, 1890-12-14
CATTLE RUSTLERS.
Something of the History of Ne
braska's Bold Gang.
How kingen Came to be Engaged
in the Business
And the Manner in Which Stolen
Stocks Were Disposed of.
Ingenious Methods Pursued In
Changing Cattle Brands.

William Kingen, the Nebraska cattle
thief who was sentenced by Judge Scott
a day or two ago to eight years in the
the penitentiary at Joliet, has a history
which shows that the sentence is hone too
heavy. Until he was brough. to trial
and convicted this time, his opinion of
the majesty of the law was not of a very
exalted nature, and nothing but heavy
punishment will impress him sufficiently
with the fact that there is a law on the
books which prohibits one man from ap-
p%ropriating to his own use the property
of another.
HE FALLS IN LOVE.
Kingen is about 2S years of age, and
came west from Arcola, Ill. He is tall,
remarkably we'll formed and active as a
cat. His features are regular and hand
some, and his eyes show him to be both
fearless and bold. In Arcola one of his
acquaintance was his cousin, Sadie
White. They loved each other, but King
en- was poor, and Sadie did not want to
marry a poor man. A more successful
sutton was a man by the name OF Helm,
possessed Of some means. He married
the girl and took her to Indian Territory.
and engaged in the cattle business. In
the course OF a few years he died sud.
denly. aud the young widow returned to
Arcola. After disposing of her husbands
effects she had about $1,000 in ready
money. Helms relatives in Arcola tried
to get possession of some of the cash,
but were beaten in the courts. For a
while Mrs. Helm lived in luxury. Her
early love was not forgotten, and she
shared with him the goods and chattels
of her deceased husband. Finally the
pair were married, and it looked as
though Kingen might settle down 20 a
quiet life, but in a short time he forgot
his conjugal vows and a couple of months
after being Joined by Sadie, he was ar
rested at the instance of a young lady re-
riding in a town neal Arcola.
HE ONE WEST.
The law, however, had no terrors for
him; he ave the deputy sheriff who had
him in charge the slip. jumped on a
freight train at midnight, and in a few
hours was beyond the power of the Hi
nois authorities. He stopped in Iowa
long enough to send for his wife and
mother, and. taking Sadie with him.
started for Nebraska. Mrs. Kingen, Jr.,
wanted HIM to go to Indian territory, but
he stated that he had heard enough about
Nebraska to warrant him in the belief
that as yet the law had not reached that
far IN its progress west. Arriving at
Gering, he looked about, and found a
place that suited him.
DEATH OF HIS MOTHER.
His neighbors were not long in finding
out what kind of a man he was. A mum
Der of them were present one day when
he received a letter from his mother con
tanning a request that she be sent for:
that she wanted to be with her son.
klngen brutally remarked that the old
lady had lived long enough; that she
could not expect him to keep her much
longer and that he wished she would die
and get out of the way. The words
~ 1e1ASSig ia VI us WOulu when a
telegram was handed him, announcing
her death. In a fash his whole demeanor
was changed and he cried out as though
he was heart broken. His sorrow, how
ever was only feigned; for in a week or
So when some trunks belonging to his
mother reached him, aud an examination
OF them showed they contained nothing
OF value, he said: Il thought the old
lady had saved something more valuable
than these traps"
HIS ASSOCIATES.
The place selected by Kingen as a
homestead was most admirably adapted to
his line of business. 1t was within a few
miles of the Wyoming line and it could
be easily asserted that any Wyoming cat
tie found in his herd had strayed there.
1t was in March, 1887, that he settled in
Nebraska, and in that month he purchased
a solitary cow. 1t was a most wonderful
COW, however, for neighbors soon noticed
that she had, in the course of a very few
months, collected quite a family. 1t was
observed, too, that Kingen became very
friendly with some men in the nelghbor.
hood whose regulations we're none of the
best. Among his companions were
Kinch Mckinney, Felix James, William
Watkins, Jim Brantner and Sam Haines:
all men who, in the language of that sec
ton were known to be ''rustlers.h The
Gering meat men also became well
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