The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-06-21
DEWEY-BERRY CASE.

fC0ntfnCeO from f'aSe Oue.I
rvs claimed that their men were un-
armed and that three of them were at
work in the field and another was at
the ranch house.
Dewey claimed that his men went
to a place near the Berry residence
to get n water tank which one of his
employees had purchased the day
before at sheriffS sale and that while
the men were loading the tank into a
wagon the Berrys armed with Win
chesters and revolverS opened fire on
them.
Feeling ran high in the northwest
ern part of the state after the killing.
The DeweyS owned the largest ranch
in the northwestern part of the state.
1t consisted of more than 10000
acres, was owned by c. p Dewey, ST.,
of Chicago, and managed by his son,
Chaunoey. Chauncey Dewey is a man
of good education Among his friends
he is known-and was at the time Of
the Shooting-aS being every inch a
gentleman. His lands were known as
Oak ranch and were finely improved
and fenced. At his headquarters in
Rawlins county his ranch house was
one of the finest in the state. Ii
brary filled with books of much value
was testimony to his refinement. The
library was located at his Rawlins
county headquarters.
Dewey Charged With Manslauehter.
The day after the Berry shooting a
coroner's jury which sat at st. Fran
els, Kan. charged Dewey with killing
one of the Berrys and wounding an
other. The jury also returned a YER
dict that the Berrys were unarmed.
The following day Sheriff McCulloch
of Cheyenne county placed Chauncey
Dewey and two of his cowboys, Clyde
Wilson and w. J. Mcbride, under ar
rest. Wilson lived at Salina prior to
his employment by Dewey. He served
with considerable distinction during
the Spanish American war with the
Fighting Twentieth" Kansas. At the
ranch he was employed as a cowboy
and bOokkeeper. W. J. Mcbride was
an ex-soldier. having served in the
famous Sixteenth artillery.
On the third day after the shooting,
Chauncey Dewey, in n communication
to the State Journal. stated his side of
the case. He stated that on the day
before Tom Lebo, AL Winchip and
sheriffs sale water tank standing on
or near the Berry premises Dewey
stated that his men went to the place
and asked for permission to move the
tank which was granted. While they
were loading the tank, Dewey claimed
that five of the Berrys and ten Va
prona relatives appeared on the scene
and opened fire on the Oak ranch en-
ployees. In his communication, Dewey
charged that tho Berrys had been
disposed to attack and threaten his
employees.
June 6, Sheriff McCulloch wired
the Dewey men whom he had under
arrest at Dewey headquarters in Raw
Inns county. McCulloch gave the gov
ernor the impression that he feared
violence. The militia was sent from
Osborne and things quieted down con-
sidera bly,.
County Attorney Asks Help.
I. d. Hotchkiss, county attorney
of Cheyenne county, asked the gov
ernor to instruct the attorney general
to help prosecute the Deweys. The
attorney general was so instructed.
General L. w. Colby of Beatrice, Neb
was also employed by the Cheyenne
county commissioners to assist in the
prosecution. The Deweys employed
Senator j. E. Hessin, a criminal and
civil lawyer of Manhattan, to defend
them.
During the first days following the
shooting the Dewey ranch suffered
much. Fences were cut and cattle
killed. During the second week fol-
lowing the shooting, Dewey. Mcbride
and Wilson were bound over to the
district court on three charges of muir
der in the first degree. This was done
at a preliminary hearing. The pre-
,iminary was held at st. Francis, with
militia standing as a solid wall be-
tween the prisoners and the curious