Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-21
WOMAN KILLS SHERIFF
Herself RiddIed With Shot in
Defending Husband.
WOUNDS TWO DEPUTIES
Mountaineer's Wife Defends Cabin
Home Against Posse.
FOUR HOURS OF FIERCE BATTLE
Man and Wife Succumb to Terrible
Injuries in Fight to Death
in Arkansas. :
WOUNDS TWO DEPUTIES
FOUR HOURS OF FIERCE BATTLE

WEST PLAINS, Mo, September IL
After remarkable battle in the Ozark
mountains near Prestonia, Ark. yester-
day between sheriff's posse and John
Roberts and his wife, barricaded in their
home, Sheriff Leo Mooney and Mrs
Roberts are dead. Roberts is dying and
three members of the posse are more or
less seriously wounded.
Roberts Saturday night assassnated
ODE Kessinger an act that called out the
sheriffs posse.
Mooney met death at the hands OF
Mrs Roberts, who fought with extraordi-
nary fierceness and bravery, defending
her husband and her home until she fell
After four hours of long-range fighting
the posse storned and carried the house.
Mrs. Roberts was found lying beneath
a window rifle clasped in her stiffening
fingers and blood oozing from fourteen
wounds Roberts was shot eight times.
The sanguinary affair was the outcome
of a feud between Roberts and his neigh
Dor, kessinger. of almost years stand
ing. Both lived in the heart of the
Ozarks. and, like true mountaineers.
Stunned the courts of justice to settle
their differences, recognizing the right Of
might only.
Roberts Murders His Neighbor.
Roberts rode Saturday night over to
| Kessinger's cabin and hallooed TO him to
come outside kessinger threw the door
wide open and stood in the light from
| the lamp in the cabin behind him-an
| easy target.
Without word Roberts raised his rifle
and fired, the bullet taking Gessinger
squarey in the forehead. AS his enemy
| pitched forward on his face Roberts
turned and rode away, while the dead
mans wife carried the body into the
ca bin and then rode six miles to Presto
| mia. the nearest settlement. from where
| news of the murder was telephoned TO
| Mountain Home, the county seat Of Bax-
| ter county.
Sheriff Mooney organized a posse of six
| deputies and arrived in sight of the place
| just before noon. Mrs. Roberts, who
| was at well. was warned by the gal
| Looping of the horses and. calling to her
| husband as she ran. disappeared in the
| cabin. She reappeared at the door In an
instant, holding repeating ri1e IN her
hands. As the posse. led by the sherln
dashed toward the cabin, she called to
! them, warning them away.
Fierce Amazon Opens Fire.
AS they approached closer she opened
fire, her first shot hitting the sheriff,
who fell from his horse mortally wound
ed. His fall disconnected the members
of the posse for a few minutes and while
they carried the dying man to the edge
of the woods Roberts and his wife bar
ricaded the door of their cabin.
They then took up positions at windows.
Mrs. Roberts commanded the rear of the
house where the posse first attacked,
and her husband fired from a side win
dow, preventing a flank movement on the
part of the posse.
Mat Lnw:ey. a farmer and member OF
the posse, was shot as he peered from
,,l- ID, hill OF rny,,
one of the rifles in the cabin taking off
the tip of his nose. His son, who Ven
tured close TO the besieged. was shot in
the hip as he made a rush toward the
door.
When the posse had tried without avail
for three hours to capture the cabin and
were in consultation in the woods, Sheriff
Conkin of Ozark county and his deputy,
Lyman Steven, who had heard over the
telephone that posse had gone into the
mountains. joined them and assisted IN
the next assault.
Both Defenders Found Dying.
Reinforced, the men attempted to make
concerted attack on the cabin from all
sides. but were unable to get past the
clearing and around the cabin. so deadly
and rapid was Roberts fire from the win
dow. Frequently they saw Mrs. Roberts
head at the windows as she took hasty
aim and fired at tree or stump which
sheltered deputy. 1t was impossible to
follow her movements. rapidly did she
fire from the different openings in the
cabin walls. The posse were loath to
shoot at the woman, and though she was
hit fourteen times each wound was made
by a stray bullet, or one that had first
penetrated the wall.
After every assault had failed the posse
decided to make one more effort to sur
round the cabin, taking a wide detour
While one detachment mounted and rode
away the other again opened fire to de-
ceive the besieged. Their fire drew no re-
sponses. and some of the holder crept up
to window and peered in.
Roberts had fallen near q window and
the unconscious form of his wife was
lying across him. as though she had at
tempted to go to him when he fell. Her
right hand was clenched around the stock
of her rifle. which was empty. and her
dress was saturated with blood from the
wounds in her head and body.