The Red Cloud chief., 1895-07-05
BARRETT SCOTT STORY
Remarkable Criminal Csse That Ia
Still an Unsolved Mystery.
FEATURES OF THE AFFAIR.
eArsy Events That Lsd Up n The Lynch.
ias Of the E~s-Trsasursr - Muliihsn.
Elliott ~ Harris Declared Inno-
cent and They Arc Free Men.

BUTTE, Neb., June 2a-The alleges
nurderers Of Barrett Scott have beer
acquitted and the final chapter In one q
lhe most remarkable criminal cases d
the age concluded. For more than tive
years the state OF Nebraska has been
disturbed by some features Of the sensa
tonal affair, and for the past nine
months the northwestern section Of the
state has been on the verge Of civil wal
- a result Of the developments in the
case.
The courts instructions were vsry
lengthy. In the matter of venue he in.
structed the jury that 1t would be nee.
essary TO find beyond q reasonable doubt
that Barrett Scott WA hanged or came
% his death in Boyd county
In order to convict. He also
Instructed the jury that political parties
and factions and sympathy for tho
friends or relatives Of defendants OF
6cott should not bc considered in ar.
irving Mt the verdict.
When tho jury was asked IL they
had reached a verdict. each man
answered yes, and as the foreman
handed up the verdict q stiffness per.
vaded the room. No indication could
BE- found in the faces Of the jury what
their verdict was, but the defendants
and their attorneys did not eeem to be
ct all worried. When the court read the
verdict Of not guilty Mrs. Mullihan and
Mrs. Elliott broke down and gave vent
70 their overwrought feelings in n burst
Of tears. The defendants were visibly
Affected, and received the congratula.
lions Of their friends, counsel, court and
Jury, all evidently being thankful that
The long trial was over.
HistOry Of the Case.
Two years ago Treasurer Barrett
Bcott Of Holt County became a defaulter
10 the extent Of 800, OOO, and fled to
Mexico. After q series Of peculiar Incl.
dents he was captured and returned to
Nebraska. A trial resulted in his con.
viction. BY the exertion Of great
political influence he secured a stay OF
sentence and continued to enjoy his
liberty. Feeling had reached fever heat
between his friends and enemies in this
part of the state by this time, and the
ituation was known to be critical.
While enjoying o ride in his family
carriage with his wife and child in q
lhickly settled neighborhood, Scott wa
surprised by q body Of masked men. He
wa armed and resisted. The carriage
wa riddled with bullets. several of tho
occupants wounded and the convicted
defaulter dragged from his screaming
wife and child. He was never seen
alive again. A month later his mutt.
lated body was found under tho ice in
lhe NiobrarA river miles from the scene
Of the capture. Dozens Of men were
arrested, the most sensational charges
INDUCED in by both friends and enc.
mics, and after the employment Of de-
tectives galore, the private fortunes of
many and all the legal machinery Of
che state, tho authors Of the crime have
not yet been brought within the pale of
the law.
The interesting phases of the Scott
case continue to be q fruitful theme of
speculation throughout the west.
Among those familiar with the per.
picking affair there exists no doubt that
AAo uVt0iis VI WIG iluTutT abIe huOWn I'd
many people, and that ut least q dozen
people participated in the bloody work.
The information upon which these
opinions are based also satisfy the same
persons that, though the ordinary mur.
der case will out" those responsible
for the killing Of Barrett Scott will
never be brought to justice.
Family and ~NeiEhborhood Feud.
The affair from start to finish involves
family and nsighborhood feud 80 fierce
a. to startle every individual who has
spent years on the border, where human
life is looked upon with some degree OF
indifference, a vigilantes organization
which, for q quarter Of o century, has
beer a law unto itself, two strong
political factions and u multitude Of in
dividuals whose love or hatred for Bar
rett Scott led them into the horrible
affair on one side or the other. And
though the one man who has directly
or otherwise been the cause Of the re-.
marknblc situation lies in a %dishonored
grave, the developments incident to his
murder will probably form the issues in
business and social affairs in Northwest.
orn Nebraska for several decades.
With the rise of the Populist party
and the decline of the old parties several
years ago in Nebraska came rumors in
many sections of looted public treasures.
In many cases these reports were urged
with much effect. Some counties had
been In the hands OF one set of poll.
tcians since their formation. Daring
this time one set Of men frequently had
the administration Of financial affairs.
This condition naturally provoked very
loose business methods. Holt county
was no exception TO the general rule.
In 1893 Barrett Scott was closing his
second term as treasurer of Holt county
Prior to that 1t had been in tho hands
OF SCOTS friends. He was a Republican
and u good fellow, in the common nc.
oeptation Of the phrase. Scott would do
anything for o friend. He had hosts Of
them; in fact 1t was commonly said he
could have any Office IN the gift of the
people who krew him. He WAS being
prominently mentioned ~ a candidate