Deputy Thrift was shot and killed as he attempted to protect a man during The Baxter Rebellion...the bloodiest riot in Baker County, FL history. Thrift was at the home of two of the victims. A mob came to the house wanting to get the father of the victims and do him harm. The victims' father was rich and the largest employer of the county. The mob was angry with him about working conditions, hence rebelling against their employer. After an evening of drinking alcohol, plotting, and partying on a train, a group of men cut the heart out of their employer's son, stabbed another son throwing him off the train, and made a blood bath of the black employees on the train. Those who were rebelling felt that the employer was giving the black employees equal wages and benefits, which at that time in Southern history, wasn't done. When the train arrived at 11 pm near Baxter, those who could ran for their lives as the mob continue to rage burning houses, stabbing others, and drinking. In one train car, blood literally poured out onto the tracks below. In the wee hours of next morning when the mob reached the employer's home, Thrift was standing at the top of the stairs when he was shot in the leg. He fell down the stairs, and while on the floor, numerous shots were fired into him. He was then dragged breaking every bone in his body, and then his body was put under the house where it was found. The sheriff attempted to find the members of the mob, but he too became the subject of the mob as a sniper fired a round at him. At this point, the governor sent in state militia to stabilize the county, but most of the militia were related somehow to the mob members and no real help to sheriff. Some of the mob crossed the river into Georgia, and that governor gave permission for the Florida sheriff to come after them. Although 21 men of the mob were arrested for killing Thrift and the other 2 men, none were found guilty due to the lack of witnesses. The community was silent about who did what because they knew that their family members was deeply involved with one of the murders, or they were afraid they would be hurt if they testified. Weeks became months, and months became years without this incident being resolved. The employer and his remaining family soon left the area, as did members of the mob. The next governor, did not press the issue and then in time it was just "forgotten".

Thrift, who was just doing his job, left a wife and three young children.

Information taken from Gene Barber's 1977 very detailed article, which was published in the Mcclenney newspaper in four parts. Baxter in Baker County, FL is just across the St. Marys River from Charlton County, GA.

Twin of Robert