Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-05-23
JURY IN SESSION
No One Yet Held for ASS assina.
ton of Daniel
Berry.
A LAWYER WELL KNOWN
Had Practiced in Rock Island County
Courts and Was Interested in
Pending Litigation.

The coroner's jury that is investiga-
ting the assassination of Daniel S.
Berry, the Savanna attorney, is still in
session and not yet ready to report.
There were no new developments to-
day
The assassination announced in the
evening papers yesterday caused con-
siderable surprise among the friends
and acquaintance or Mr.. Berry in
Rock Island. He was a man well
known at the bar here. being attorney
for the Chicago. Milwaukee & St. Paul
Railway company and assisting in the
trial of several of their cases here. He
only recently took an active part in the
trial of the cases of the village of
Hampton against that company and
was interested in some that are still
on the docket.
known an Legislator.
Dan Berry was also well known in
this locality as legislator. he having
served three terms in the assembly.
He was first elected TO the house of
representatives in 1890. and was re-
elected in 1892 and 1894 1t was dur
ing his last term that Mr. Berry was
made the object of savage newspaper
attacks. With several other members
he was severely criticised, and at one
time legal proceedings were threaten
ed by both sides.
He always took an active part in To-
cal politics and was a participant in
many of the most important legal con
tests that have taken place here in the
last quarter of a century.
Admitted to the Bar.
He studied law with Henry & John.
son in Sterling and w. J. Mccoy at
Morrison and .. F. Woodruff of Nor.
rison, until the fall of 1882. when he
was admitted to the bar of the appel.
late court at Chicago and also was ad-
mitied to practice before the supreme
court.
He removed 20 Savanna in 1888, and
enjoyed some success, being elected
city attorney and then president of the
board of education. He was attorney
for several railroads.
Theory As to Motive.
Berry was killed in the morning at
| the door of his office and in the after
noon the cOroner's jury was empanel
| ed. Witnesses were examined by the
| jury in an attempt to verify or disprove
| persistent rumOrs which have connect
| ed the name of prominent business
man of Savanna with the murder Ac
cording to the story which is rife there
| there has been talk for some time OF
the alleged relations of Berry with the
wife of this man. At the coroner's in
vestigation this phase of the situation
was gone into extensively yesterday
| afternoon, and will probably be a prom
inent subject of the investigation.
jealousy Suspected.
| The business man connected with the
rumor is said TO have been much
wrought up over his suspicious con
corning the relations between his wife
and Berry. He is also said to have
been in very serious financial straits
of late, and the two causes combined
preyed upon his mind until he became
almost a physical wreck.
a woman who was a witness before
| the coroner's jury yesterday afternoon
| testified that she was in this mans
| oNOlt anu that llG Ndo NdllllE Oh 0GI
at the time the shots were heard that
must have killed Berry.
Made Foes in Lawsuits.
Another theory is that former Sena
| tor Berry was killed by someone who
| had cherished a gTudge against Kim on
| account of his qualities of hard fighting
in lawsuits. Berry was known through
out this section of the state as a bril-
liant and biting lawyer. who made op
| position witnesses and contestants in
suits smart under his sharp question
| ing and his bitter haTangues to juries
Former Senator Berry arose late
yesterday morning. On arriving down
| town the first point he visited was the
postoffice- With his mail under his
arm he walked to his law office in the
opera house block. At the top of the
landing one door leads 10 Berry's
rooms and another into the body of the
opera house.
As Berry put the key into the door
| it is supposed, he was shot twice from
| behind. One of the bullets passed
through the fIeshy part of his right arm
and the other entered his head Just
back of his right ear. passed through
his brain and came out at the left TEN
nile