The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1897-03-18
THE SED6WlCK TRAGEDY.
Ames Frazer Seriously Wounds Chas
DickersOn.
DETAILS OF THE AFFAIR.

DickersOn.
DETAILS OF THE AFFAIR.
| Frsn the Newton Republican. March9.
About 8 O'Clock Tuesday morning, 9th
! inst. Sheriff Judkins was called over the
telephone and summoned to Sedgwick to
arrest Amos Frazer. who about an hour
before had shot, and, it is thought, fatally
injured Charles Dickerson, a rival hotel
keeper of that place.
Frazer, it seems, had been in the hotel
business at Sedgwick for some years until
last fall when he sold his hotel to Dicker-
son, the man he shot Tuesday morning.
The sale is said to have been made with
! the proviso that Frazer should retire from
the hotel business at Sedgwick entirely,
and when he opened up new hotel
few months later, quarrel at once began
between the rival hotel keepers. 1t was
continued all winter and found its culmi-
nation Tuesday morning at about 6 80
O'Clock, and just after the arrival of the
south bound passenger train.
Frazer was brought to Newton and
placed in Jail. He was very quiet offer
ing not the slightest resistance, but say
ing not word of the case or its circum-
stances. He has absolutely refused to
say a word about the affair to any one,
and az he seems to have few who will de-
fend him in his course his side cannot be
stated to any extent. From more COM
plete details gathered in talks with nearly
dozen persons, who either live in Sedg-
wick or who have been there this MORN
ing, it appears that the reports received
early in the morning, although incom-
plete, were substantially correct.
The bad feeling that had existed be-
tween the men had led to frequent previ-
Gus encounters in which Frazer seems,
from all accounts, to have been the ag-
gressor. Once he is said to haye told a
physician at Sedgwick that he would like
to ''kill that man Dickerson yet"
When the train stopped at the depot
Tuesday morning at Sedgwick two drum
mers got off, and Frazer who was near
by stepped up and took their grips. Then
quarrel began. 1t was continued all
the way to the hotels which are situated
side by side block away from the depot
and it is probable that, during the quar-
rel, Dickerson said something that great
ly enraged Frazer, for he ran into the
Office of his hotel and snatching revolt
yer frOp the desk rushed back to Dicker-
sons hotel building. He entered the
door and found him standing with his
wife at the entrance to the dining room
about ten feet away. Advancing step
or two he opened fire at once, and before
bystanders could interfere he had empti-
ed six chambers of his revolver. Two
shots took effect in DickersOn's body, one
striking the breast about two inches
above the heart. 1t passed entirely
through the body and was found after
wards in the clothing at the back of the
wounded man.
. A peculiar circumstance which is
vouched for by the physician who is at
tending Dickerson, is that it struck at
such place that not a bone was broken.
The other wound is not so serious. This
bullet struck one of the arms. SCATTERING
the bone badly.
Mrs. DickeIsOn is the heroine Of the
ARRAY. She stepped in front of her hus-
band as soon as she could recover her
senses, aud it is said by several that a
bullet grazed her cheek, the shot being
fired so close to her that the powder caus-
ed slight burn. BY this time bystand-
ers rushed in and pushed Frazer away.
He was still trying to shoot and had sew
eral more bullets yet unfired. Frazer
ran to his hotel but he was shortly after
wards arrested by a constable. He gave
up his pistol; aud Il long bladed knife
was found on his clothing.
Charles DickersOn and wife came to
Dodge City from Indiana in the spring
of 1879, two Of a few settlers who loca-
ted in Ford county in the late fall of 1873
or spring of 1879. Dickerson followed
teaming and farming for awhile and then
engaged in restaurant and bakery. In
this business he made some money, and
extended his business to groceries. The
boom lightened his finances; and for
few years he was in no profitable pur-
suit. Two years ago ne left Dodge City
for Wichita; and last summer removed
to Sedgwick and engaged in keeping