The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1883-12-21

Snerlu canton ana STOCK inspector
Enochs returned last Monday from a
two weeks trip through Cook county,
Black Hills in Dakota, etc., where
they had been endeavoring to arrest
certain parties who are charged with a
systematic stealing of cattle on Powder
river during the last season.
VIM. Reed, Jim Stewart, Ebb. Stew
art, Andy Foster, Lee Halnes and Jim
Baker have all been employed during
the past season by different Arms and
stockmen on Powder river. 1t was dis
covered early In the season that the
calf crop was much shorter and less
than expected, aud comparatively no
mavericks were returned as branded
for the different stock owners in that
section of the country; 1t was also dis
covered that those same above named
parties had started several brands, and
that their herds were growing with re-
markable rapidity, but yet no clue
could be obtained at that time which
would impllcate any person with steal
ing or branding cattle not their own,
until sometime during the latter part
OF August, when Charles Lavering,
with about $500 head of cattle be-
longing to the Little Venture cattle
company, of Washington, Kansas, con-
cluded while driving his cattle on his
range on Lower Powder river, to rest a
few days or Upper Powder river near
crossing at the bridge. VIM. Reed
vas employed by him to assist with
the cattle. One morning, however,
when Mr.. Lavering counted his cattle
he discovered that about ninety head
were missing and none of his employees
could Tor at least wouldn't) give him
any information as to their where
sbouts. Finally Mr.. Ebb. Stewart,
who was at that time foreman for the
Powder River L. S. Co., kindly offered
his assistance in hunting up the cattle,
and Mr.. Lavering left the whole mat
ter with him and took the balance of
his cattle upon his range on Lower
Powder river.
Investigation began at once, and it
was discovered that William Reed and
several of the above named parties cut
the cattle out of Lavering's herd dur
ing the night time, and they were de-
livered to Ebb Stewart and a couple OF
other parties above named, who held
the cattle IN the bad lands until Mr..
Lavering left; then they burnt out the
Little Venture cattle company's brand,
and took the cattle over on the Belle
Fouche, ia Crook county, and sold
them to Jack Rodgers, John Porter
and George Hoover. all in the employ
Of the Standard cattle company, for
5000, and the money was divided
among the parties above named.
About this time and before our author
tiles had learned all the facts and had
concluded to act, the stock association
met at Cheyenne and advertised to the
world that terrible things had happen
ed up In Johnson county; that there
would be some wonderful develop
ments, and that the guilty parties were
known and would be prosecuted and
that in fact warrants we're out for their
arrest, etc. all this occurred about or
before the time the warrants were
placed In the hands of the officers. The
result was that all the parties for whom
warrants are issued are, and have been
since the warrants were placed in the
hands of the officers, fugitives from
justice, and the officers are unable to
6nd them. Messrs. Canton and Enochs
heard of some of the parties while at
Deadwood, n of whom had been in
jail while there for a petty misdemean-
or, but had been discharged several
weeks before. They found the LAYER
ing cattle and also found that they had
been rebranded. There will probably
be no difficulty experienced by Mr..
Layering in getting his cattle, which is
n fortunate thing, wen If the perpe-
traitors of the crime by bad manage
ment go UNPUBLISHED buffalo Echo.