The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-01
TRAGEDY OF THE FENCE.
Missouri Feud in Which the BiIyeus
Were Shot Full of Holes.
Letter in New York Press.

Bloody feuds from rail fences grow, or
from some other equally insignificant cause,
and there is no place on earth where family
quarrels are more lasting or more sanguin-
airy than in the Southern and Southwestern
States When in Christian county, in the
Ozark region of Missouri the MeadOWSeS de-
clared war upon the Bilyeus because the
latter family resented the announcement of
the former that fence owned in common
should be removed, the hostilttes resulted
in the death of three of the defendants and
the wounding of one of the aggressors.
The two families are so united by inter-
marriage that 1t IS hard TO pick out GER
tain member of either and say with any
degree of exactness just what he or she is.
After it is all over old Johnny Bilyeu
declares, notwithstanding that he lost a son
and two grandsons, it was a bully good
| scrap" and he wouldn't have missed it for
any number of sons and grandsOns The
Meadowses and one of the surviving Bilyeus
are under arrest. and will be tried for muir
shame to hang Teller for licking his man
in fight, even if he is a Medder, durn him.
and has been KILN Bilyeus.''
For old Johnny is past eighty years old,
and has been in many a standup fight. He
showed ammunition to his son Steve, and
his two grandsons Jimmie and Pete, and
cheered them on with cries of Give 'em
helli" But, as it turned out, it was a game
of take well as give, and nobly did the
About the middle of November Bud
Meadows got his volunteers together and
started out to raze that fence which divided
the two farms. He had leveled only a
little gap when Steve Bilyeu and his son
Pete came running out from their house
with guns in their hands. There was "A ces-
sation Of the leveling just then, and the
work was postponed till the week after
Thanksgiving. Then once more Bud got his
cohorts together and sailed forth. This
time his men were armed, and they con-
fronted armed men. The procession moved
in the following order: From the Meadows
house came Bud Meadows, Bob Meadows,
Jake Bilyeu, SteVe's brother, Hosea Bilyeu,
Steve's cousin, ana the husband of Steve's
sister, Frank Tabor, who had married
Steve's daughter; Martin Bilyeu. Steve's
brothers boy and Mrs, Bud Meadows. and
Mrs. Bob Meadows, daughters of Steve
brother. Notwithstanding their contrary
names and relationships, they all were
The enemy advanced to the scrap in this
order: Steve Bilyeu, with his sons Jimmie
and Pete; Mrs. Steve Bilyeu, with a big
pruning knife and in the rear, hurrying
along as wei as his aged legs would carry
him, was the redoubtable patriarch old
Johnny Bilyeu, who carried his eighty years
and his gun with equal ease
Some one fired d shot-who no one knows
nor cares But it was the signal for the
opening Of the battle. 1t was hardly an
pered the Bilyeus, but the latter kept up
their end pretty well. Frank Tabor was
hit and 4, an instant later Steve Biyeu fell:
MRS. BilyeU skipped over the fence and
with her knife pruned OFF a piece of Bud
Meadowss arm. While she was thus en-
gagged Jimmie and Pete, her two sons fell
beside their father, and the greater part
OF the Bllyeus being hors de combat, the
Meadowses withdrew.
Mrs. Steve leaped across the offending
fence and l5nelt beside the warm bodies Of
her husband and sons. There was little that
she sald-She never wastes words or tears
on those who fail in a glorious fight Going
nome Tor help, she had the bodies removed
70 the mouse, and the funeral was attended
| ny all the good people in the neiebborhood
| except the MeadoWses
Arrests followed, and this feature OF the
| he, said. Its shame to hang Teller fer
| licking his man in good fight even If he
| Is a Medder, durn him, am has been KILN