Rocky Ford enterprise., 1903-06-19

Topeka. Kan. June i5.-The tragedy
In Cheyenne county June 3rd. In which
n settler and his two sons were killed.
presumably by chaunccy Dewey. n rich
cattleman. assisted by two of his men.
has caused the cver-prcsent feud be-
tween the settlers and cnttlcmen IN
northwest Kansas to break out with
renewed fury. What the consequences
OF the feud Will he this time nobody
dares TO prophecy. but certain II Is that
that section Of the state II aroused as
IL never has been before.
About two years ago G. i. Dewey q
Co. capitalists OF Chicago. started
cattle ranch In the south east corner
of Cheyenne county. extending into
Rawlins. Sherman and Thomas coun-
ties. They established their headduar-
ters In Rawiins county and called IL
Oak ranch. They st once began 10 ar-
auirc title to all the land they could
get within radius Of twelve or nttrcn
miles of their ranch.
They stocked their ranch with sew
eFai thousand head Of cattle and l-,
them run at Will. The settler could
raise no crop unless he fenced IL or
hcrded the cattle away from 4, nigh,
and day.
heid them for damages. he found him
O~if involved In an expensive lawsuit.
slth tho best lawyers In the county
fitted asaIns, him. u he won In the
liver court IL was carried to n higher
court. and he soon found he could not
stand the pace and would drop out.
Mos, of the settlers sold for what they
could get and sought other places out
of range Of the b-N~ys. but frw with
nsh,InE blood in their veins stayed
with their homes.
Among the number vas the Berry
family consisting of the old gentleman
and his four sons. They arc the on-s
who have given the Dewey people tho
mos, trouble. ans-almns' from the start
the two factions have engaged IN liu-
cation. The last trouble they had. aud
, the one that resulted in the killing OF
the Bcrrys. vas over a quarter section
OF land which the BrFTys had b-cn us-
ins. claiming to have rented IL from
the eastern owners. The pcwcys found
the owner. bought the land and sued
, berry for rent. getting a Judgment fof
about SIS. They levied an execution
on a windmill and wafer tank belong
ing to the uertya. and u was sold by
the sheriff June snG. some OF the Dow
ey mrn bidding In the tank for -. The
Befrys would not allow the Dcwcys to
come on the place. hut as the tank
stood near tho road they stood out
there and did the bidding.
The next day about noon. ChsunCey
: Dewey and ten Of his men rode up to
the Berry house. ali being armed with
Winchester rifles and TeSolvcrs. What
followed is best told by the testimony
before the coToncr's inquest.
n hE tEa
, the men tismuuntci aud vent to the
house. where Daniel Berry and his son
Aiphrus were at dinner. They said they
had come after the tank and were told
to go ahead and take II. They asked
Mrs. berry. who had gone TO the door.
II the men were at home. and at first
shc told them no. bat the men insisted
that they thought they were. and that
they wanted to see them. Daniel her
~ and his son then came ont. and
walked over to where the crowd was
gathered and began talking with them.
According to the testimony before the
coroner. Berry and his son we're un-
armed at this time. and 1t was well
known that they never carried FIRE
arms.
Tho three other boys were at
neishbur's. and had seen Dewey aud
his men ride by on the way to the Der
~ ranch. They started for home ON
their horses and reached there just as
the paricy was beginning. They were
armed with pistols. but as the oVi-
dence showed. they did not attempt to
use them at that time. As soon as the
boys appeared Chauncey Dewey Is said
to have fired. hitting Beach Berry in
the Jaw and tearing 1t almost entirely
away. The others started to ruin for
the house. when Dewey's men opened
M a general Gre. killing the father. Al
pheus and Burchland. The wounds Of
the last two show that the balls on