The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1898-12-02
Cattle KING GOES UNDER.
Grant G. GiIIett of Woodbine, Kan,
Leaves Many Creditors.
HE OWES ABOUT 100000.
Kansas City Commission Men Close Down
on Him-He Had 10000 Cattle In His
Feed Lots at Woodblne and Herring
ton-Cost $1,000 Day to Feed Them

from 100000 to $1,000, 90 Grant G.
Gillett, the greatest feeder of cattle in
Kansas, and for that matter in the
world, has failed.
This debt, in the form commonly
known as "cattle paper" is in large
part held by twenty-five or more COM
mission firms at the Kansas City stock
yards. The Kansas City creditors,
without exception, contend that the
cattle which secures their paper will
easily meet all obligations. The brunt
of the blow will fall on Kansas City
commission men.
Mr.. Gillett has about 90, 600 cattle in
his feed lots at Woodbine and Herring
ton, Kan. They were being cornfed,
and the cost of corn alone was close to
$1,000 day. In buying the cattle Mr..
Gillett overestimated his ability to
buy the corn for them, and the result
was that last Monday he found he had
no more corn left and he had no re-
sources upon which he could raise
money to buy the corn sufficient to
prepare them properly for the market.
He became frightened and turned the
cattle and all his interest in some G, 900
acres of farm property and the greater
part of the town of Woodbine over to
d. w. Naill of Abilene, as trustee for
the benefit of his creditors. Mr.. Naill
refused to accept the trust, believing
that he had no right to take cattle
covered by a chattel mortgage, but he
did notify all the commission me n at
the Kansas City stock yards, who had
hoated Mr.. Gillett's paper.
At Abilene, Kan, yesterday j. S.
Hollinger, president of the Gillespie
Commission company of Kansas City,
filed an attachment against Gillett for
debt of $4,000, which, it is alleged,
was secured with an intent to defraud
The attachment is general and is in
tended to cover everything that can be
found.
. News of the attachment spread rap
idly, and all day lawyers here have
been busy Investigating the case in be-
half of Kansas City, st. Joseph and
Denver firms that did business with
Gillett. The register of deeds of Dick
inson county has been compiling list
of chattel mortgages given by Gillett
and finds that those still in force will
come close to S1,O0O,oOO on most of
which Gillett was the only signer.
About twenty-five commission com
pany representatives. arrived in Wood
bine yesterday. They investigated all
day, and found that the mortgaged
cattle are supposed to be scattered all
over Central and Western Kansas Ok
lahoma and Texas. Searches made so
far have been fruitless, and the pros
poets are that further efforts in that
direction will bring no result.
Gillett has been the Goal Oil John
ME" of the live stock business, an Alad-
din of farmers, Napoleon of cattle
paper finance. His 1000 acre stock
farm near Abilene, Kan, is a town
with name and postoflice of its
own, Woodbine.
At Woodbine this young man Gillett
he is but 80 years old-has for the
past four years been building up
most remarkable estate. He has spent
money like prince, making it the
model farm of the world One gets
some idea of what this farm is like
from the fact that upon it Gillett has
this fall been feeding 10000 head of
cattle, more than any other man ever
fed before. The greatest number that
David Rankin, the cattle king of Tar
ko, Mo-, has fed falls several thous-
and head short of this.
For these cattle Woodbine farm had
q solid mile of corn cribs, filed full of
corn-S15D,OO0 worth. A complete sys
tenn of waterworks carried water to
them. The buildings are all models
of their kind. The residence of the
proprietor in the midst of all is the
finest rural home in the West. With
its libraries, its elegant furnishings,
it's spacious rooms, its bountiful hos
pitality, it is like the finest of English
manor houses taken straight from a
novelist's imagination.
No one knows just where he has
gone. 1t is supposed, however, that
he is at Higgins,'in the Texas Pan
handle, where he has a ranch and some
$500 head of cattle.
The commission firms claim that
many cattle have been mortgaged more
than once. About 5000 head are at
his ranch. Gillett has recently taken
S237, 900 life and 5000, 600 accident in
surance, has Travelled in special trains
and had a cowboy band. He is 30
years old and has startled the old
cattlemen by his bold methods.
FOLEY GOES TO PLATTE CITY.
KANSAS CITY, Mo-, Nov. 25.-Will
Foley, the Clay county young man
charged with the murder of his mother