Newspaper Page Text
Th|E MOUNTAIN FEUDS
OF EASTERN KENTUCKY.
Causes of the Ennnity Between the Baker
and Howard Fanqilies.
M inchkster, Ky. (Special).—The
Condition of things in Clay County,
where the Bakers have sworn to anni
hilate the whole Howard and White
families, bears such a close re
semblance to anarchy that the best
citizens have asked Governor Bradley
to put the county under martial law
ami suppress the bloody feud at the
point of the bayonet.
The feeling in Kentucky is that the
fair name of the State is blackened by
the spectacle of three of her large
families going into the assassination
business on a wholesale scale.
The Baker-Howard feud, while one
of the youngest in Eastern Kentucky,
is one of the most bitter ever waged
It was all about a S4O spring wagon
that had not been paid for that the
feud started. “Tom” Baker had gone
into partnership with Israel and
Carter Howard to raft logs on
shares. Beeso Murray held a judg
ment for the spring wagon against
James B. and “Bal” Howard. Murray
offered the judgment at a low price to
Baker, and Baker bought it. This
euraged the Howards, and quarrels
followed when Baker tried to collect
the money.
Israel Howard and “Tom” Baker
met one day at a log pit. Hot words
followed and Baker drew a revolver
t and jumped behind afeucepost. How
ard drew his revolver and took
thej other side of the post. They
fired around the post at each other
until their pistols were empty. Israel’s
fifth shot was fired over the top of
the post and the bullet hit Baker in
the back of the neck, producing a
flosh wound. Baker fell on the op
posite side of the fence and Israel
fired his last shot at him through the
fence, producing a slight flesh wound
in the abdomen.
Borne time ufter from an ambush
m
jt * it
MRS. TOM BAKER.
(fills Is training her sons to avenge their
father's mftrdor.)
“Bui” Howard, who was riding a
spirited young stallion and carrying a
Winchester, was struck in the back at
the first fire, but managed to hold on
to his fleeing horse. The next volley
struck Burch Store and knocked him
off his horse. The bullet broke bis
neck and he was dead when be
touched the ground. Wilson Howard
fell off his horse, shot, through the
hips. “Bal” Howard escaped to
Wilson Howard’s bouse. Two of the
attacking party then went back to
whore the men lay on the road, aud
shot them both with explosive bullets,
which tore their bodies to pieces.
Wilson Howard lived long enough to
tell that it was “Tom” Baker and
Charles Wootou who tired the explo
sive bullets.
When James B. Howard heard that
bis brother was killed and flint, his
father was shot badly, he armed hiui
solf aud rode at a gallop to the scene.
At tho store of A. L. Howard he
A. B. HOWARD, LEADER OF THE HOWARD FACTION, AND HIS WOMEN FOLKS.
found a crowd, some of whom had
come after the grave clothes of Wilson
Howard and Burch Store. James as
sisted in selecting them, and was on
the point of leaving when George W.
Baker rode up.
Without stopping to consider that
County
Howard leveled his weapon and fired
a bullet into the old man’s abdomen,
producing almost instant death. Re
alizing that it would now be war to
the knife, James mounted his horse
and rode away to the home of relatives
in Harlan County. There was a re
ward of $250 offered for Howard’s ar
rest, and he surrendered to a kinsman
so that the man might get the reward,
and came with him to Manchester,
where he was turned over to the
proper officers. He was released on
hail.
Sheriff B. P. White, Jr., summoned
one hundred deputies to arrest the
,p ' \ M*~. r
THE RENDEZVOUS OF THE RAKERS IN THE KENTUCKY MOUNTAINS.
Bakers, and they were brought in for
examining trials before County Judge
J. W. Wright. The trials lasted three
days. The Howards swore to seeing
the Bakers do the shooting, but tbe
Bakers proved by their witnesses that
they were five miles away at the time
of the shooting, and Judge Wright
dismissed the Bakers from custody.
On the day after the trial, “Sid”
Baker, a son-in-law of “Bal” Howard,
but no kin to George Baker’s sons,
overtook Charlos Wooion, who was
said to have shot Buroh Store.'
ft They rode side by side for a quarter
of a mile, trying to get the “drop” on
each other. Finally they both drew
their revolvers almost at the same time.
“Sid” shot from behind his back as he
.drew the weapon from the scabbard.
