The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1895-01-05
HIS LIFE A FORFEIT
Oefanter Scott of Nebraska Cap
tured by Lynchers.
WAS TORN FROM HIS FAMILY
Laws Delays Incenssd the =. opie and
cihey Determined Upon Summary
Punishment. %

st. Louis, Jan. IA special to the Re
public from O'Neil, Nebraska, 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
lonely part of the county He was re-
turning with his wife, their baby and
hired man named Schmidt and a Miss
Wharter, from a trip to relatives
about 13 miles from O'Neil, when six
masked men sprang from the roadside
where they had been concealed, and
covering the carria sc with Winchesters,
ordered Scott to surrender Scott seized
the reins and attempted to drive over
the men. The masked men then fired
into the carriage, killing the horse and
shooting Scott i'm the neck and wound
ing Miss Wharter The first party was
then Joined by a larger force, which
had been placed across the road fur
Their on TO intercept the carriage had it
escaped the first volley.
Scott and Schmidt We're taken from
the vehicle. blindfolded and thrown into
a wagon and the ladies We're told to
go on. Today Schmidt returned. He
had been taken TO a house in the north
west part of the county with Scott.
Schmidt was released with the injunc-
ton to get out OF the county. 1t is be-
heved that Scott has been hanged, as
the farmers of the county are terribly
incensed over his work.
STORY OF HIS CRIME.
Scott's defalcation as treasurer Of
Holt county, his fight to Mexico, his
subsequent arrest, the strong fight
made against extradition. his return in
irons. Incarceration, trial, conviction,
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 discovery of his GRIM
inality was first made public. His
troubles began i'm 1892, a the close of his
first term, when he was asked to allow
the commissioners to see the cash that
his books showed to be in his hands.
Scott did not have the money on hand,
there being but $7,34S in the vault when
the commissioners made their first visit
They then gave ScesNt 10 days in which
to make the showing and the money
was secured from Omaha for that pur-
pose. 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 start
ed and Scott was removed from office.
1T was ascertained by the commission
ers in June in that year that some
time after the beginning of litigation a
number of sureties on Scott's bonds
were transferring their property and he
was notified he must secure additional
bonds. This he failed to do. When the
board met again it declared the office
vacant and appointed r. j. Hayes, a re-
publican, to take the place in June, 1892
Scott refused to surrender and Hayes
began mandamus proceedings to get
possession of the office, but the case
went TO the district court, where it was
hung up for year, and it was not def
nitely acted upon until after Scott had
gone to Mexico.
After SCOTS being Jailed at O'Neill,
legal machinery was set in motion to
effect his release. Habeas corpus pro-
ceedings failed. His bail was originally
fixed al $4,000, but later raised to $751;
GOO. Finally. after Scott had been NOM
inally in Jail for several months he was
liberated on bail. His case was taken
to Antelope county on a change of
venue, and the trial resulted in his con-
viction and sentence to five years i'm
prisonment. Pending an appeal, his
bond was fixed at 100000 In a day or
two Scott secured the necessary bonds
men and was released on bail. Upc.
his release he returned to Holt county.