The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1904-09-20
KILLED IN FLORIDA FEUD
Bloody Battle in Front Of ! House
at Night.
First Engagement Was on Train 9th
Parties Arm Followers in Private
war-Troops tailed Out.

Baxter. Fla. The Duncan-AItman
feud, which began in a fight on train
the other day. led to battle in which
two more men were killed and over
half dozen were wounded.
The State authorities sent Wilson'S
Battery, of Jacksonville, to the scene
of hostilities. 1t arrived at 5 o'clock,
and has gone into camp.
The battle resulted from an attack
on the house of William Duncan. which
has been garrisoned nightly by posse
since the outbreak of the disorder. In
the number was Deputy Sheriff Thrift.
Suddenly and without warning there
were as many as TWENTY-FIVE shots
from rifles and pistols fred at the
house. The deputy called on his posse
to assist him, and as they came from
the house there was another volIey Of
shots.
Thrift was standing in front of the
house. He was shot and lived but a
few moments
The others returned the fire and
killed Ellis Bowling, a member OF the
Altman faction. The mob withdrew to
the home of the Altmans, where they
are ready to resist any attempt at ar
rest
More than a half dozen were wound
ed. but their names cannot be obtained
1t was in response to an appeal by
laW-abiding citizens that Wilson's Bat
terry was sent here, arriving on spe-
cial train about 5 o'clock. The troops
have cordoned their camp with sen
tries.
The Altman faction is hostile to the
troops, saying the soldiers have been
sent here to uphold the Duncans. Gov
ernor Jennings is not in the State, and
the troops were sent here by the Speak
err of the House. Cromwell Gibson, who
is Acting Governor in the absence of
Jennings.
Shortly before dark Sheriff Herndon
and his posse brought in seven prison
ers OF the Altman faction. These men
gre stretched out on the floor of a
shanty under guard of the Live Oak
Rifles, the Wilson Battery Of Artillery
and the Sheriff's posse.
There are eleven others of the Ait
man feudists. The men who were sent
to see them have just returned and re-
port that they have agreed to surren-
der themselves, and will come in vol
unfairly and give themselves up.
The Duncans, who are large turpen-
tine operators, and the AItmans, who
maintain general store at Baxter,
have been In quarrel for months
The majority Of the people in this sec
tion of Baxter County took sides with
the Altnans, as the Duncans had made
enemies In their turpentine operations.
Although the quarrel was bitter
one no overt act occurred until the
Duncans with number Of their negro
employees boarded an excursion train
OH the Georgia Southern and Florida
The Altmans and several of their
friends were on board and a quarrel
soon arose.
The Altmans stabbed a Duncan ne
gro to death, and when the Duncans
interfered the Altmans killed James
Duncan. The fight became general.
and the train was turned into sham
bles.
This riot occurred just over the Geor-
gia line, and for that reason Sheriff
Herndon, Of Baker County, refused to
arrest the alleged slayers Of Duncan
and the negro. Since then Baxter and
the surrounding county have been di-
vided into two hostile camps.