The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-01-02


ST. Louis, Jan. Ia special to the
Republic from o'Neill, Neb., says:
The defaulting treasurer of Holt
county, Barrett Scott, is supposed to
have been hanged by a. mob last night.
He was captured about midnight in a !
lonely part of the county. He was re-
turning with his wife, baby, hired man
named John Schmidt and a Miss Nc
Wharter. from a trip to relatives
about thirteen miles from O'Neill,
when six masked men sprang from the
roadside where they had been conceal
ed and covering the carriage with
WinchesterS, ordered Scott to surTen-
der. Scott seized the reins and at
tempted to drive over the men. The
riage killing the horses and shooting
Scott in the neck and wounding Miss
Wharter, though not seriously. The
first party was then Joined by a larger
force which had been placed across
the road further on to intercept the
| ley. Scott and Schmidt were taken
from the vehicle, blindfolded and
thrown into wagon and the ladies
! were told to go on. Today Schmidt re-
turned. He had been taken to a house
in the northwest part of the county
! Win OCOII. SCHIlluI WAS Ieledseu, Wlut
( the injunction to get out of the county.
) It is believed that Scott has been
hanged, as the farmers of the county
are terribly incensed over his work
/ SCOTS defalcation as treasurer of
Holt county, his flight to Mexico, his
subsequent arrest, the strong fight
made against his eXtradition, his re-
turn in irons, Incarceration, trial, con-
viction, sentence, appeal and release
on bonds two weeks ago have been
told at length from time to time since
a year ago last August when the dis
covery of his criminality was first
made public.
His Troubles Begin.
SCOTS troubles began in January,
1892, at the close of his first term,
when he was asked to allow the COM
missioners to see the cash that his
books showed to be in his hands. Scott
did not have the money on hand, there
being but s7,34S in the vault +Tfen the
commissioners made their first visit.
They then gave Scott ten days in
which to make the showing and the
money was secured from Omaha for
that purpose.
When the borrowed money was
shipped out the next day and the
board learned of it and that SIS was
paid for the use of it, an investigation
was started and Scott was removed
from office. 1t was ascertained by the
commissioners in June of that year
some time after the beginning of liti-
cation, that a number of sureties on
SCOTS bonds were transferring theiI
property and he was notified that he
must secure additional bond. This he
failed to do. When the board mel
/ again it declared the ONCE vacant and
appointed r. ]. Hayes, Republican
to take the place in June 1892. Scott
l refused to surrender and Hayes begar
, mandamus proceedings to get possession
Of the Office, but the case went to the
2 district court, where it was hung up fol
: year, awaiting the decision ofAthl
supreme court in the case, slated few
months before, and it was not definitely
acted upon until after Scott had gone t
! Mexico.
' Judge Marshall, OF the Fremont dis
t trict, was invited by Judge Kincaid t,
1 pass upon it, and he declared Scot
: removed from Office, practically coafirm
+ ing the voluntary odication of the de
o faulter. After the Holt county banl
n failed on June 10, 1892, Scott ASSERTED
g that there was about $4,000 of tn
J, countys funds tied up there, but afte
q statements were made by the bank of
A ficials he gradually modified the amour
n to $4,000. The statements of the banl
= examiner and receiver were to tn
elect lIldI the sum was DUO Sli,OOU an
of this amount $1,000 was deposited b.
Scott to his private account. Afte
Scott had been jailed at O'Neill, leg5
machinery was set in motion TO effec
$ his release. Habeas corpus proceeding
failed. His bail was originally fixed a
S $4,000, but was later raised by Judg
e kincaid to $4,000. This amount wa
K asserted to be excessive, but tne cour
o refused to lower it. Recourse to tn
q supreme court gave no relief, an
e finally, after Scott had been nominal
8, in Jail for several months, he was ibel
e ated on bail. His case was taken t
l. Antelope county on a change of Venu
and the trial last September resulted i
= his conviction and sentence to five year
& Imprisonment. Pending an ,appe;
e his bond was fixed at $4,000. TIL
g he could not secure and the matter wa
IT taken to the state supreme court. O
10 December 4, that body decided that tn
II bond was excessive and reduced til
~ amount from $4,000 to $4,000. In a
day or two Scott secured the necessar
bondsmen and was released on bal
Upon his release Scott returned to Ho