Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-10
TRIAL OF CATTLE MEN
CHARGED WITH FENCING GOV.
EMINENT LAND.
Result of the Work of Col. John S.
Mosby In the
West

OMAHA Ncb., April 10.-After nearly two
years of waiting and postponing, the great
cattle barons of Nebraska are to be placed
trial for fencing up large bodies of gov
eminent lands and preventing homeseekers
from demonstrating thereon. Every device
which their great influence could bring to
bear on the national government has been
exhausted and the edict has gone forth that
they must appear before the United
States court in Omaha and plead to the in
dictments which were returned against them
nearly two years ago. The cases have been
set for hearing in the early days of the May
term of court, and there will be no more
postponements. The charge against them
is for maintaining fence on public lands, -
and the penalty is 81 600 fine and six months
Imprisonment
Because of the prominence and wealth Of
the parties concerned, as well as the far
reaching effect of the result of the trial, the
cases have attracted more attention in the
west than anything in recent years. Even
the investigation of the beef trust is of no
more Importance to the west than the trial
of the cattle barons, Is the prevailing opin-
ion of both cattlemen and farmers in Ne
braska, Wyoming and the Dakotas.
United States Attorney Irving f. Baxter
of Omaha will have charge of the prosecu-
tions. and has received his. orders and In
struCtions direct from President Roosevelt
ter is known as one of the most vigorous
prosecutors in the west. and he has given
careful attention and much time to prepar-
ing the cases against the cattle kings in or
der that convictions may be secured wher-
ever possible.
Indictments Against Nineteen.
Indictments have been returned against
nineteen of the most prominent stock rails
ers in Nebraska, and these will be placed
on trial first. Afterward, If the govern
ment is successful in its prosecutions, more
indictments will be returned.
At the head of the list against whom
indictments are outstanding is Bart
lett Richards, millionaire and secretary of
the great American Cattle Growers Asso-
citation. He is the brother of former
governor of Wyoming, and owns thousands
of head of cattle. Associated with him in
business are w. G. Comstock and c. G.
Jameson, against both of whom there are
indictments. These three men own the i'm
mense Spade ranch in western Nebraska
and it is charged that they have several
hundred thousand acres of government land
under fence
Frank Currie and John Mcconnell of Holt
county are two of the largest holders of
land in their own right in Nebraska, and
yet both are charged with having run
miles of fences on public lands. and Attor-
ney Baxter is called upon to push the in
dictments which have been found against
them Valentine and John King both
prominent leading cattle barons of the west,
but they must answer to indictments which
have been returned against them on &C
count of their alleged land grab. r. M.
Allen, John and Herman Krause, William
and Allie Simonson, Joseph and Scott Sides
and dozen other well-known wealthy and
influential cattlemen. are among those who
will be tried during the May term of the
United States court on the same charge of
Illegally fencing the public domain.
Col. Mosby's Work.
II required strenuous work on the part of
the government agents to secure the infor-
nation necessary to return these indct-
ments, and picturesque Col Mosby. the old
rebel raider and cavalry leader spent sew
eral months on the Nebraska ranges In an
attempt to remove the fences. But the
pull of the cattle ,raisers was too much
for the doughty colonel, and he was called
off before he finished his work. But par
TALLY from the Information gathered by
Mosby and partially from other sources,
enough evidence was secured to have these
nineteen leaders indicted. Then began a
scramble among those indicted to delay the
trial, and every possible influence has been
brought in their favor. Matters were de-
layed as long as possible but the end of the
rope has been reached and the time of trial
is near.
United States Attorney Baxter says the
evidence is perfectly plain and that every
effort will be made to convict those against
whom indictments stand.
One of the big cattle kings is said to have
a single line of fence seventy miles long
every rod of which is on government land
His entire holdings of public lands are said
TO equal the state of Rhode Island I'm area
The government cases are all prepared
and the witnesses have already been sum-
moned. 1t is given out that there will
be no more delays and that all the cases
wi no oh To RS al {yyro fol,