Omaha daily bee., 1896-02-12
SCARED BY THE vlCILANTES
0'Noill Cattle Buyer Held Up and Given
Rough Treatment.
PREPARED TO HING HIM AT ONCE
After Throwing the hope over Con-
venirnt Branch and Attaching
IL to the victim, They
ncicnt.

O'NEILL, Neb., Feb. 11.-(Special Tele-
eramD-Joe Ryan, who has been buying
cattle in this county the past three or four
years. was held up by body of masked men,
The holdup occurred about fifteen miles
northwest of this city. They put rope
around his neck and led him down into a
gully and after questioning him for about an
hour and a half let him go.
Ryan sayg that Sunday he was approached
by man who resides about ten miles north
west of this city and was asked II he was
still buying cattle. He said he was and the
party told him that Charles Bigler, who
lived about five miles north of him, had
some to sell, and he asked Ryan when he
would go out there, as he said he was going
by Bigler's place the next morning and he
would tell Bigler when he would be out.
81 said l would go out Monday. | went
as agreed, reaching Bgler's house about
IL O'Clock Bigler said he had some cattle,
but they were out among the hills. and, as
IL was near noon, asked me to put UP my
horse and stay for dinner. | agreed to do
so, and my horse was put up and | went in
to dinner. After dinner Bigler went, as he
said, to water his horse. wished to go
with him, but he said, never mind, to stay
in the house, and did so. After he came In
we put on our coats and went out and got
our horses and started to see the cattle"
Eve had gone about a mile from the house
when I looked back and saw three men ap-
preaching. They were riding horses and
had handkerchiefs tied around their faces
as masks. thought nothing Of it at the
time, but in a few moments they caught up
with us and ordered us to halt and throw
up our hands. We obeyed, and then were
ordered to dismount, which instruction, he
says, they obeyed with alacrity."
Ryan says that a handkerchief was then
tied over his eyes and his hands were tied
behind his back. They were led down into
a gulch and a rope placed around his neck.
One Of the vigilants asked II the place
would do. and another said 1t would One
of them was then told to bring the long
rope.
"They asked what I knew about cattle
rustling, and l told them nothing. only what
had read and heard. They said that would
not do. and they guessed they would take
me to the river | asked them what they
wanted with me, and they said | would find
out soon enough. They were not willing to
do much talking. They wanted me to do 1t
all. knew two of the men. They then asked
Bigler q lot of questions about the capture
OF the Hills in 1894. He said that he ar
rested tho Hills upon warrant In his pos
session and that they were taken from him
by mob.
"They then asked me some more ques-
tiono, which 1 answered. They said the
answers would not do, and told some one to
bring up the wagon that they would take
me to the river. They then took the rope
from my neck and led me up a hill They
told me to stay there for twenty minutes
or until l heard a pistol shot and then to
skip.
~ followed their instructions, and as soon
as heard the shot took the bandage off my
eyes, they having released my hands before
leaving Bgler was standing near me, blind
folded and with his hands tied behind his
back. l released him. and we mounted our
horses and started for Biglers house. About
two miles from Bigler's l passed the man
who had invited me to go out there. He
did not appear much SURPRISED when told
him Of the holdup"'
There 10 great excitement in this city to-
day over this incident, and much indigna-
tion is expressed by all parties. The vic
tim Of this outrage is a straightforward
young man, and has hosts of friends in this
city and county.