The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-08-17

examination of the field caused the firm
to secure themselves and Abner Wilson
OF K1owa was made receiver. He took
| possession OF such CATTLE horses, land
and other property as he could find, sell
ing them for the benefit OF the creditors.
The bankruptcy proceedings preyed On
Landers, and from the confident, buoy
ant step of prosperous times he walked
| with slower tread. In better days he wac
| man Of nerve and would make trade
| for cattle worth 100000 while most men
would be thinking about it He was
proud Of his bank in Anthony, the Har-
per County bank, and of the fact that
during the -severest trials Of the hard
times of 1898 he had no trouble.
Landers put in a fine electric lighting
system in Anthony, and was its princi-
Of street lights, but when the contract
ran out declined to renew it. The plant
failed to pay expenses with source Of
revenue cut of. For several years Ian
ders went down in his pocket each
month for such sum as might be neces-
sary to make up the shortage in opera
ton. determined that the town should
have the lights. When financial Difficult
ties overlook hi mthe works gradually
fell behind and they were shut down last
month
In the handling Of the affairs in the
bankruptcy court Landers DEVELOPED sew
eral peculiarities which show his friends
that his mind was affected by his trou-
bles, but led the prosecution for Evans,
Snyder & Buell. to think that ne was try
ing to conceal property from the court.
They arranged for a hearing at this place
and when Landers failed to appear their
lawyer went to Kansas City and institut-
ed criminal proceedings against him.
Sheriff Mendenhall Of Wyandotte county
went down to Anthony and served the
papers.
Landers was in the wyandotte county
Jail for several days until his attorney
arranged for cash bond for 81 0O0 Mrs.
Landers sold her home to raise the
money. On Landers' return to Anthony
he was about town for few days and
then suddenly dropped out Of sight. His
bond was declared forfeited in the Wyan-
dotte court and his attorney at once in
stituted suit to recover the bond There
was nothing further heard of him until
his arrest at Ell Paso.
When Landers came west he located at
Newton and became interested in cattle
His brother, Henry Landers, who lived in
Canada, furnished him $4,000 to buy cat
tie, with the understanding that they
would divide on the profits. At least that
was the story among the cattlemen on
the range about 1883. That was the year
the brother came west to learn how the
investment was profting. He found on
ders had no cattle. This upset the mind
Of Henry Landers. His insanity was of
a violent form and he died of brain fever
in three or four days. G. r. Landers
fixed up the affairs of the estate so far
as he could with the widow and accom-
panied the funeral party on its journey
east as far as Kansas City.
Mrs. Henry Landers arranged with
brother-in-law, Fred Landers, to look af-
ter the property, and he came west for
that purpose. He was made bookkeeper
in Landers' Anthony bank, and held that
position for a considerable time One
day after a long conversation with G. R.
Landers in the bank the younger brother
Fred went to his room in Landers' home
and shot himself. Landers never occu-
pied the house afterward. There are any
number of stories afloat as to Landers'
sharp trading practices and of the mer-
CHESS way he took advantage of anyone
who was so unfortunate as to get in his
power