIB QAy 0tB kEtO00D
ani relatives assert that he was Insane
at the time and was hanged by . 'jsdf
.ial mob"
The feud spirit and feeling ave bees
handed down from father to son ~ 4 her
itage through these 90 years.
The White-Garrard feud, In which two
If the largest and wealthiest families OF
Clay county figured, has lasted for half q
century. Ii was brought on by politics.
The Ihi1nntO thn nns RnrrAtAah lA par-
ton now in Clay county. numbering more
than $50 fighters that can be mustered at
two hours notice from their leaders. have
within the past few years engaged in q
number of important feud battles. among
them the famous fight at Pigeon Boost.
where several men were killed and
wounded. Among their recent battles
may be mentioned that against tas Grit
in faction last July. in which ekfee Of
the Griffin side were killed and one
wounded and one of the Philpot faction
killed aud two wounded. 1t 10 the boast
Of this faction that mo man who kills .
Philpot can live" and they have had
many Of their clansmen slain. This d
is still on.
The White Howard Baker fsud sprang
up two years ago. and many battles have
been fought to the death among them
The leader Of the Baker faction was
Thomas Baker. He was charged with
killing q numbsr of men. was captured
and taken to Manchester last June under
guard of Zoe soldiers to be tried Dor nuP
der. While standing in his tent In the
courthouse yard surrounded by soldiers
he Was shot through the heart By an IN
known assassin ~oeaeealed in the house Of
Beverly p. Whi2. which stood across the
street in front OF the courthouse White
was and is yet the sheriff of Clay county
and the alleged leader of the White
Howard faction. TIE feud still exists.
The present courthouse at Manchester
is a brick building. around which many
feud battles have occurred and in which
several men were killed. Great chips OF
brick and stone that - been shot eu'
10y the heavy guns used in these battles
are missing from the walls.
In the early history Of the county il
was the practice Of the feudists to stack
their arms in the courtroom When attend
ing court. But now, when cplesang fac
tons are called to town. each sfOe secures
a suitable building in 4 convenient place
and near the courthouse. which are uset
as arsenals. A guard is placed owe
these. 90 that the opposing facfisD nal
not get possession Of the arns. New th,
fsudi.ts OF Clay county do not enter tn
courtroom witb anything largsr than ~
eaIiisr Colts revovers bucklsd arcane
them. The latest improved guns ~
used. which shoot conbustibls cartridges
| II Il. safe to say that there 10 not . reg
ment in the United States army that !
more finely equipped with modern Ars
arms than are the Clay county fendsts.
A conservative ima places IN
number OF men killed in thsee feud bat
ties a. considerably more than IN
Twenty nave been killed and twies tbs
number wounded within the past III
months. Four have been killed asA 81
wounded there in the past ten days. He
there has been no conviction for asy .
these within the past year. There hav
been no arrests fer the lass few kiilin0s-
There IS mitch concern BY b etafe ~
thoTHtcs over the situation in Clay oouE
~. and the present session of the iegisas
ture will be called upon to (Saet msa,
ures looking toward the subd1iag ef ID
iawIess bands There has been muc
talk by the highest state officials ct B
shing Clay county. The feuds there n
growing worse zach year. and hundred
of people have left their homso, Akia
their families away for safety.