The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-04-08
MURDER ON THE RANGES.
Many Lives Taken in the Strife Be- tween Cattle Companies and Others

Chicago Record Herald.
 Colonel John Mosby, the famous Con- federate cavalry leader, who is now special agent of the government in charge of United States lanGs. has become prominent and spectacular figure in the bitter fight for the range that is being wsgcd by conflicting interests in the cat tie and shop ecountry of the West. Colo mel Mosby's special duty is to clear the government land of private fences-work that requires courage of high order. for the annual sacrifice of lives in the West g great range fight is estimated at 800 vic tims and death by assassination is the common lot of those who dare oppose one faction or another
 Colonel Mosby, whose headquarters arc at Sterling. Col. the centre of great cattle country, declares that some of the cattle kings have fenced in and appro- priated to theIr own use tracts of land larger than many German principslities In defiance of the law they have seized upon government land fenced it in. for biddcn lscttlers 10 touch it, and have made themselves wealthy from this illegal use of Uncle Sans property.
 Near Sterling one big cattle company built fence which inclosed nearly 25.oN acres. It did not completely inclose tho land. but extended from the Union Pacific to the Burlington Railroad fences, thus forming a vast triangle. In this space thousands of catle were kept, only few cowboys being required to look after the immense herd, When Colonel Mosby ordered the company to take down the fence the objection was raised that there had been no violation of the law because only one side of a triangle had been in closed Despite the fact that the illegal l fencing law has been practically dead 1 letter for twenty years. Colonel MosbS ! is insisting in enforciCng it, and he has stirred up the cattle owners from the RiC Grandc to the Canadian line. The au, thorities at Washington are standing bl him in his work in view of the steady , cncroschment of cattle interests on public { land in the last few years. It is esti mated that in the Alliance. Nebraska . district alone there are 6.I46.000 acres o government lana fenced in. This lanC is worth nearly s10.0000O0, and on it tn cattlemen have nearly 100000 head of cat | tie.
 i Few persons appreciate the strenuous ! fight that Is being made for the posses sion of the range in the Western coun try. The recent arrest of Tom Horn, . noted scout and Indian fighter. served t( bring the subject sharply before the pub lie mind. Horn, who fought Indians un
 der Crook and Miles. and who had charge of the pack trains of the American forces in Cuba, Is now in jail at Cheyenne charged with the murder of Willie Nick
 ell. son of settler who had incurred tho enmity of some big Wyoming cattle In
 terests, Incidentally Horn is alleged tC
 have made a confession. in the hearing
 of deputy marshal and ste nographer
 in which he is said to have boasted tha
 he had killed other settlers and that
 certain cattle company paid him so mucl
 head for every foe who was removed
 from the range.
 One of these mysteries of the range
 which may never be solved. Is the dis
 appearance of Joseph IIartzeIl of Parl
 County. Colorado. Hartzel claimed tn
 homestead rights on certain grazing lan'
 and threats were made against him. H try and several months ago he disar