The Dickinson press., 1898-05-07
Hank Shufelt's Slayer Exon.
Grated.

- ~AA IA As sSHOAk VA kAAN AGA
says:
The Fee-Shufelt outfit, together with
four or five men on the south side of the
Missouri in Stark county, known as the
SANDY Hart gang are alleged to have
been engaged in the business of rustling
cattle. This crowd had been making
threats during the winter to stretch
Deans neck" A few weeks ago Dean
was stopped on the way to the post office
by Sam Payne, mi of Sandy Harris part
ners, who made an attempt to drag him
with a lariat, but was prevented by fear
of having his rawhide rope cut by apock-
ct knife which Dean held in his hand
After attempting to ride his horse over
him, which was frustrated by Dean strik-
ing at the horse with a mail pouch,
Payne rode away with the remark that
1--WE would soon come up to Deans house
and stretch his neck" $
When the Press published an article
on March 20 stating that George Bacon
had traced a stolen beef directly to the
place of Fee, alias Christy the commune
ty expected that the publisher would not
long remain unmolested. .
Dean had been in the habit for weeks
past of going for his mail late in the
evening in order t. avoid meeting any
of these men and had been carrying a
shotgun loaded with buckshot for pro-
lection. Owing to the destruction by
high water of the Stony and Muddy
bridges, the Williston mail did not come
down April 8, and on the 9th Mr.. Dean
was obliged to take his papers to the
post Office during the day time. Accom-.
panied by his little girl, Emily, a child
of 8 years, he walked to the Grinnell
postofice a mile and a half east of his
Office and residence. His road lay close
to the Shufelt house and a quarter Of a
mile further east passed the house of old
man Fee, or Christy, as he called himself
before he came to Williams county. He
carried a mail sack and a Winchester re.
peating shotgun. When he got to the
Office the mail had not yet come and
while waiting Hank Shufelt and Sam
Fee alias Sam Christy, came there in a
buggy. Both had army r%evolvers stuck
in the Wristbands of their trousers
They did not speak to Dean while at the
post Office and he waited until they had
been gone. an hour or so before starting
home. Dean had been warned that Shu.
felt had threatened to kill him on &C.
count of the cattle stealing article and
wished to give them plenty of time to
get off the road before venturing back.
Dean and the little girl started for
home a little before shutdown. When
approaching the Shufelt shack they no.
ticed a man carrying a gun enter the
shack. AS they drew nearer fhey OBJ.
served several persons standing back
inside and watching them through the
open door. Just before they came UP
| opposite the house, Shufelt came Out
closely followed by Sam Fee and made
directly toward Dean and the little girl
as if to intercept them. While approach.
ing them Shufelt shouted to Dean-tc
keep off his land and Dean and the little
girl turned off the road and ran a few
steps. Shufelt crossed the road and got
within six or seven feet of Dean, when
the latter stopped and turned partly
around. Deans shotgun during this time
was resting over his left arm. As he
stopped Shufelt placed his hand upon
his revolver and Dean fired without rails
ing his gun from his arm. Shufelt stag,
gered and fell MORALLY wounded by =
charge of buckshot in the breast. Dying
as he was Shufelt rose to his feet anc
succeeded in drawing his revolver bu,
fell again. Sam turned and run into /:
washout about 100 feet away. Dean ant
the girl started for home. A shot wa.
fired at him and he fell on the groune
and waited for a time. He got up ant
started a second time when another wilt
shot was fired. He fell on. the groune
again, but there was no more shooting
The hearing took place before Justic,
Metzger in the court house at Williston
In giving his decision he said that tn,
evidence had been clear that the killing
was done in self defence and that n,
jury could possibly find Mr.. Dean guilt,
of any criminal act in the matter.
tr