The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1904-03-25
BEWEYS ACQUITTED OF MURDER
EoRToE JURY RENDER VERDICT AFTER
% HOURS DELIBERATIOH.
Verdict Very Unpopular in Western Kan
sas and the Jurors Were Hung in II
hgy In Norton COurtyard-For
Murder Of Burchard Berry.

Chauncey Dewey, W. J. Mcbride and
Clyde Wilson, charged with the murder
of Burchard Berry in Cheyenne county
June 3, 1908, were acquitted Saturday
night by a jury which had considered
the case % hours. Eighteen ballots
were taken before a verdict was reached.
The names of the jurors were: G. E.
Lyon, James Hurst, o. n. Darling, L.
S. Shelley Thomas Woods, Joseph Arch
er, H. Mathes. Joseph COnaTty, L. ".
Piinney, G. L. Lecount, George s.
Pollard, John Kinzer, all farmers.
The verdict Of the jury is very IN
popular with the people of Norton
county. Disinterested lawyers, bust
ness men, farmers and people general
" were greatly surprised and extremely
Disguised at the result. Public opinion
was so incensed that Monday night
the jurors were hanged in efigy to
trees in the Norton county courtyard.
The people who came down town early
on that morning found twelve figures
hanging from the different trees in the
court house yard. Each figure bore
the name of a juror. Later the straw
men were cut down and while they
were lying on the ground they were
photographed. At nine O'Clock the
figures, which were old clothes stuffed
with hay, were burned by ex-Sheriff
Hatcher. One excited old man, a farm
er, made a tour Of the business streets
of Norton with long rope looking for
a Dewey man, but he could not be
found. People everywhere who took
interest in the case, say hard things of
the jury. Popular opinion may yet
urge the state to prosecute the Berry
killers upon the charge of the murder
of either Daniel or Alpheus Berry. A
much stronger case still could be made
against the defendants for the slaughter
of the old man, who was unarmed and
offered no opposition to the men who
killed him apparently in cold blood.
After the decision of the jury had
been received by the court, Chauncev
Dewey, William Mcbride and CIvde
Wilson left for Manhattan. Chauncey
received numerous kilograms of con-
gratulatiOns from Chicago, Denver,
Kansas City and Topeka. Clyde Wilson
left for Salina to visit his parents, but
viii return to Manhattan to resume
work in the c. P. Dewey Offices. Nc
Bride was accompanied by his wife,
who was with him during the trial, and
they went to Eureka Lake hotel. the
summer resort owned by Dewey, where
they will live.
The story of the tragedy told at the
preliminary trial at St. Francis by
Beach Berry, which was reproduced
without variation at the Norton trial,
and not cOntroverted by the defense, is
as follows:
ION the I'd day of June, Al Winship
bought a water tank at a sale at my
brothers house. On the morning of
the Sd 1 was at my brother Alpheus'
home. Len CaprOn, Alpheus and Birch
Berry. Roy Berry and my father was
there. We had dinner at my home, a
mile and half south. After dinner we
went back to AlPheus' house on our
way to Roy Berry's place, eight miles
east of AlPheus' place. We saw a
number of men ride into Alpheus'
place before we started. There were a
number of men on horseback and two
or three in wagon.
I'VE rode into the yard and tied our
horses. We then started to the place