Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-05-27

though most of the residents of Clay county hold him blameless. HetweAn the Towards and the Bakers there had existed for generations a deadly feud. Sometimes it would slumber for dec- ade, but it always awoke with fresh virulence. As the result of bueinesB deal in which the Bakers were worstod the quarrel was renewed with all It's old time ferocity. One day the Bakers, concealed in clump of shrubbery, shot Towards father and two brothers as they were riding in the public highway. Soon afterward James Howard met the father of the Bakers as he was coming into the village on horseback. Both men drew revolvers and fired, but How. ards aim was the more unerring, and the old man fell from his horse despeY- ately wounded.
 Howard was arrested and brought to trial The shooting had been witnessed by several persons, but it was impos- sible to find jury willing to convict the young avenger of his slain father and brothers. Old man Baker and his adherents had bad reputation in the county. They had shot and killed the Towards from ambush without witt 1 LCSoCot dHu IL Wdo AAOt bttOd8he WI kfs l while to arrest them. No one doubted their guilt. and the opinion was general | in the county that young Jim" had done no more than strict equity de- manded. Although lie could not be ac- quilted, it was absolutely impossible to convict him, and finally the case was dropped. That he lost no prestige in the mountain community is evidenced by the fact that he was elected subse- quently to the office of assessor.
 But Howard was not satisfied with | this lawless conformation of his act of summary vengeance. He determined | to go to Frankfort and secure full pardon from the new executive, who was personal friend and knew the cir cumstances. He rode into the capital l just as the election committee WAS about to report, and it did not take him ] long to find out that his friend Taylor might not be declared to be the rightful governor. His hope of obtaining the coveted pardon grew faint.
 After the tragedy Howard did not re- turn immediately to the mountains. He remained nearly a week in a hotel at Frankfort, and then, realizing that Mr. Taylor would never be acknowledged governor of Kentucky, he went back to his native mountains, his burden unlift- ed, but, he ayers. with no additional weight imposed upon his conscience. He was not arrested until the following April.
 According to the confession of Henry E. Youtsey, James s. Taylor's stenog- rapher. now serving life sentence in the Franklin county penitentiary for complicity in the crime, the shot was fired from the window of the private office of Secretary of State Caleb Pow CTS, and Howard and himself were the only persons in the room. He declares that Howard got on his knees. took g rifle which Youtsey had borrowed and. taking steady aim, fired. Then Howard fired four shots from his revolver. He also insists that meeting was held on the Monday evening preceding tho shooting to devise some way to get rid of Goebel and that both Taylor and Powers were present. At that meeting it was decided that Howard was the
 man to do the deed, and he was sum
 moned to Frankfort for that purpose.
 ARTHUR N. HATCH