Decatur County Journal
December 24, l896

WITH PISTOLS AND CLUBS
- - - - -
Literary Society at Boothtown Rudely Interrupted.
- - - - - - - - -
THE BARRETT-EVANS FEUD.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Fight Between the Parties at the Boothtown School House - Details of the
Affair -- Frightened Onlookers.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Details of a terrible encounter between members of the EVANS and BARRETT
families last Friday evening formed the principal topic of conversation
on the streets of Leon Saturday. These are two quite prominent families
residing in Eden and Hamilton Townships. For the past four or five
years, the most intense hatred has existed between the families and
during that period several fights have occurred, one notably last
election day at Eden Prairie in which one of the BARRETT boys was
severely punished at the hands of one of the EVANS boys.

It is said that the feud originated in a very trivial matter. One of
the BARRETTS, or vice versa, slapped one of the younger members of the
other family. The male members of both families are all large men, well
built and possessing great strength and in point of numbers about
equally matched.

Last Friday evening a literary society met at the Boothtown School house
in Hamilton Township. SAM EVANS and CHARLEY SMALLWOOD, the latter a
great friend of the former, with their ladies, were present. At the
conclusion of the exercises, the party of four mentioned above started
for the school house door, intending to leave for their homes. However,
the BARRETT boys had preceded them. Just as SMALLWOOD reached the
threshold he was struck on the head with a club and fell to the floor.
EVANS was also attacked and naturally dropped back within the school
room, pulled his revolvers and began shooting towards the open door. In
the face of this fusillade, the BARRETTS advanced into the room and the
fracas assumed proportions which soon cleared the room of people. At
the beginning of the firing, by some means, some of the lights in the
building went out. Men, women and children threw themselves pell-mell
through the windows, which by the way, are six feet above ground, taking
glass, sashes and all in their sudden flight. The few unable to obtain
egress crouched down in the corners, expecting every moment to intercept
one of the flying bullets. The scene was animated and quite unusual for
a literary society. The screaming of women, crying of children, shouts
of the men and cracking of shots mingled in one hideous uproar.

At one time during the fray FRED BARRETT narrowly escaped instant death
at the hands of SAM EVANS. The latter pointed his gun full at BARRETT's
body but before he could pull the trigger, was knocked down by JOHN
BARRETT. Then FRED BARRETT seized a club and struck EVANS across the
side of the head. EVANS was roughly handled and severely bruised.
Probably the affair only continued ten or fifteen minutes when seemingly
by mutual consent the combatants ceased their strife.

Impossible as it may seem, neither of the BARRETTS received wounds of
any consequence. One ball passed through the upper part of FRED
BARRETT's clothing, slightly bruising one shoulder and the back of the
neck. JOHN BARRETT's wounds consisted of a very slight flesh wound over
the abdomen caused by a bullet in its passage through his clothing.
CHARLES SMALLWOOD was slightly bruised about the head and several of his
front teeth broken. EVANS' wounds were more serious than those of any
other party to the fray. The left side of his head was very badly
bruised, his left ear damaged to a considerable extent and left eye
injured.

Twelve shots were fired, all by EVANS and SMALLWOOD, and the effects of
the shots were felt by no one but the two BARRETTS. This is accounted
for by the fact that all the shots were directed toward the door, while
the crowd was fleeing through the windows in the opposite direction. It
is said that the two BARRETTS carried revolvers, but neither fired a
shot.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copied by Nancee
 

==============================
Search over 1 Billion names at Ancestry.com!
http://www.ancestry.com/rd/rwlist1.asp