Both men rolled oft' their horses, aud
as they lay in the road emptied their
pistols at each other. “Sid” Baker
rode off unhurt, while Wooton,
wounded in the back dragged himself
into the brush, where he was found by
one of the Bakers aud taken home,
where he died.
William L. White, a brother to tho
former Sheriff, was soon afterward met
by “Tom” Baker, who shot him in the
abdomen aud killed him.
For this murder, and on tbe charge
of killing Wilson Howard and Burch
Store, “Tom” Baker was arrested, an
indictment, which included several of
his brothers, having been found. Upon
motion the trials were transferred to
tbe Knox County Court at Barbours
ville. The town of Manchester, the
headquarters of the feud, was in a con
dition of such lawlessness that tho Gov
ernor sent several companies of State
militia from Lexiugton to the scene.
I They were charged with the duty of
taking the Baker prisoners to the Court
House at Barboursville, aud also of
protecting them from the murderous
! niteutious of the Howards, amt the
Whites. They garrisoned the Baker
house. Ou all sides lurked Howards
aud Whites, many of them dead shots,
waitiug for a chance to “plug” a Baker
or two.
Sheriff White sent his family away
and filled his house with his friends.
The house looked upon the guard tent
where “Tom” Baker was a prisoner.
On June 10, while the feeling was at
its height and preparations were on the
way for the march to Barhoursville,
“Ton/’ Baker came out of his prison
tcntytnd began talkiitf to his son, Jim,
giving him instructions on how to run
the farm while he was in jail.
Mrs. “Tom” Baker ran up to advise
• *—
TWO OF THE BAKERS, YOUNG, BUT DEAD
SHOTS.
(These are sons of “Tom” Raker, who was
shot ami killed from Sheriff White’s
house while he was under arrest by the
troops, charged with two murders. Their
mother has dedicated them to the life
work of wiping out the Howards.)
her husband not to allow himself to be
a target for the Howards. While she
was talking to him a shot rang out
from the White residence, and Tom
Baker dropped dead before his wife’s
eyes. The woman hysterically called
upon Colonel Williams, who was_ in
charge of the troops, to turn his Gat-
ling gun on the White house and de
stroy it.
The assembly was sounded and tbe
troops surrounded the White resi
dence. They moved upon it with
fixed bayonets, going at double quick,
aud climbing over the yard fence.
Sheriff White came out with thirty
armed men to dispute the right of way.
Williams gave the order to charge
upon the house, and the Howards and
Whites fled inside, loudly announcing
that they would kill the first man who
crossed the threshold. The Gatling
gun was then brought up and trained
SHERIFF “BEN” P. WHITE.
(He Is the leader now of the Howard-White
forces. It was from his house that “Torn”
Raker was killed, and he was suspected
of the murder.)
on the residence, and all those inside
surrendered. Sheriff White was ar
rested for resisting the guards.
The Howard-White faction then
tried to mobilize at tbe house of Daugh
AVhite, the circuit clerk, but Colonel
Williams occupied it to prevent their
using it as acitadel. Meauwhiie mem
bers of the Baker clan were assem
bling from all sides aud swearing ven
geance. The dead man’s sons swore
that they wonld kill Sheriff White,
who they believed had slain their
father.
Who really fired the shot that killed
“Tom” Baker no one knows. The
Whites were very angry at Cos onel
Williams and the troops. They sent
out aud brought in numbers of their
sharpshooter friends. They anuouuced
that they would wipe out the soldiers
and slaughter the Bakers. But the
troops marched to Barboursville with
their four prisoners—Wiley, Al, Dee
and Jim Baker.
Strangely Curtl of Stuttering:.
The curious freaks the Mauser bul
let has performed in its coursings
through the systems of fighting Amer
icans in tbe late wars Lave resulted in
some queer tales. The latest is the
experience of Private H. E. Redmond,
Company C, First Colorado Volunteer
Infautry, who, when he enlisted,
stuttered so badly that the recruiting
officer came near leaving him oft’ the
rolls. Private Redmond was wounded
in the battle of Mariquina,in the Phil
ippines, on March 31. Now his wound
is healed and he stutters no more.
A Mauser bullet struck him in the
face, passed diagonally downward
through his mouth and made its exit
near the back of the neck. It was
considered a frightful wound by the
surgeons, but Redmond proceeded to
recover even faster than patients with
less painful injuries. Now all that can
be seen of the wound is a small, livid
spot to tbe left of the nose and. above
the upper lip. Redmond chews hard
tack with the greatest zest and tells
stories he has not been able to finish
in years on account of his baiting
speech. He insists that Mauser
bullet carried away bis vocal impedi
ment.
