The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1895-01-02
WORK OF ANGRY FARMERS.
Barrett Scott Wounded and Carr
HI. ried Away. !. s !: 5 ..:--. !"
MASKED. MEN TOOK Him. CAPTIVE.
His Hired Man Was: Also Taken by
=-.. Force, but Soon After Re- s. :. Z
: :: :. h leased. s. :.: . II. @ 8 : !: #..

ST.. LoU1s,. Jan. la special*to the Re-
!. public FROM or Neill.= Nebr., says; The. de-
:. .faulting Treasurer Of Holt: County. Bar
rett.% Scott. Isl. supposed to- have. been:
hanged by. a mol last night. i He was cap-
tured about midnight in a<lonely part of
:. the county" He was returning With%his
wife baby hired man named John
Schmidt. and a Miss -McWhaTter, from: a
]. .tri p= torelativss, about thirteen miles from
@O'NeIil, when six masked men spraug
from the roadside where they had been.
concealed and. covering the carriage with
Winehesters, ordered: Scott to surrender.
Scott seized .@the Teins and attempted to
drive over the men. The masked men;
then fired into othe carriage. killing the.
horses. shooting Scott in the neck and
wounding Miss McWharter, though not
seriously. The first party was then Joined
by larger. force which had been placed
across the road farther on TO interceptthe
carriage had it escaped the first volley.
Scott and Schmidt were taken from the
vehicle. blindfolded and thrown into a
wagon and the ladies were told to go on.
To-day Schmidt returned. He had been.
taken to a house in the northwest part of
the county with Scott Schmidt was re-
leased, with the Injunction to get out of
the county.
: 1t is believed that Scott has been.
hanged, as the farmers of the county are
terribly inceDsed over his work. Scotts
defalcations as Treasurer.nf Holt County,
his flight to Mexico. his subsequent arrest,
the strong fight made against his extradi-
tiou,. his return in irons, incarceration,
trial, conviction, sentence, appeal and re-
lease on bonds TWO weeks ago have been
told at length from time to time since
year ago last August, when the discovery
of his criminalily was frstmade public.
Scott's troubles began in January, 1892,
at 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 S7348 in the
vaults when the Commissioners made
tnsfr nrsr 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
1T and that SIS was paid for the use of it,
an. investigate was started and Scott was
removed from Office. 1t was ascertained
by the Commissioners inJune of that year,
some time after the beginning of the liti-
CATION, that a number ofsure tieson Scott S
bonds were transferring their property.
and he was notified that he must secure an
additional bond. This he failed to do. =
When the board met again it declared
the office vacant and appointed R.. ].
Hayes, Republican, 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
wentalo the District Court, where it was
hung for a year, awaiting the decision of
the Supreme Court in the case, slated
few months before. and it was not defn-.
itely acted on until after Scott had gone to
Mexico
Judge Marshall of the Fremont District
was invited by Judge Kiucafd to pass
upon it and he. declared Scott removed
from Office, practically confirming the vol.
untary ebdication of the defaulter.
- After. the Holt County Bank failed on.
june 49,. 1892. Scott asserted that there
was aboal $4,000 of the couDty's dund tied
up there. but after statements were made
blythe bank 0fficials he praduallym odified
the amount to $4,000. The statements of
the bank examiner and receiver were to
the effect that the sum. was but $4,000.
and of this amount $1,000 was deposited
by Scott to. his private account. After
Scott h2d been jailed at O'Neil legal
machinery was set In motion to effect
his release. Habeas corpus proceedings
failed.
= His bail was originally fixed at $1S. 900.
but was later raised by Judge Kiucaid to
$75, 900. This amount was asserted to be
excessive, but the court refused to lower
it. Recourse to the Supreme Court gave
q relief. ana finally, after Scott had been
nomlnally in jail for several months, he
was liberated on ball.. His case was taken
to Antelope County on change of venue
and tho, trial last Septem Der resulted in
his conviction and sentence te FIVE years
imprisonment. Pending an appeal his
bond was fxed at $4,000. This he could
not secure and the matter was taken 10 the.
State Supreme Court. On December 4
that body decided that the bond was ex-
:cessive and reduced. the amount from $70.-
600 to $40 600. In day or two Scott
secured the necessary bondsmen and was
released on bail. Upon his release Scott
returned to Holt County,,
>