, 1884-10-25
Ne" Developments in the Houck-
BetteIyoun Suit.
The Defendant Arrested Late Last
Evening for Perjury.
The Many Peculiar Capacities in
Which Mr.. Stanton Appears.

N@ff NAfNJOio anu lnONt ul-
rcctly interested in ranch properties. 1t
has been hotly contested, personal feeling
has been e%ngendered at various times and
last night a sensational tint was given the
case by the arrest of Mr.. Bettelyoun on a
charge of perjury.
Anything like a correct understanding
Of the situation can be obtained only by
an explanation of the action, which. in
brief, is as follows:
In 1881 Isaac Bettelyoun filed upon
800 acres of unoccupied land in the vi
cinity of Fort Laramie, taking the land
under the provisions of the desert act.
This Summer he made the final payments
required by law and obtained his receipt
therefor. George Houck, the ostensible
plaintiff, brought an action, the purpose
Of which was to debar Bettelyoun from
obtaining a patent to the land, upon the
grounds that it was not desert land and
upon the additional grounds that Bethel
youn had failed to irrigatc the land as
alleged in the preliminary papers upon
which the issuance of the patent must be
based.
In addition to the official facts in the
case there is an unofficial and popular side
which is worthy of mention, Houck, the
apparent plaintiff, has at no time during
the taking of testimony, been present,
and a theory has been advanced that he
has no personal interest in the case, but
on the contrary is merely pulling the
chestnuts out Of the fire for Messrs. Hill
and Wild, of Fort Laramie, who are per
sonal enemies of B~ettelyoun, and who are
the real plaintiffs.
During the past two days the tempera-
ture Of personal feeling has been steadily
rising, and yesterday it eliminated, it is
said, in a message to Bettelyoun to the eff
feet that, if he appeared and testified, as
it was expected he might testify, he would
be arrested for perjury. 1t is stated Bet
telyoun considered the message as a threat
made solely for the purpose of frightening
him. Vest srday afternoon he took the
stand, however, and testified in
regard to his alleged failure to
comply with the law as applying to desert
lands and also as to the improvements he
made upon the property in litigation.
After Bettelyoun's testimony was con
cluded the case was ontinued until Mon
day, but in a short time the plaintiffs
made good their alleged threat.
Isaac F. Hill, one of the men alleged to
be one of the real plaintiffs, appeared be
fore Fed. j. Stanton, United States
Commissioner, and swore to an
affidavit charging Bettelyoun with
perjury. The complaint alleges that
when Bettelyoun was testifying IN the
case he was asked ''If the amount of
water in the bitches was sufficient to ire
gate the land to which question he
answered, There was water enough in
the main ditch to irrigate the land but as
it had not been cleared of sage brush, he
did not consider it worth while to distrib-.
ute the water over the whole tract" In
answer to a question as to what crops
could be produced on the land, it is
stated in the complaint hat Bettelyoun
said that Ebay and vegetables adapted to
this climate could be grown. 1t is also
alleged that the witness further testified
that water had been conveyed in bitches
upon each material subdivision Of the
land as required by law. The complaint
concludes by affirming that the testimony
quoted was material to the case and CON
stituted the perjury as charged.
Mr.. Stanton thereupon issued a warrant
for Bettelyoun's arrest, and last evening
gave the paper TO Officer malley to serve.
At first Mr.. Smalley refused to arrest Mr..
Bettelyoun upon the authority of the war
rant, but finally he became satisfied that
the papers were according to the letter Of
the law, and he accordingly arrested Mr..
Bettelyoun. The prisoner was Immediate
ly taken before Mr.. Stanton, who received
his plea of mot guilty He was placed
under bonds in the sum of $500
until 40 o'clock this morning.
and Mr.. Smalley promptly signed
the required bonds. Mr.. Bettelyoun
wa then released. Thus end the official
proceedings in the case until this morn
ing, when the preliminary examination
under the serious charge preferred will be
held.
The complaint which Isaac F.. Hill
swore to yesterday, and upon which Mr..
B~ettelyoun was arrested, was written with
a type writer some time ago and material
dates originally written were erased and
Others filed in. showing plainly that the
document had been held in reserve in an
ticipation of the trial.
Mr.. Stanton, as United States Com
missioner, issued the warrant for Bethel
youn's arrest. He will also determine
this morning whether the defendant shall
be bound over to the Grand Jury. Mr..
Stanton is also attorney for Houck in the
contested case and therefore occupies a
peculiar relation to the cases now under
consideration.