A NEWSPAPER’S PALACE,'
VISIT TO THE MOST LUXURIOUS
PRINTING OFFICE IN THE WORLD.
JLocated in Buenos Ayres, Argentina, and i
is the Home of La Prensa (The Preds)-
Hobby of the Proprietor—Barroom in ,
tiie City E<litor'B Department.
There are many surprising things in j
Buenos Ayres, Argentina, for it con
tinually strikes one as (a better class j
European city transported by magic j
to South America, writes “B. L.” from |
that city to the Chicago Times-Herald. I
Out of a population of 750,000 at least |
350,000 are Europeans. The two
things that most surprised and pleased
me were the Jockey Club and a news
paper building. The former is more
luxurious and artistic in its appoint
ments than any other club in the world
that I have seen—and I have seen
most of the noted ones. It very pos
sibly did not cost quite so much as the
Metropolitan or Manhattan Club in
New York, but a mint of money has
been spent on it, and so judiciously
that in the matter of decoration and ar
rangements for the comfort of the
members the Jockey Club of Buenos
Ayres far surpasses either of the clubs
mentioned. The inner stairway, with
its wonderful exhibit of native stones
and its charming statue of Diana, is
an unsurpassed bit interior architec
ture. The fencing-room in this club
is a model of its class and has for its
chief rnaitre d’armes Piri, one of the
first fencers of the world.
** * *
I couldn’t resist mention of this ex
traordinary club building, but that
structure is not the theme of this let
ter.
I am told that La Preusa (the Press)
is the leading Argentine newspaper.
The building in which that journal is
printed is by far the most remarkable
structure of its kind in the world. It
is the hobby of Mr. Paz, the proprie
tor of La Prensa, and was first oc
cupied last December. It is still in
complete in some of its details of in
terior construction.
Mr. Paz, a man of good family, ow
ing to certain misfortunes started in
life a penniless newspaper reporter.
Now, at the age of fifty-six, he is said
to be a very weilthy man.
I can’t attempt a full description of
La Prenza Building, but will touch
upon a few things that particularly
struck me. In’ the first place, all the
material was grown or dug out and
fashioned in Argentina. The exterior
is dignified, but is no handsomer than
that of many another building. I
didn’t get the figures of wfdth or
length, but it covers more ground than
the Times-Herald- Buildiug, and every
inch of its six stories is devoted to the
uses of the paper and its pet objects.
To begin with, there is no cramped
space anywhere. For example, each
of the numerous editors has a special
room, not less than twenty feet square,
with a taste and a luxury of furniture
hitherto unknown to the newspaper
world. Each of these rooms is fitted
with long-distance telephone and
pneumatic and speaking tubes to the
different parts of the building, so that
the editors can keep in immediate
communication with their own and the
outer world.
*****
The composing room, on the top
floor, with all its kindred rooms for
making up the paper, is perfectly
lighted day and night. The type
cases and everything else on that
floor are the latest development of
modern invention, and every possible
care has been taken for the comfort
and health of the men. For instance,
a door opens from the composing
room into a huge bathi’oom, Dutch
tiled, and with a dozen or so shower
baths. On that floor, and only for
the men on that floor, are a kitchen
and a large eating room, both excel
lently appointed for men of that class.
Neat china, glass and tableware, with
rather coarse but spotlessly clean
table cloths and napkins. Every work
ingman up there is given generous,
wholesome meals, with a pint of light
native wine, free of cost.
The city department on the floor
below is absolutely unique—charm
ingly furnished, where every man has
his widely separated green-clothed
table and special green-shaded elec
tric lamp.
A large room adjoining this is the
reporters’ restaurant, with tables as
daintily decked as any hotel table in
j Chicago. There is a special kitchen
also for this restaurant, and here again
| meals of a superior quality are served
free of cost.
** * *
The oddest features of the city de
partment are the barroom and billiard
table—both free. In response to my
exclamation of astonishment, the ed
itor, who was acting as guide, said:
“There are three explanations of this
barroom. In the first place we Argen
tinas are not given to drink. In the
second place the traditions and gen
eral tone of the establishment forbid
that any man of education should
make a beast of himself here, and in
the third place Mr. Paz wants to keep
the young men in his employ out of
temptation by making for them here a
home, from which they will not be
tempted by the lesser attractions of a
drinking saloon.”
