Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-03-22
Mistellaueous Grading.
END OF A KANSAS COWBOY FEUD
A Trough That Cost Three Lives
and 100000.


dismissing a charge Of murder agains
Chauncey Dewey of Chicago and two
cowboys in his employ ends the mos
famous case in the history Of the
states feuds between cattlemen and
farmers. The other cases are pend
ing I'm the local courts against the trio
and there is a damage suit against
Dewey, but none of these will ever
come to trial.
Chauncey Dewey is remembered In
northwest Kansas as the handsomest
cowboy who ever crossed the sixth
principal meridian. He came out
here to manage his fathers big ranch
Of some 100000 acres.
The ranch Is the largest in the state
and Is located between the Burlington
and Rock Island railways, with head
quarters at Oak ranch. The elder
Dewey came here and fitted up the
place for his son. There was small
village at headquarters. Chauncey i'm
proved upon 1t.
He built a dwelling for himself, q
four room house with bathroom, hot
and cold water, lights and telephone
connection with the cook house, the
bunk house and every point on the
great ranch He could also talk with
Chicago over long distance telephone
from Colby.
Out back Of the dwelling he had a
gymnasium with punching bags and
a bowling alley. He used to have con-
tests with his cowboys for the box
ing championship of the ranch. He
was athletic enough to hold nearly
any one of them.
He brought from Chicago his $500
riding mare. Kentucky bred, and
rode her in rounding up the cattle.
The ranch was stocked with 5000
head of cattle.
The cowboys were not particu-
larly careful Of them and one win
ter the storms drove a bunch Of fine
Herefords into a gully, where a creek
was on one side and the hills on the
other. Two hundred died and their
bones were scattered just over the
hill. where the cowboys took the car
cases.
Dewey brought out from Chicago
some of his friends and they had a
good time. When they grew tired Of
chasing jack rabbits they went to
Manhattan, where the elder Dewey
had built a $4,000 hotel on little
lake and was running 1t in summer
resort style at loss Of 5000 a month.
The company had a pleasant time
there.
Over on the edge Of the ranch, just
where the farms came up to one side
of the Dewey property and almost
surrounded by the great ranch. lived
the Perry family. There were sever
al sons and they occupied little cab
In with a sod barn.
The Berry family did not like Dew
ey and there was a constant COM
plant that the ranch cattle ran over
the farm and destroyed the crops.
But Chauncey generally paid the
damages claimed and for a time
got on with them very well.
They rode at will over the ranch
and frequently visited the ranch head
quarters. On one Of these occasions
they borrowed from the ranch a
rough or tank. an oak affair. worth
probably SO. They took 1t home to
water their cattle and left It by the
windmill near the granary.
Dewey sent word to the Berrys to
bring home the tank. They replied:
Come and get It,"
The young Chicagoan was not afraid
to go. He called his cowboys togeth-
er. they armed themselves and start
ed for the Berry farm.
AS they were moving the tank the
Rerrys came into the yard and open
ed fire. The Deweys hid behind a sod
fence. The Berry contingent stayed
in the house or took refuge behind
the granary.
. In the end three of the Berrys lay
dead on the ground. The Dewey cow
boys were unhurt and rode back to
the ranch house, where they prepared
for a siege. Plenty Of guns and am
munition were ready for them and
they fitted up the bunk house like a
fort
But there was no siege. The sher-
iff took them to town: then they were
hurried to Topeka. The trial was a
celebrated one. The best lawyers in
the state were employed and 1t is said
that 1t cost the elder Dewey $4,000.
1t was impossible to get a verdict
and the case was transferred to the
adjoining county Of Norton, where
northwest Kansas gathered to attend
the trial. The jury disagreed and
there was talk of another trial, but
none ever came.
Chauncey Dewey was as cool in the
trial as ever. He gave party at To-
peka later and the favors were some
thing to make the Kansas eyes bulge
out. His father did not allow him to
go back to the ranch and except for
a night trip across the country with
days stay at old headquarters he
has never been in the county since
the time of the trial.
Two murder cases and a suit for
damages together with a suit charg-
ing the defendant with assault with
intent to kill are yet pending, but
they will not be tried. When three
terms of court have passed they will
probably be dismissed.
The elder Dewey dropped dead two
years ago Of apoplexy. He left
something more than a million to
Chauncey. The big ranch has been
run by superintendent and now is to
be broken up and sold for farms.
The Rerrys have moved to south
ern Oklahoma. The clubhouse at
Manhattan where the family spent a
small fortune trying to educate the
people of Kansas in the ethics Of the
swift summer resort life has been
sold to the Odd Fellows and they have
int MI 10 riitrn No