The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1892-07-29
FORACAMPAIGNFUND
Jerry Simpson Charges the Admins.
tratiOn With Delaying the Open
Ing Of Public Lands.
DOODLE COLLECTED FROM CATTLEMEN,
A Letter From the Clerk Of the District
Court at Medicine Lodge, KaS.,
Tells How it was Done.


administration with delaying the open
ing of the great tract to home seekers,
aud had the clerk read the following
from Henry S. Landisi clerk of the
district court at Medicine Lodge, Kan;
Last fall when the department was
crowding the cattlemen, they made
up $l5. 900 or $4,000 for the purpose
Of getting immunity from disturbance
and stopping all interference. They
succeeded, and this spring when the
pressure became to heavy again, the
department. went in to drive out the
cattlemen and they sent the troops 10
clear the strip. The troops started in
good faith to do their duty. The cat.
temen were alarmed and had been
bled by the powers that be for the
past ten years and wanted nothing
but a little time to get their cattle fat
so they might get them out.
About this time one Guthrie arrived
in Kiowa and proposed to give the cat
tIemen protection for rs cents u head
and to assure them that they would
not be mOlested before December 1
They doubted his authority and had
been bled so freely in the past and re-
Gently had paid some one nearer home
whose name have been unable to get
81, 200 for a protection that did not
protect that they Mt first refused t.,
deal with him. He then produced
letters from officers high in position.
ana think among others from Gen
eral Noble, convinced them that he
had the requisite power to protect and
then they began to dicker with him
and finally settled the matter on this
basis:
They paid him % cents a head cash
down and gave their note for rs cents
per head, payable on December l.,
The notes being of a Kiowa bank, this
cash rs cents per head, was paid direct
to Guthrie and the notes were made
payable to him.
No cattle were counted and 1 send
you the word of the men as to the
number of cattle taken at their own
figures. and showing the nature of
skin game All this was gone through
with, and the notes ere now at the
bank ut KiOwa.
While the troops under Captain
Paddock were trying to get the cattle
out this man Guthrie nterfered so
that Captain Paddock telegraphed the
department about his (Guthrie) claims
Of authority and interference, and re-
ceiyed telegram in reply telling him
Captain Paddock that Guthrie had
full authority and that he must recog-
ni2e Guthries wishes.
All the cattle on the strip were
transferred to this man Guthrie, and
within an hour were transferred back
to the actual owners-the one transfer
to be used with the department and
the other for the protection of the
owners in case Guthrie should be dis
posed to act fairly. You will see in
the beginning of this letter that he
(Guthrie) offered safety until Deem
Der l. In case he was not able TO
hold the matter off. the notes were not
to be collected, but tire cash was to 90
anyway. These transfers were, with n
few exceptions, made directly TO
Guthrie. In the few cases in which
the transfers were made indirectly
there was third party between the
catt'emen and Guthrie, but the trans
fer back to the eattlemen was in every
case direct from Guthrie to the owner
of the cattle. There is reason to be-
lieve that it was brought about in this
manner, Noble went to the president
and asked to be given the control for
the purpose Of aiding the campaign
fund, and this money is supposed to
have largely gone in that direction.
HENRY S. lands.
Mr.. Simpson declared that he had a
list of names Of cattlemen who paid this
money and the notes were still in the
bank at Kiowa, Kan. where an in
vestigating committee could see them.