, 1900-12-21
WAR ON WOMAN
REPUTABLE ROUTT COUNTY GIRL
is GIVEN WARNING TO
LEAVE,
D~enunciation of the Authorities-Sher-
if Asserts Readiness to Do His
Duty But Says He Has No Power
to Act-latest Development in
Brown Park Outrages.

-
Brown Park Outrages.
Hayden, Colo, Dec. Republication
of a warning sent Miss Anna Bassett
or Browns Park, to leave the country,
reiterated denunciation of the authOri-
ties by the Steamboat Pilot, the lead
ing paper of the country, Tor failure
to hunt down the assassins of Dart
and Rash, and a plea of lack of authori-
ty from Sheriff Farnham are the latest
developments in Routt county's tragic
history of the past six months.
Meantime men who have helped to
build up this section are threatened
with death and the fear of further
bloodshed hangs over a peaceful and
law abiding community.
Hayden. Colo, Dec. 19-The latest
develoment in connection with the
reign of terror in central and western
Routt county is the publication of the
following warning to Miss Anna Bias
sett, an estimable Young m who
has until recently been living with her
father, who is postmaster at Ladore.
and assisted her brothers in their
ranch and range work:
Nov. 70. 1900.
Anna Bassett, Ladore Colo:
You are requested to leave that
country for parts unknown within thir-
ty days or you will be killed thirty days
for YOU life. Committee.
This note vas enclosed in a letter
bearing the postmark of Cheyenne,
Wyo., where it was mailed Nov. -.
and has just been made public by Miss
Bassett. who is now stopping with her
friends in Craig. Had there been any
vigorous effort made by the authorities
to hunt down the murderer of Rash
and Dart, the Bassets would have paid
no attention to the warnings to leave.
but the Indifference of the authorities
and the presence of suspicious charac-
tiers in that section, led them to be-
lieve their lives were in danger, hence
all except the father left the country,
together with Thompson and Joe Dav-
export, who had also been warned to
go by December IL.
Newspaper Denounces Officers.
The Steamboat Pilot last week de
%nounced the assassins and senders of
warnings and scored Sheriff Farnham
and the county commissioners for fail
ure to arrest and punish the murderers
of Rash and Dart. When Sheriff Farm
ham saw the article he said:
IF the parties who have such posi-
tive information regarding the perpe-
traitors of the crimes in Brown park
and who unbosomed their evidence to
the Pilot would swear out warrants
and give the local officers a chance.
something might be accomplished. AS
it is, | can do nothing without proper
papers and authority from the board
of county commissioners
In reply to this the Pilot says:
"lf it is true. as Sheriff Farnham
says, thai he cannot do anything in
regard t. the murders which have been
committed in the lower end of the
county without authority from the
board of county commissioners, then
affairs have reached a remarkable
state in ROutt county. If any such rul-
ing has been made by the board, then
they owe it to themselves and the coun-
ty to rectify a blunder. We were un-
der the impression that not only it did
not require any permission from the
board, but that even papers We're not
sistance or protection was necessary:
when it vas a known fact that murder
was being committed.
Pleads for Protection.
The Pilot has no quarrel with Sher-
i'll Farnham. We have not attempted
and do not % attempt to place the
blame. But we do assert the truth of
Il most disgraceful and damaging fact.
that two men have been murdered in
cold Observation-Disclosures that at
tempts have been made upon the lives
of other men. We know that the coun-
ty is being damaged in the eyes of the
outside world at a time when other
conditions are favorable for the rapid
advancement of this county. Outside
people are not familiar with the i'm
mense size of Routt county and the
opinion prevails that life is not safe
anywhere in this section.
THE Pilot is and always has been
the friend of the present sheriff and
we regret him as a brave and compe-
tent officer. If he needs authority we
shall expect the commissioners to not
only give him all the authority in their
power. but give him any other assist
ance he may need in enforcing the law
and protecting lives of citizens.
Sheriff Has No Evidence.
The Craig Courier says:
THE work of assassination in
Browns park is evidently going to
the disgrace of Routt county. Thai
A. 1;.tuor. 80 D,o,.n', ,,nI. 40. h;r>