, 1892-03-27


is established"
How do you decide As to whether cat
tie belong or do not belong to rustlers?"
I'VE wish to make q statement right
here. We do not constitute ourselves
prosecuting attorney and judge as THE
LEADER has charged. We do not pro-
coed upon our own knowledge, but in
varlably upon information furnished us
from the locality where the rustler oper-
ates. Most of our Information has come
from q protective association formed for
the protection of the live stock interests.
The information comes from several indi-
viduals, all of them reputable, before we
take any steps. On this information we
decide that q certain brand belongs to q
~rustler. forward the same to our inspectors
and authorize them to seize all such cattle
that are offered for sale and forward the
proceeds of the same to US. We have
not set ourselves up as judges and prose-
cutors. Our information invariably comes
from the protective association or several
reliable residents of the neighborhoods in
which the ~rustlers 1--we"
What region is embraced within this
%rustling section?"
You can take a circle starting at the
edge OF and embracing the southwestern
corner of Weston county, the whole of
johnson. a little corner of tho Big Horn
basin, a little corner of Fremont county,
Natrons county. a small portion OF Con-
verse and the circle is completed. We
have had no trouble with anybody In
Crook. Sheridan or in any of the counties
on the southern tier of tie state
The commission then produced figures
to show that from Jan. %, 1891. when
the present board took charge. up to
Jan. l.. 1892, there were shipped to South
Omaha 83. 800 head of cattle. Of this
number II, 1894 were straYs, that is, were
cattle not owned by the shipper, were of
unknown ownership or carried an alleged
rustler's brand. Of this number money
for 8. 1888 ''strsys' was forwarded directly
to the riQhtful owner by the commission
houses while the proceeds of the sale of
3,6I1 head were forwarded to the COM
mission at Cheyenne.
There were 96. 375 Wyoming cattle
sent to the Chicago market. In them
we're 4 ,348 ~''strays." the money for 2,7S5
of which being forwarded BY the commits
sion houses to the owners and that for
1868 to the secretary of the stock COM
mission at Cheyenne. AT other points.
such as Denver, Kansas City and Sioux
City sixty four ''stravs'' were captured,
thus making the record OF the year stand
1896 Wyoming strays taken by the in
spectors. The proceeds for the sale of
5.238 head were altogether RENTED to
the board. They amounted to $l27, 243,-
%, of which $Il3,29 SO has been for
wardod to the proper owners. There
have been in all l. 944 checks sent out, the
large majority. the commission states. in
small amounts, from $40 to $50, and to
all classes. including both large and small
stockmen.
The commission has on hand of money
belonging to other people for the sale OF
cattle, $l3. 949. 10. OF this amount over
90, 900 is included in the unknown list.
Lists giving these brands are made out
.semi-annually and two copies are mailed
to every county clerk in the state for the
inspection and information of the people.
There are a few in the list which are
known to the commission and the monev
for them will be forwarded as soon as the
matter can be reached IN the ordinary
course of business. With these e1cep-
tons. however, the commission claims it
knows nothing about who is entitled to it.
The list unknown" includes about $50
head, worth $1,000.
H BURNING QUESTION.
The commission holds "a, 239. 70 belong
ing to alleged rustlers and r~ustling outfits.
1t has already been stated how these men
came to be so classification information
from reliable parties or through the pro-
tective associations of the locality in
which these men operate. The first men
toned in the list is Lee Moore. The
commission holds 81, 8 sc claimed by
him. Moore. they state, shipped0 two
carloads, about forty head, OF cattle to the
market. These were seized by the in
speotor and the money for the whole for
warded to the stock commission. Part of
the proceeds was for the sale of cattle of
people other than Moore and as the COM
mission considered the title of these peo.
pie good it RENTED to them their money.
Moore's money, however. awaits his proof
of ownership.
The commission holds $425 26 as the
proceeds OF the sale of cattle shipped to
market by Billy Hill. $I7S.7 claimed BY
Thad Cole aud $37. 10 claimed by w. r.
O'Hare. These men are all classified by
the commission as r~rstlers and all have in
one way or another applied for their
money.
Jack Bell ia classed az a rustler and the