For the reporters there is an elab
| orately equipped bathroom, with a lot
of tubs, shower and needle baths.
There are numerous neatly furn
ished smallish rooms in one part of
the building for the homeless pen
sioned servants of the paper, who
have their special dining and bath
rooms.
*****
There art* two stunningly furnished
apartments in the building, of several
rooms each. One, occasionally occu
pied by Mr. Paz—the other for the
use of distinguished guests who are
non-residents of Buenos Ayres. Each
of these apartments has its own din
ng-room. There is a special dining
room for the editors, aud one, beauti
fully furnished, for small banquets.
There is a library with walls of greeu
silk tapestry, but not yet furnished’
The books I did not see, as they were
housed somewhere waiting for their
shelves. That room will be in order
within a month.
At the back of the building is a
large and very fine ballroom and
theatre combined, with reception and
banqueting rooms. This is lent for
charity afi’airs, or to friends of the
paper who wish to give a private en
tertainment.
On one floor there is a perfectly ap
pointed fencing-room, large enough
for three pairs of fencers at a time,
and a well-known teacher gives free
lessons to the upper class of employes.
The pressroom is just as complete
as every other department, with the
latest Hoe presses, and turns out the
edition of 70,000 in an hour, as the
paper has to go to press at 5 a. m. to
escape the robbery of its telegraphic
news.
There are a kitchen and free restaur
ant for the pressmen, also. I could
go on for pages describing the other
parts of the building; the business
department, the arrangements for
newsboys, etc., but my hand is tired,
and you already have a good general
idea of this unique building.
Two departments must be men
tioned, however. In one, a perfectly
arranged surgery, where four noted
medical and surgical specialists alter
nately treat, free of cost, not only
employes and members of their fami
lies, but many outside patients also.
In another equally handsome
apartment sits for many hours a day
every week a man who is prominent
among the lawyers of Buenos Ayres,
and gives free advice on legal ques
tions.
*****
My guide quaintly remarked:
“This lawyer is an ho.norable gentle
man, and besides that, he is paid by
Mr. Paz and receives nothing from
his clients. He has no inducement
to foster unnecessary litigation, and it
was from a desire to prevent such
waste of a poor man’s money that Mr.
Paz got the idea of creating his free
legal department.”
I never enjoyed two hours of sight
seeing more than those passed in La
Prensa Building, whose proprietor
seems to have omitted no means for
the betterment of his employes.
CURIOUS FACTS.
A polite Chinaman considers it a
breach of etiquette to wear spectacles
in company.
The first American volunteer fire
company was organized in Philadel
phia in 1736.
The oldest family in the British
Isles is that of Mar, in Scotland, which
dates from 1093.
The first medical school in the
United States was inaugurated in
Philadelphia in 1751.
T he flesh of alligators tastes very
similar to veal, and is regarded as a
delicacy by many people in India.
Frost has a variety of effects upon
different products. Under the same
influence eggs will burst, apples con
tract and potatoes turn black.
The most curious paper weight in
the world is said to belong to the
Prince of Wales. It is the mummied
baud of one of the daughters of
Pharaoh.
Tha Siamese believe that it requires
seven days for the human soul to jour
ey between earth and heaven, and
therefore pray unceasingly for seven
days after the death of a friend or
relative.
A turnip seed increases its own
w eight fifteen times in a minute. On
peat ground turnips have been found
to increase by growth sixteen thou
sand times the weight of their seed
each day.
Asia Minor wa3 the chief opium
market until the twelfth century, and
from then on it was gradually dis
tributed all over tbe globe. The
Chinese obtained the drug in the
thirteenth century.
Milan has a curiosity in a clod
which is made entirely of bread. Tb<
maker is a native of India, and be has
devoted three years of his time to the
construction of this curiosity. The
clock is of respectable size, and goes
well.
Night-blindness is a curious affec
tion of the eye in which the patienl
sees very well during the day, bui
becomes blind as night approaches.
It is mostly met with in warm climates,
and usually gives way to mild treat
ment.
A Waterville (Me.) citizen has in his
possession a complete record of the
dates of the opening and closing of
Kennebec River, from 1785 to the
present time. In all these years the
river has opened thirty-two times in
March and seventy-seven times in
April.
A Fifty-Year-Old Shell Explodes.
