The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1904-03-25
MoRE TRousLE FoR pEWEYs.
Federal Indictments at wichita for In
closing Government Land

Federal Indictments at wichita for In
closing Government Land
The federal grand jury sitting in
Wichita last Thursday found three bills
against Chauncey Dewey, c. P. Dewey,
W J. Mcbride and ". ]. RatcliH for
enclosing government land. Mcbride
and Ratclif are employees of the Dew
eys-
In October, 1908, the federal grand
jury sitting in Leavenworth indicted {.
p Dewey, Chauncey Dewey, William
Mcbride, Louis Mcbride and ". J.
RatcliT, on seven counts. charging
them with Offenses which contemplate
fine and Imprisonment. The case was
to come up in the federal court in Nov
ember, but as no newspaper report Of
It having been seen by the editor of
this paper It may have been continued.
The defendants that could be found by
Frank McGrath, deputy United States
marshal, were arrested and each put
under bond for 81, 900.
BIr. Hitchcock, secretary OF the in
terror, in his annual report, said about
the Dewey Cattle company in north
west Kansas:
"One of the most celebrated cases Of
this character brought to the attention
of the department during the past year
was that OF the West End ranch in
Cheyenne county, Kansas, owned by
the Dewey Cattle company and
managed by Chauncey Dewey, the lat
ter being a SOP of {. p. Dewey, said
to be the principal stakeholder in the
Dewey Cattle company. Within the
last three years 81 miles Of fence have
been erected by said company in town
ships four and FIVE south, ranges IS, s.
and 81 west, which, connecting Is miles
of fence owned by others makes a total
length Of so miles. This fence enclosed
an area all told of 81, O4O acres (which
3, 24O acres are state lands, 100 are
embraced in eight homestead entries,
and :, 40 acres are vacant public lands
subject to entry under public land
laws.
1T appears to have been the policy of
Dewey and his agents and employees to
gain complete and exclusive control Of
all the lands incIOsed by their fences,
and to adopt whatever measures were
found necessary to accomplish that
purpose, sparing neither life nor proper
ty. Their attitude toward settlers and
hOmesteaders without, as well as with
in, their enclosure is shown by reports
of agents of this department and by in
dividual complaints to have been ex-
tremely hostile and oppressive. Not
only have the crops Of these bona fde
hOmesteaders and settlers been de-
strOyed by this cOmpany's cattle, but
the people themselves have been
harrassed and intimidated by threats Of
violence made by its agents and en-
PlOyes, their fences burned and their
dwellings deliberately moved of their
hOmesteads, and a number of them
have been compelled by Outlawry to
abandon their entries and seek resi-
dence elsewhere. "
Upon information of this character
reacnlng the government OncialS action
was begun against the Deweys, and
the end IS not yet. They have been IN
constant violation Of the laws of the
state and nation, and the settlers Of
northwest Kansas hope to see the pen
atty so vigorously enforced that the Of
tenders may have the consciousness
that other people have rights which
must be respected. The Deweys have
been a curse to western Kansas.
The trial of the Deweys for fencing
government land in Cheyenne county
will take place before the federal court
in Topeka on April II. Assistant United
States Attorney McKeever says that all
of the cases will be pushed at the earl
lest possible date.