The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1918-05-02
OFFICERS DEYANEY
AND GOWN KILLED
BY TIRE THIEVES

Cne officers took place, a store had
been robbed at Berwick, N. D., and a
number of automobile tires, some
watches and guns were stolen. The
robbers, who proved to be Shirley and
Ticknor, were driven from Minot to
Berwick and return by Jay Parriott,
one time Minot pigger, better known
as "Red" Parriott, who used his own
Hupmobile. The number of the car
was ascertained by officers at some
town down the line and Parriott was
suspected, even before the shooting
occurred Friday night. His car was
tracked to within a mile of the city,
where all trace of it or the stolen
goods was lost.
Vac Barta, a we'll known north pra-
irie farmer, who was engaged in put
ting in wheat on the Maloney farm,
saw an automobile track which cross
ed the fresh blowing, and thinking it
was queer that a car had been driven
across the farm, followed the track,
which led up to an east line fence
along the entire length of which q lot
Of Russian thistles had been piled by
the wind. Looking into the weeds he
saw the Berwick tires which had been
hidden there by the robbers. 1t ap-
peared that the tires had first been
hidden at the Buck home, but for fear
of whiskey raid, they were taken to
the Maloney farm. Barta hailed
Chauncey Jones, who was passing the
farm in his automobile, and Jones pro-
ceeded to the Minot police station,
where he notified the officers. An auto
was sent out and the tires brot to the
police station. That afternoon about
five o'clock, four men in a car drove
thru the field and seeing Barta, asked
him the road to Flaxton.
At $3.50 o'clock that night, the po-
lice department made plans for catch
ing the tire thieves, who evidently
would be back that night looking for
their tires. Jones volunteered to use
his car in driving the officers out to
the Maloney farm. Night Officer Pat
rick Devaney and Special Agent Ker-
sey E. Gown volunteered to take
charge of the job. They arrived at
the Maloney farm shortly after ten
o'clock and stopped their car on the
road about ten feet from the Ford car
which had been driven there by Buck
and Ticknor. Those men had left their
car and had gone down along the
fence in the Roach pasture, adjoining
the Maloney wheat field. Owing to
the darkness the officers could not see
them, and besides the bandits were
hiding behind the huge pile Of thistles.
GOWN was walking just a few feet
ahead of Devaney and when about $50
feet from the road, they saw the BAN
dts suddenly stand up. Jones, who
remained in the car at first, says he
distinctly heard two shots whiz past
him and the third shot struck Officer
Devaney in the right breast, plowing
it's way thru the liver and lodging in
the back. Without a cry of any kind,
the officer fell back dead. Officer De-
vaney had his revolver with him but
it was not loaded, and even had it
been loaded, he would have had no
chance to use it. The officers were in
the Maloney wheat field, close to the
fence, and the bandits were just
across the fence in the Roach pasture
when the shooting occurred. The BAN
dts got fairly good view Of the Of
ficers for they were about ten feet
away from the fence when the shoot
ing began.
The first shot, which proved to be
the fatal one, struck Mr.. Gown thru
the chest and the second one passed
thru his abdomen. Despite his tern.
BILE pain, he lay upon the ground and
fired thirteen shots at the bandits,
with his automatic revolver. Forum
ately for the bandits, none of them
took effect, but they came uncomfort-
ably close. GOWN was game to the
very last. He dragged himself up to
fence post that he might steady his
aim, and continued to fire until all the
shells had been used. He then whip
ped out small automatic revolver
and fired several shots. 1t is estimat-
ed that he fired from thirteen to fif-
teen shots at the bandits, who ran
back thru the pasture to the road. The
next morning, States Attorney Her
igstad found GOWNS big revolver be-
side the post and there were numerous
bullet marks in Roach's pasture, as
evidence of a red hot battle. Empty
shells were lying everywhere, show
ing that the bandits had fired numer-
Gus shots also. Gown, who could not
VAIN, SIdW1eu Dc1eh IoWSaIuo iiAo S~i
The bandits came west along the road
towards their own car and by that
time Chauncey Jones, who was not
armed, thot it would be wise to make
his exit. AS he left the car, the BAN
dts fired, and one bullet cut the pad
lock off the rear of the Jones car.
Chauncey took cover under the Rus
sian thisties, about thirty feet from
the road and just few feet from the
spot to which Gown had crawled.
Ticknor saw GOWN making his way
to his car and calling to Buck said
There's the s finish him.
Buck stood thirty feet away and fired
two more shots into Mr.. GOWNS body
with his big .S8 gun, one passing thru