Beadle County, SD News.....Disputed Land Claim June 15, 1887
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Gaye Hill http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00013.html#0003205 July 15, 2013, 2:44 am

Great Falls Tribune, Great Falls, MT June 15, 1887
Hello - I am ***NOT*** related to these persons, but was researching for my 
Kelsey linage and this article came up.  The circumstances were such and the 
detail enough that I believe the article refers to this person.  I will leave 
it up to you to decide if you wish to post with the reference.









Great Falls Tribune newspaper, Semi-Weekly, Montana Territory

Wednesday 15 June 1887; Front Page, Column 1



AWFUL BUTCHERY



A Disputed Land Claim Causes A Fearful Tragedy 



Huron, Dak(ota), June 6 - A quadruple murder and suicide occurred in Lake Byron 
to-day, as a result of a land dispute of long standing.  Simon S. Neilson who 
had used threatening language against the Shaw family, went to a field where 
were Mrs. Shaw, her sister Miss Lyman, her brother E. S. Lyman and J. A. Kelsey 
a neighbor.  Mrs. Shaw's son Corwin was also there ploughing.(sic)



When Corwin had plowed across the field with Lyman just behind him, and turned 
to make another furrow, Neilson came out with a Winchester rifle and shot at 
Lyman, who dashed behind his horses and was not hit.  Lyman called to 
all:  "Run for your lives!"  Corwin ran, but he fell dead, shot through the 
heart, the ball entering his back at a distance of thirty yards.  Neilson fired 
at Kelsey, who fell shot through the right lung and Neilson supposed him dead.  
By that time the murderer had got up to the two women, who stopped and faced 
him.  When they saw that Corwin had fallen they ran no further.  Mr. Lyman said 
that Neilson came up to the women, talked to them, reloaded his gun and then 
deliberately shot each of them to death.  When Miss Lyman was shot she was seen 
by her brother to be kneeling before the tiger-like monster piteously pleading 
for her life, but he knew no mercy.   He put the muzzle of the Winchester close 
to her face and shot her in the left temple.  Neilson then pulled out his 
knife, and stabbed her in the right breast, and his appetite for others' blood 
was satiated.  



He walked back past the three he had killed, and onward toward home, which he 
soon reached.  Then Neilson went into the house and said to his wife, "There's 
three less of them."  Then he went outside where his horse was saddled as 
though he would ride away, but in a moment a report of a gun was heard, and as 
Mrs. Neilson went to the door she saw him fall dead to the ground, a bullet in 
his right temple.  



Kelsey died soon after being shot.  The parents of the ladies who were killed 
lived in Chester, Geauga County, Ohio.  They have been advised of the affair.  
Mr. Kelsey was the superintendent, and Miss Layman the assistant, of a Sunday 
School in their neighborhood.  Both were in their places yesterday.  Mr. Kelsey 
belonged to the Baptist, and the two ladies to the Methodist.



***Find A Grave Memorial# 66353309

   Flora E. (Lyman) Shaw

***Find A Grave Memorial# 66353246

   Corwin B. Shaw

***Find A Grave Memorial# 65987234

   Alice L. Lyman

***Find A Grave Memorial# 113818965

   J. A. Kelsey



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