Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1901-03-28
THIRTY YEAR FEUD IS OVER.

= = = = = =
Dr.. Baker engaged as his attorney Dan
fel Garrard, the head of one of the great
families of the county and the son of
the second governor of the state. Hugh
White, man Of almost equal proni-
hence, took the leading part in the
prosecution. DR.. Baker was convicted
and finally hung. Ever since that time
the Garrard family, oMe of the few
wealthy families of the county, has
backed the Bakers in ali their trou-
bIes, while the Whites, who for years
have controlled all the county offices,
have always been ready to espouse the
cause OF the people who for the time
being were fighting the Bakers.
For that reason the feud which has
just been ended is F-~wn as the Car
rd-Baker- White-Howard feud- 1t be-
gan in a quarrel between Tom Baker
and A B. Howard. Baker lived with
his wife and family of ten children in
one-story log cabin on Grain Creek.
twelve miles from Manchester. Howard,
who owned a few hills near by. hired
Baker to cut some timber on his land.
He did not like the way Baker did
the work and quarreled with him about
it. An appeal to the ever-ready rifles
was promptly taken. tom" Baker
and his brothers laid out in ambush
and shot and killed one of Towards
sons and one of his employees, and Sc
verely wounded the elder Howard. An
other son of Howard waited his chance
and put a bullet through the head o.
Tom Bakers eldest brother. Tom
Baker took it for granted that Sheriff
White had instigated the killing OF his
| brother and took the first opportunity
to kill William L. White whose crime
was that he was the sheriffs brother.
A few days later Gilbert Garrard, son
Of the present head of tbs Garrad fam
lily, wa sshot at from ambush willis
he was riding his mule home from the
church He escaped unhurt and took
occasion to move out of the county, but
his father was made Of sterner stun.
When notified that as the hacker Of the
Bakers he was in danger Of assassina-
ton, he hired a nephew of tom" Ba-
Iker and a negro man to guard his prem
ises at night with dogs and rifles.
Within two weeks after the guard was
set both of the men were shot and
killed from ambush.
Meanwhile Sheriff White was making
efforts to arrest Tom Baker for the
murder of his brother But Baker did
not like the idea of falling into the
hands Of the White-Howard faction.
Accordingly he took to the hills, where
a man might hide for years with abso-
lutte security. Finally the state sent
a hundred militiamen, armed to the
teeth and accompanied by a gatling
gun, up into Clay county to force Ba-
ker's surrender and to protect him from
the violence Of the opposing faction.
Baker surrendered and was taken I'M
der guard to Manchester, where he was
confined in a guard tent pitched in the
court house yard and surrounded by
the troops Half an hour before his
case was to be called for trial he step
ped to the front Of the tent to look
around. Instantly a shot rang out from
? the house of Sheriff White, directly
: across the street, and "Tom" Baker
/ fell back dead into the arms of his
wife. Almost before he had gasped his
last and before the startled militia
men had recovered from their surprise
E and horror Mrs Baker, the newly made
widow, called her ten children around
/ the body of their father, and there
E swore each of them never to rest until
his death had been avenged
Then "heI bust loose in Clay" as
t they say on the other side of the Ohio.
Both the Garrard- Baker and the White
Howard factions hired and armed a
number Of men to fight for them, pay
? ing 81 day and ammunition, bacon and
corn bread in plenty for such services.
t Now the word comes from London
3 that more than twenty OF these pro-
r fessional fighters have enlisted in the
= United States army, and that old Cen
eral Garrard, once a distinguished fed
t eral cavalry leader, has ven his word
/ to Judge beverly White that the feud
shall come to an end.