The Butler weekly times., 1909-06-24

double bsrreled shotguns and a re-
volver have been emptied into his
body, filing 1t with fifty shot and de-
stroying the sight OF his right eye.
But Berry still is alive and he bobs
up now as bellicose as ever:
mo, SIR" he exclaimed. IL am not |
afraid to talk, and / would like TO |
see the color OF the mans eyes who |
says l am"
Berry sat down on the front porch |
while his wife, six sons and three
daughters grouped themselves In the
windows and the front door. He
told, with frequent lively comments
by the members OF the family, the
story of the beginning OF the ieud,
the fight concerning the opossum
that brought the open rupture and
the events that led up to the ssssssi-
nation OF Clyde Hatfield In this way:
"Along about nine years ago bur-
glars stole suit and three razors
from my home l traced the theft
until l found out the four young
men that did II, They belonged TO
good families, but l didn't make any
bones about telling who they we're
to anyone l chsnced TO meet. After
the burglary the barn of DR.. j. o,
Wilkerson was burned one night.
and his horse and some cattle were
destroyed. Then Wiley Yoaknm lost
eleven head OF stock by fire another
night. didn't have much doubt as
to who was doing these things. l
went to the losers and advised them
TO join me In taking steps to stop
the depredations. They were for
peace, and let 1t go at that.
No open trouble came until two
years ago. One night my boys, WIN
and Grover, were returning from a
successful 'possum hunt. They met
up with Ed Clinton and Frank Kin
caid and five other boys of the neigh
borhood. The Kincaids are related
to about half Of the people in the
county. These boys wanted my sons
to cook the 'possum then and they
refused. A fight followed and one OF
my sons cut one OF the kincaid boys
slightly In the back. My boys we're
fined $l1 each. | thought as the
fight had been forced on them and
they were outnumbered this was un.
just. / appealed the case.
"Afser thatevery day at school my
boys and the Kincaid boys and their
friends fought or threatened each
other. Then | heard shat Alvis Kin
csid, the father, had been threaten
Ing me, and | became angry. Then
one night l heard that Alvis Kincaid
and his sons were going to gang
my boys at church. guess l was
itching for a fight. Anyway l went
up. dared the whole gang away
! from the place OF worship so could
! fight freely without desecrssing any
spot. They refuse to come.
Thanksgiving nighs, a month Ia
ter, twenty masked men dressed as
women, entered my house when we
were all asleep. They took me and
two OF my sons and sled US to trees.
Then they whipped lie. After they
united me they attempted to put a
rope about my neck fought them
off and ran In my nightshirt to my
home. There l got my Winchester
, and returned. The night riders were
, just starting down the road. They
, went faster when they saw me with
my gun. One OF them was In such q
hurry that he left a $65 revolysr"fy-
, ing In the road. have It yet.
II had eleven men indicted in the
county court for assault with intent
, to kill for that affair. The case has
been continued at two terms OF the
court. l cannot understand why
this has been done. The last time
} the trial was to have been was In the
: May term OF court. The Sunday aft-
: or my return home from Richmond
was going along the road with my
14-year-oid son, Charlie, when l was
. bombarded from ambush by four
men dressed In women's clothing.
, They had three shotguns and a re-
Z volver, and was peppered good.
| The doctor hasn't been able TO take
, the shot from my body yet. My right
eye Is sightless, now. One OF the shot
? entered Il.
Il "Before this shootinu had a talk