Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1883-04-27
Full Particulars OF the DEVILS Lake
Tragedy.

FROM the Grand Forks Plaindealer we
collate the following complete particu-
lars of the killing of the Ward broth
crs at DEVILS Lake, near Creel City !:
Ward brothels, 1t is learned from
gentleman in this city, have been quite
actively engaged in claim jumping, and
having money behind them, have been
able to do considerable in that line. The
boys owned claim adjoining DEVILS
Lake City, and jumped another claimed
by a man named Rose, Fred Ward and
Lieut.. Creel had some dispute in regard
to this latter claim, and the matter ended
by the moving of the Wards off the
claim, which was quite valuable one
and adjoins Creel City. Fred. Ward told
gentleman of this city that he had not
given that claim up, and the only way
they could get him off from it was by
law. 1t is thought that the Wards were
occupying this claim when they were
shot.
The Bartlett Times gives the following
particulars, which have been substan-
tiated by parties from the flake: Sunday
last Fred and Chcarley Ward erected a
shack on claim midway between DEVILS
Lake and Creel Cities. This claim had
been previously sqatted on by young
man by the name of Bell, and already
contained his shack The new shack of
the Ward boys was built very close to the
one already standing owned by Bell On
Monday evening Bell. so at least rumor
has 1t, started from Creel City, in COM
pany with several companions, to sleep
on his claim. AS he approached it the
party was fired upon by the Ward boys
and man or men in their employ Bell
and his party retreated and repaired to
Creel City for reinforcements, after which
the entire party started to dislodge the
claim jumpers. what ensued is not
known, although it IS asserted that con-
siderable firing was heard the early part
of the night by Others living IN the Vi
cinlty. This morning, however, the boz
dies of the Ward brothers were found
lying dead by the shacks. They found
Charley lying on his right side with an
ivory handled revolver IN his hand. He
was shot through the back, and was w.
ing midway between the two shacks al
ready mentioned, Fred was lying behind
one of the shanties-which we did not
learn-resting on his back.
The latest news from the scene of the
tragedy supplies the additional facts that
the mans name who was with the Ward
brothers was Elliott, and further repeats
Elliott's story as follows: That the crowd
surrounded the shanty between two and
three O'Clock in the morning, and calling
to the Ward boys, ordered them to leave
this they refused to do, whereupon the
crowd retrea,ed short distance aud
fired a volley into the shanty. As the
result OF this volley Fred Ward was
killed.
Elliott further says that after the shoot
ing subsidized he darted through the door
and started to run, that he was caught,
and, after beng badly kicked and beaten,
was uHCetehioueous1s toIu 10 SU,
which he did without standing ON the
order of SO doing. Elliott also ays
that it was undoubtedly, while tying
TO cscaps, that Charley received the two4
shots IN the haek which terminated NJ
life. After killing the two heoshess.
.hc crowd proceeded TO ciesA ~ NE
shaniy, removing its contents TO Tic out.
side and also carrying out Fred Wards
body. Our informant says that 1oae
than thirty bullet holes can b couneon =
the board SIDING C ~ aAanA1.