Omaha daily bee., 1889-04-26
THERE'S A MOOSE READY.
1t Is For the Cattle Thieves Of
Keya Paha County.
RECORD OF THE TOUGH GANG.
Names OF Some of the Men Who,
Under the Leadership of Doc
Middleton, Terrorize
the Country.
Keya Paha Raiders.

Kcya Paha Raiders.
SPRINevIEw, Neb., April 25.-TSpecial to
THE BEE, 1t would not, be strange if the
names of Keya Paha and other counties of
northern Nebraska should become syno-
nym for lawlessness.
For three years band of thoroughly or
ganized cattle and horse thieves has been
operating in this part of the state. Indeed,
its organization might be said to date from
the time a former band succumbed to the
radical work of vigilantes, who were forced
to organize for self-protection. The present
band Is m uch stronger than the old one, and
under much better leadership To verify
this, 1t is enough to say that Doc Middleton
is at the head of it. He is know to be keen
and sagacious, aud one of the most desper-
ate ruflians on the frontier Following In his
wake are G. M. Clay, William Powell,
non. They might all be called lead
ers of the gang in their re-
spective localities. The gang has lived under
the guise of semi-respectability since its or
ganization, and contains members who have
occupied local positions of trust and honor.
Powell was former treasurer of Keya
Paha county. II is a known fact that the
gang has sympathizers among the most
prominent and influential citizens of the
northern portion of the state, and this makes
it very difficult TO
EXTERM1NATE 1T ROOT AND BRANCH.
The shrewdness of the operations of the
gang Is in mind when it is stated that they
are confined to the Sioux reservation. That
locality is cschewed that would bring any
member of the lawless band within the jur-
isdictlon of the state or federal courts, and
when horses or cattle are stolen the thieves
or gang snap their fingers at any attempt
made to
BRING THEM TO JUSTICE.
1t will be remembered that the Sioux res
ervation is in Dakota Now, the gang infests
Keya Paha, Rock and other contiguous
counties in this state. Homesteaders and
cattle breeders or grazers of the state per-
NIT their cattle and horses to feed upon the
reservation, having arranged for it with the
Indians, and they are left in charge of
hcrders, who round them up in large num-
bers during the grazing season, just as the
herder used to do in the earlier days in this
part of the state. During the still hours of
the night, or in open day, when consider.
able number of horses or cattle are obscured
in their work, driving them into
Dakota territory. thus placing them
beyond the pales of court jurisdiction In this
state. Judge Dundy has so decided. 1t can
now be seen that the United States district
court of Dakota would be the only court of
competent jurisdiction in such cases. The
law abiding citizens of northern Nebraska
have had this difficulty to bother them from
the first, and for self-protection were finally
forced to organize into protective associa-
tions or vigilance committees, having tried
redress in the courts repeatedly and failed.
The public is already acquainted with the
arrest of Clay Cannon and Babcock by the
vigilance committee last January. Clay was
held from the 9th to the 18th of the month.
The committee held him u day or two; but,
upon receipt of the telegram from Governor
Thayer by Sheriff Gable, stating that he
would hold him responsible for the protec
tion of life and property, Clay was given
into his hands and subsequently released on
a writ of habeas corpus. Thus number Of
| the gang again escaped when positive proof
was in hand that he was guilty of
STEALING BOTH HORSES AND CATTLE.
Within the past ten days the encroach-
ments have again been felt by the poor
| homesteaders of Keyl Paha county. Nine
| head of horses were rounded up" on the
| reservation and run off AS yet neither
they nor the thieves have been located
and the belief is strong that the stock has
| been safely marketed. This lea
to a meeting of the protective as
| sociation. Clay and his pals, since
| his release, have assiduously circulated the
| the protection of the state militia, if neces-
sary. In fact, the telegram sent by the gov
| ernor during the winter has been SO griev-
ousiy misinterpreted that the story gained
| and many of them were 10th to act even in
| selfdefense and some have been preparing
to quit the country rather than longer sub
| nit to the outrages. The meeting called
/ 1.
| Rogers for conference with the governor
| He is now in Lincoln, and the news has just
been received here that no assurance has
even been given Clay, or any one else, that
| the governor would protect lawlessness by
| the state soldiery or other armed authorities
| further, that he will not interfere if the law
| abiding citizens take the law into their own
| hands, if denied the protection of the courts
| This news was received here with demon
strations of delight and qualification. 1t is
| needless to say that
SHORT WORK WILL BE MADE
| OF Middleton and his gang II there are any
| further ''msappropriations" of property
But no advances will be made by the better
| class of citizens here, unless it becomes nee
| essary. They have no desire to war upon
the gang, if they settle down to honest lives
| or leave the country. One or the other mus,
| be done, or there will be border scenes with
out parallel in the history of the state
During the pilgrimage of THE BEE repre-
| sentative through Keya Paha, Rock and ad-
joining counties, a letter was submitted to
hun. written at Springview, under date Of
April 49, 1t gives a comprehensive history
of the operations of the gang since its or
ganization. The gentleman to whom it was
addressed, however. desires that his name
and the name of the writer be suppressed
| But they are kno Wn to Governor Thayer, anC
he can attest that the sources are genuine
and the Information 1T contains reliable. II
is as follows:
Dear Sir-In answer to your re
quest for facts regarding the stealing
of stock on or about the line, between
the Sioux reservation and Nebraska
will state: This trouble began in the sum
mer Of 1887. Horace q. Stewart admits tina,
he, g. M. Clay and John Remus, stole thir
teen head Of mares and colts and disposed o.
them to a party in Brown county. These
horses were stolen on the reserve near the
Missouri river at the mouth OF Whetstons
crock A short time after this william
Powell bought ninety-seven head of bee
steers Of Antoine Burdeaux, of Rosebud
agency, and paid for them with worthless ol
fraudulent checks on a bank at Stuart. II
early autumn following the summer, H. G
Stewart further states that Clay, Remus
and himself stole about twenty-one head o.
beef cattle from II. w. Raymond OF Jh'
Sioux reserve and turned them over I,
William Powell, who drove them TO Bassett
in Brown county (near Rock county, ant
delivered them 10 a party who shipped
them TO Omaha. The cattle wer,
branded with figure auC
one of them was killed near T.. F. Cannon
place, and the hide was found by one Of hi
neighbors who will make affidavit to th
same if necessary. Some fresh beef wa
| given to this man, whose name is Jane
Dean, by Stewart about the time OF the kill
ing.
"Shortly after this Stewart testi6es tha
! Clay and Remus stole fifty five head Of cattl
| of all sorts on Oak Creek, Sioux reserve
| known as the Oak Creek CATTLE delivered
them 10 him inside the Nebraska line, an,
| that he and James Morrison drove then