Williams news., 1903-05-23
OUR LIVESTOCK LAW TESTED
First Case Tried at Wilcox and Violators
 of Law Have Their Eyes Opened.

of Law Have Their Eyes Opened.
 The Arizona Range News of May ', published at Wilcox, says: Last Sunday William Speed, the livestock inspector for this district, went out to the 1902" ranch, located eight miles from Wilcox, and took a list of classes of stock belonging to the Van Wrinkle ranch, which were soon to be delivered to MT. Riggs, who recently purchased the stock of that ranch. MT. Speed found that the number of calves were out of proportion to the COWS, there being thirty one calves without mothers in the bunch. The thirty-one calves were seized and brought to Wilcox and placed in the stock-pens under lock and key. They will be held for ten days in order to give the owners a chance to prove their property. This is the first case un- der the new law that has come to our attention, and we understand it is to be a test case.
 In the issue of May IA the Range News gives the result of the trial as follows:
 Monday, the 11th day of May, demonstrated the effectiveness of the new stock law recently passed by the legislative body to cope with cattle thieves.
 The first case came to trial at Wilcox before Justice Page, the claimant being Robert Van Wrinkle of Dos Cabezas, a hard-featured, uncouth individual, who has been a menace to the legitimate cattle men of this section for several years.
 Steve Upton of Tombstone ap- peared for the claimant and Judge Kibby of Phoenix looked after the the prosecution for the territory.
 Court opened about g o'clock and the claimant, Robert Van Wrinkle, and his witnesses were examined and tried to prove Van Wrinkles ownership to the cattle, some thirty one head seized by the territory and held subject to the decision of the trial.
 Robert Van Wrinkle, also his brother John, Walter Brice, pre- stunned to be a partner, a fellow by the name of Deming, Henry Full bright, Ben Fulbright and John Wright were put on the witness stand in behalf of the claimant. Their object was to try and estab- fish proof of ownership. Their tes- timony was of such a nature as to tend more towards creating doubt as to their ownership rather than otherwise. The witnesses invari- ably gave evasive replies to the questions put by the prosecuting attorney or else they did not know.
 Those who testified for the terri tory and submitted evidence of damaging nature against the claim ant were Philip Waughtal, Ted Waughtal, Bud Bassett, Theodore Waughtal and Mrs. Murrat.
 Philip Waughtal testified to hay ing seen a COW and her calf in the vicinity of the Cottonwood mine. The COW was branded "X X X" and the calf unbranded. A few days thereafter he found the COW dead and the calf freshly branded "T-O," a brand known to have been used by the claimant. The evidence of this witness further showed that the cows head had been crushed with rocks. Ted Waughtal, Theodore Waughtal and Bud Basset verified the testimony of Philip Waughtal.
 The next witness was Mrs. Mur- rat. She testified to her selling her ranch to the Van Wrinkles, and was for certain reasons unable to vacate the premises till several months afterward. During the time she lived in a part of the house with the Van Wrinkles she warned the boys to be careful, that they would some day get into trouble if they were not more careful. Their re-