The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-06-12


tain order but they indicate the feeling
which the BOOKSELLERS and the settlers
nave toward the DeWeys- There IS IN
doubleday another side 60 the story,
but it is certain that things are carried
with high hand in that section.
There is doubtless two sides to the
Berry affair also, but the Deweys are
not talking much about their side. They
have not said who did the killing in any
instance. The letter from Chauncey
Dewey in the State Journal a few days
ago, and letter from Clyde Wilson to
his father at Salina are the only ex-
preston they haze made concerning the
matter They allege that the Berrys at
tackled them first and that they acted
in self-defense. The letter from CLYDE
Wilson to his father at Salina is as fol-
lows:
June = 1903
Dear Father.-We had a terrible
hight with gang named Berry yester-
day We Went after q tank that had
been sold to Mr. Dewey under writ of
execution. We had an order from the
sheriff for them to deliver the tank to
US. When we got on the ground seven
of them advanced on US with revolvers
and began firing. We returned the tile
with the result that three OF them are
dead and two wounded We had one
horse killed We are all down to the
ranch headquarters waiting for the Off
GERS and our legal advice Now l do
about me. as I will get along all right
win write more next time. Your son,
CLYDE
The fact that the feeling OF the set
tiers generally around St Francis IS
against the Deweys is indicated by the
accounts of the fight in the Cheyenne
county papers. These accounts are
/ against the Deweys. and do not, Of
course. give their version of the fight.
The Eagle, published at St. Francis,
gives the following account of the kill
ing:
s'The srouble that has existed be
tween the DeWeys and the Berry fam
lily in the south part of the county fer
the past two years culmina ted Wednes-
day afternoon in one of the most dellb-
crate. cold-blooded and atrocious nlur-
ders that has ever darkened the history
of northwest Kansas, when Daniel F.
Berry and his two sons, Alpheus ".
and Burchard 3. Berry We're brutally
murdered by gang of outlaws. his
/ nephew Roy Berry. was dangerously if
not mOrtaly wounded and his renair u
4 ing son B. D. Berry was slightly
wounded by bullets fired from repeating
rifles IN the hands of the Dewey gang.
Finding, after repeated efforts. that
/ fheY could not drive the Berrys out Of
! the country and off the face of the
4 earth, Chauncey Dewey determined to
murder the whole family and heading
a band of about fifteen paid despera-
does, he proceeded to the home of Al
pheus w Berry on the southwest quar-
+ ter OF section 1851 Wednesday after
i noon to accomplish his purpose. How
deNillshly the work was planned and
4 now successfully executed the facts
I above related best disclose. It is staten
on the best of authority that Mr. Dew
1 ey s only regret over his awful crime is
/ his failure to get the other two boys
The pretext for their presence thers
was to secure d little old water tank
not worth two dollars that some OF
1 Dewey men had purchased a sheriff s
sHle on Iuesday There was no objec-
ton to their taking the tank and D
+. and Alpheus Berry who were at the
! house when the gang arrived had gone
out to the corral to assist in loading it
Just then the other two boys rode N,
i from the south. hitched their. horses ard
/ started to walk toward the corral
! When within a short distance of the
/ corral Chauneey Dewey. from behind a
/ hlgh sod wall, took deliberate aim ana
snot Roy Berry, the bullet striking him
N. the chin and tearing away alnnsr
the entire jaw bone. The other bows
] sGfhed ana started to run and the FIR.
+ ing became general
sAlDheus ard Burchard Berry were
shot in the back of the head. the bullets
passing clear through and causing al
most instant death. The old gentleman
must have fallen down in the excite
ment and been shot lying as the bullet
inferred the abdomen and ranging M
ward Is supposed to have pierced tbe
heart Beach Berry escaped behind a
building with but a slight wound on
the thigh and afterward made p RIM ia
the house. As he ran. Chauncev aDe45sv,
stuck his head above the sod wall and
he fired at him with his pistol The
shot killed one of the Dewey horses and
was the only shot fired by the Berrys.
being after all the murders had been
/ committed Roy Berry rose on his
hands and knees and attempted to
icrecp to tie house but the sang ir1med-
lately commenced firing at him. putting
two bullets through the rim of his hat.
so he dropped down and remained quiet
until the gang departed when he mount :
ed a horse and rode to the home of L..
L. Capron two miles away and had his
wound attended to-
Roy, Burehard and Beach Berry
wore pistols but D. P and A W
Berry were totally unarmed, We're never
known to carry any weapon and We're
as inoffensiVe and defenseless aS sheep
Coroner Waterman. County Attorney
L. D. Hotchkiss and several other citi-
Il zens of St. Francis proceeded at once
to the scene of the ira gedy. A jury was
lmpaneled who upon viewing the re
mains and hearing the testimony Of
witnesses found that the deceased came
to their death at the hands of Chauncey
Dewey. William Mcbride and Clyde
Wilson
Sheriff McCulloch and Deputy E B.
Robertson proceeded to Oak ranch bat
the accused refused to be arrested say
ing they feared violence at the hands
of q mob
The people of four counties are trs-
mendously wrought up and it is likely
that this lamertable climax will end
the operations of the Dewey Cattle COM
pany in this part of the state.
The people of Cheyenne county, es-
pecially those who opposed and defeat
ed the herd law petition last year are
Indirectly responsible for this shocking
crime. With the herd law of 1874 in
force the Dewey people couldn't have
continued to Cypress and run over peo-
pie in this county,
By DECOY LETTER.
A Booking Agent Is Caught by De-