The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1899-07-07
RUSTLING,
Prominent Men Arrested On
Charge of Stealing Stock.

ucplC VI SuGelC luz UlCES III
the region lying along the west side
of the Missouri river, Immediately
north Of the Nebraska line, has ar
reused the settlersA of Keya Paha
county, Nebraska, and Gregory
county, South Dakota, to "a point
which may result in their taking the
law into their own hands and mete-
ing out border punishment to all
persons suspected of having a part
in the stealing. The ''~rustlers"
not long ago, rounded up and drove
off a herd OF tifty-tive cattle belong
ing to Brockman and Jewe,t and
other prominent %stOckmen of Keya
Paha county, which were ranging
across the line in South Dakota.
Sheriff Juelfs. of Lyman co unity,
and John G. Ba rhine, an attorney of
Oacoma, who were engaged by the
cattlemen to assist in the prosecu-
ton Of the thieves. traced a bunch
Of the stolen cattle that had been
shipped to Vermillion, it is alleged,
by three brothers named Olaf, kels
and Carl Nelson, who own a ranch
in Lyman county, the former being
IL man of prominence in political
circles and a former member of the
lower house of the state legislature.
FL the bunch of cattle found at
WcrlMiQion were found nineteen
Eead, bearing, it is said, Nelson
Bros. brand freshly made. The
animals ba2 also been recently de-
horned and their ears had been cut
off to destroy old earmarks. The
Nebraska owners of the cattle. upon
sgoiag to Vermillion, identified them,
cook possession and took them back
40 their range. 1t is claimed that
most of the animals show the old
brands plainly under the fresh
brands, placed there, it is alleged,
by the Nelson's.
A warrant was sworn out for the
arrest of the Nelson's by Charles p.
Jewett, 9pe Of the cattlemen from
WHOM the cattle were stolen. The
Gregory county sheriff went to Ly-
man county and arrested Nels and
Carl Nelson and took them to
Gregory county, where they were
given q preliminary hearing, and
Aels was bouRd ove to appear at
the next term of the circuit court on
a charge Of cattle stealing. Carl
Nelson, a mere boy was discharged.
Olaf, the Oldest brother, could not
be found and has not yet been ar
rested.
This case is attracting q great
deal of attention in the western part
of South Dakota, on account OF the
prominence of the Nelson's and
other parties connected with it,
and the generally expressed belief
that the feeling growing out of it
will eventually result ip murder.
The Office Of Attorney Bartipe was
burned to the ground n night
while the owner was away procuring
evidence to used in the trial. 1t is
freely charged that the building
WAS set on fire to destroy evidence
already secured WHICH was thought
TO have been left by Bartipe in the
office. The attorney lost about 800
by the FIRE. A few days after the
building had been burned, a friend
OF the defendants openly stated that
Bartine should have burned with
his Office, and this encouragement of
murder has increased the bitterness
already existing.
Friends Of the defendants say
that they will have no trouble in
clearing themselves Of the charge of
cattle stealing, when The case comes
to trial. it being understood that
the line OF defence will be that the
cattle alleged to have been stolen
were in reality purchased by them.
Since the arrest of the Nelson's
other cattlemen living in the same
region along the Missouri river have
lost a large number Of cattle, Jacob
Craft alone having lost 20 head.
The cattle had been ranging with
others along Whetstonescreek, west
Of the Missouri river. The region is
thinly settled and an ideal resort for
cattle thieves. it is remote from
railroads and occupies a narrow
strip of country running for q dis
lance of fifty or seventy-fye miles
along the west bank of the Missouri
river, extending to the Nebraska
line. On the west of it is the Rose
bud Indian reservation.
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New Harness Shop.
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