Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1880-02-18
THE BRuLE CITY TRAGEDY.
Official Accom-. Of tho Double murder Of
Friday last
The Testimony Before the coroner's Jury
and a Verdict Exculpating Young
Somers, Who Makes a
Dying Statement.
Marvin II. somers and Brady n. Somrr,
Engage in a Quarrel about the
Ownership OF Some Logs,
Which Ends ia tho
Death OF Both.

y correspondent NJ IFuIe Ouy seI"s US
the official report Of the proceedings Of The
jury summoned by Coroner Refsnider to
enquire into the cause of the death OF
Marvin ii. Somers. alias Jim Somers. Our
correspondent states that at ore o'clock on the
afternoon of the 18Th inst. an encounter
took place between Marvin II. Somers and
his nephew, Bradley N. Somers. which re
suited in the death Of both, the uncle shoot
ing the nephew and the nephew, after he
had received his death wound, shooting the
uncle and killing him instantly. Marvin
II. Somers fired only one shot, from a rifle,
and Bradley IL. Somers fired two shots,
from a revolver, the second shot taking
effect. The following evidence before the
coroner and the dying statement Of the
murdered nephew give a coucise account
of the bloody affair
LAFAYETTE soMERs,
being sworn, testified: L am acquainted
with the deceased; | am his brother; l had
a filing on the same piece Of land he did;
there has been a contest which is undecided;
l concluded l had as good a right. if no,
better, than NJ. II. Somers; in September or
October l placed logs on the same claim; l
put the logs on to build Il house from; the
logs were left undisturbed up to January
LIST, 1880; | discovered this morning tina, the
logs had been removed; I hauled more logs
to-day; my hoy informed me before l was
through my dinner that some one was haul.
ing away my logs; my son Bradley and l
hi,ched my horses up and drove up; Marvin
II. Sotness came running towards us with
the gun; he struck the horses; he struck at
them and pushed them and then Bradley
got oft the wagon; l took the reins and he
struck Bradley with the gun; Bradley ward
ed the blow with a wagon stake; the horses
turned toward home; then l told Bradley to
get on the wagon and come home; bradley
kept knocking him of with the wagon stake
and then Marvin II. Somers shot Bradley;
Bradley then said, "my God, father! I'm
shot Bradley did not raise the muzzle OF
the revolver; NJ. II. Somers said he would
shoot us; when he shot Bradley he hurried
around andpointed the gun at me and tried
TO extract the shell; Bradley shot twice and
shot NJ. II. Somers.
MELVIN r. soMERs.
being duly sworp, says: am q nephew
Of The deceased; | knew that NJ II. Somers
had a presumption p per on the SAM clam {;
| worked Tor NJ. II. Somers; l wru, down
Ga the claim to-day With him to move
some logs; be started away with his gun
l hclYed load some logs that was piled up,
II. Williams assis,ipg; l saw Lafayette
oomers AID Bradley Somers omipc up
toward where we were loading logs; NJ.
ii. Somers met th IN md told them to
come no %tasther; | was sl,ting down when
the wagon got there; when the wagon stop.
ped got up and stood still; 1 will swear
did not fix the logs for barricade; when
the first shot was fred l came toward the
corn; he made threats if anyone tried to
stHI hin taking the logs be nigh, as well
o!e IS TO 1--we in that way, sid to lin
that he'd better not 60; he said, ego and
harness up the team"
W. II. WILLIAMS,
being duly sworn, says: l an acquainted
with Marvin H. Somers l was no, working
for him to-day l was working for Mr.. Pill
ger; l came down after a log chain; l met
NJ. II. somers on the road I said, "Jin,
wha, are you going to kill ?" he said, ri am
not going to kill anybody 5" he asked me to
go with him said, mo, 1 CAN'T came
down TO borrow q log CHAMPION Z! b. said,
you might as we'll come on y mo-" I eaid,
u am in a hurry;" he said, "come on
won't be but q few minutes; I" he did not tell
me where he was going, or anything about
1t; we walked along and the team overlook
US; he said, "get on and ride" we drove up
TO those logs south Of the corn6eld, and l
said, Jim, are these your logs?" he said,
"yes-help put them on y 30 l helped him
put them on, one load then we cav Lafay-
cite somets coming jim said, "now we
Will have some full expect they will
order me off, then | will order them off: -
he did not appear angry be threw the logs
down and ne took off his hat, coat and car
fridge belt and laid them down; 1 did not
see him take any cartridges from the belt:
he ran down TO meet the team; he told them
to stop; Lafayette told Bradley to drive on !:
so M. H.. Soniers commenced punching the
horses with the gun then Bradley jumped
of and grabbed a wagon stake from The
wagon; then Lafayette aaid, "come on.
Bradley, there is a sheriff here and we will
have him arrested )" Marvin II. Somers
said something to Bradley, l could not hear
what, when Bradley said, you old son Of a
bitch, | will knock the face off from Won ~
NJ. 81. Somers attempted to strike Bradley
with the gun then NJ. II. Somers shot him.
and he fell and said, II am shot," a number
of times; LAFAYETTE said, ''poor Bradley. he
is shot now" | thought NJ. Fl. Somers was
fryinv IN extract tho ,huii. -L.. ~