Troubles with Russia seem to last
much longer than others. The other
day an old British shell, ineffectively
fired at Sebastopol, nearly fifty years
ago, found a billet at last. Some work
men dredged it up from the bottom of
| the bay and it exploded, killing one
! man and wounding the rest. But Rus
: sia had her revenge. Three hundred
I thousand head of Russian poultry,
which had come out of Russian shells
—once —arrived in London. They
had been delayed several months on
the voyage for various reasons, and
when they arrived !—London
Globe.
A Hard One.
A literary society at Florence is dis
cussing the important and pertinent
question: “Resolved,
m -okss m< re ■ '
, —Kau sa *L .: v
GOOD ROADS NOTES.
Road Improvement.
The bert way to improve and secure
our ordinary country roads for com
fort and convenience is the important
question for the farmer to consider,
writes Samuel Sinuett, in Farm,Field
and Fireside. One of the first im
portant steps is to keep the bed of tbe
road dry. This can be best secured
by the action of the common road
grader or leveler being used as soon
as the surface is dry enough to
crumble. The passage of the grader
fills up all the ruts aud depressions in
the road and leaves the centre well
rounded up and thus enables it to
shed tbe water. The road must be
kept clear of water, hence the grader
must be used after a rain when the
clay will crumble. Now most of the
road districts are supplied with these
graders and the necessary machinery
to make aud keep the road in good re
pair, but too often tbe road master
lets tbe grader lie idle in some outlot
or fence corner till be has an idle
time to use it.
The great question arises, how can
we retain good roads after they are
graded? Here is where the question
of permanent roads come in. In the
early history of our Republic tbe
National Government built aud took
charge of tbe leading roads of tbe
nation. The most prominent of them
was the Great National road connect
ing St. Louis with Washington. This
is an improvement that any country
might well be proud of. All the
bridges, culverts, etc., were of solid
masonry, and the road of good width
and covered with broken stone. It
was one of the primary causes for tbe
settlement of the States of Ohio,
Indiana and Illinois. One of the best
arguments in favor of good roads is
it enhances the value of the territory
they pass through.
In the State of Missouri the coun
ties are waking up to the necessity of
improving the ordinary highways, aud
the State is helping them to improve
their roads. Many wish to have the
farmers shoulder the burden of im
proving the roads, but this is by no
means just, and when macadam or
gravel is used to make the bed of the
road solid it would be too heavy a
tax on the farmers.
About Roads.
The bad condition of tbe roads be
gan to attract widespread attention
something over ten years ago. Cer
tain elementary principles were evi
dent at a glance, to wit: the price of
farm products is fixed at the great
cities or centres of consumption and
distribution, and is wholly beyond the
farmers’ control, and the cost of trans
portation is a principal factor in de
termining his profit, or the possibility
of any profit.
On the railroads this has been -re
duced until it varies, according to
bulk, from one cent to four mills per
ton per mile. But the average roads
are so bad that a two-horse team and
wagon, the value of which is $3 per
flay, cannot haul a ton of produce
more thau ten miles and return in a
day. The cost of road transportation
is therefore thirty cents per ton per
mile, or about forty times as great as
the rate on tbe railroad.
The average distance from the farm
to the nearest railway station is at
least ten miles, so that it costs as
much to get the goods to or from the
railroad station as to carry them 400
miles on the cars. It only needs to
state these elementary facts to show
what an enormous drain bad roads
make on our resources. It is evident
that an improvement in the conditions
is imperative, and the remedy is
equally evident, for it has been proved
not only by mechanical experiment
but by actual test that the same force
which draws one ton on a muddy
earth road will draw four tons on a
hard macadam road.—From “Success,
and How to Attain It,” by Colonel F.
V. Greene.
Work of tlie Automobile.
The automobile promises to accom
plish more in the direction of better
city streets and country roads than
has been accomplished by years of
agitation and legislation. As the con
venience and economy of mechanical
vehicles becomes better understood,
use of them is certain to become gen
eral. Farmers will use them as well
as truckmen, aud they will be em
ployed as stages, as well as for pleas
ure driving. This will cause demand
for bard, smooth pavements and high
ways, which are essential to tbe most
effective use of such vehicles. Good
roads will become an absolute neces
sity to farmers, and asphalted streets
to business men in tbe city. This is
one secret of the fine streets
found in Paris and the fine
to be found in France. General use
of the automobile has mrde
dispensable. It will be the
The bicycle lias ac’omplisheßfca££S!
deal in this direction.
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