The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1909-06-19

ed times without number; he has
Deen taken from his home at night by
the night riders and whipped; an at
tempt to hang him has been made;
and the contents of three double
barreled shotguns and revolver
have been emptied into his body, fill
ing it with fifty shot and destroying
the sight of his right eye. But Berry
still Is alive and he bobs up now as
bellicose as ever.
NO, 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 feud, the fight
concerning the opossum that brought
the open rupture and the events that
led up to the assassination of Clyde
Hatfield in this way:
Along about nine years ago bur-
glars stole a suit and three razors
from my home. l traced the theft un-
til found out the four young men
that did it. They belonged to good
families, but l didn't make any bones
about telling who they were to any,
one | CHANGED to meet After the
burglary the barn of DR.. ]. o. Will
kerson was burned one night, and his
horse and some cattle were DESTROYED.
Then Wiley Yoakum lost eleven head
of stock by fire another night. l
didn't have much doubt as who was
doing these things. I went to the los
ers and advised them to join me in
taking steps to stop the depredations.
They were for peace and l let it go
at that
mo open trouble came until two
years ago. One night my boys, Will
and Grover, were returning from
successful 'possum hunt. They met
up with Ed. Clinton and Frank Kim
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 were
fined S11 each. thought as the fight
had been forced on them and they
were outnumbered this was unjust.
l appealed the case.
They We're Days of Battle.
After that every day at school my
boys and the Kincaid boys and their
friends fought or threatened each
other. Then l heard that Alvis Kin
caid, the father, had been threatening
me, and l became angry. Then one
night l heard that Alvis Kincaid and
his sons were going to gang my boys
at church. l guess was itching for
fight. Anyway went up. l dared
the whole gang away from the place
Of worship SO l could fight freely
without descrating any spot. They
refused to come. ....7....
thanksgiving night, q month lat
er., twenty masked men dressed as
women, entered my house when We
were all asleep. They tcck me and
two OF my sons and tied us to trees.
Then they whipped us. After they
united me they attempted to put
rope about my neck. l fought them
off and ran in my nightshirt to my
home. There 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
hurry that he left $65 revolver
lying in the road. l have it yet.
Il 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 after
my return home from Richmond
was going along the road with my
14-year-old son, Charlie. when l was
bombarded from ambush by four men
dressed in women's clothing. They
had three shotguns and a revolver,
and I was peppered good. The doctor
hasn't been able to take the shot from
my body yet. My right eye is sight
less, now. One of the shot entered
it.
Before tais shooting l had a talk
with Clyde Hatfield one night at his
house. told Clyde that he knew
something about this night riding
business and wanted him to tell 1t.
He told me some things and said he
would tell the rest at the proper time.
l took that. to mean he would tell ev-
erything at the trial. can explain
Clyde's death in no other way than
that it was known l had visited him
and that he was going to tell secrets
Of the night riders. The man that
shot Clyde fired on him from dense
shrubbery that surrounds the house.
A neighbor saw a man dressed in
woman's clothing enter this shrub
berry shortly before the shooting. He
says that he did not recognize the
man. The bullet that killed Clyde
entered the right shoulder and came
out the left shoulder. 1t was not
found.
Expects to Be Killed.
That's the story. don't know
what will become of me. suppose
will be killed before long. But will
not quit and move away. They can't
make me do that. All l have is here;
a farm of ninety-two acres. many cat
tie. my wife and nine children. I
cannot sell the land now for what
it is worth. will stick to it to the
end. am little. but l have whole
lot of fighting blood in me. The chill
dren have lot of that fighting blood,