Decatur County Journal Leon, Decatur County, Iowa December 24, 1896 THE BARRETT-EVANS FEUD. WITH PISTOLS AND CLUBS Literary Society at Boothtown Rudely Interrupted. __________________ 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 (McMurtrey) Seifert Thursday, May 17, 2001

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