The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-12-07
ONES
Wealthy New Workers. Indicted
by Grand Jury.
Are Accused of Fencing Up
Government Land.
NO ARRESTS YET MADE.
More Serious Cases Are Yet to
Be Considered.
Prospect of Heavy Fines and
Imprisonment.
NO ARRESTS YET MADE.

The H. S. Boice Cattle company OF
New Jersey.
H. S. Boice, Kansas City.
Louis Cans, New York
Emanuel Lehman, New York.
z. A. Meridian, New York
A. B. Lynch, Stevens county, Kan.
Robert Merton, Stevens county,
Kan.
The names Of seven persons who
have been indicted by the federal
grand jury for the illegal fencing OF
government land were made public by
the officials last night. In all there
were twelve cases fled with the court.
The other fve viii not be given out
for some time yet.
Each of these seven is indicted on
four counts for each offense: unlaws
fully making and constructing fences;
unlawfully asserting right to exclusive
use; unlawfully making. constructing
controlling enclosures; obstructing
passage through the lands of the
United States.
The Boice Cattle company, III. s.
Boice, Louis Cans, Emanuel Lehman
and E. A. Meridian were each indicted
on eight counts. They are all officers
of the BOice Cattle company. They
maintain two tracts of land in Stevens
illegally enclosing government land.
Lynch and Merton are each indicted
on four counts. They have but one
pasture each.
the total fine if assessed at the limit
will be $4,000 or $1,000 for each
count. imprisonment of one year can
be enforced against each count Both
fine and imprisonment must be as
sessed according to the law.
The total enclosured in its two
pastures of the Boice Cattle company
is 161,6OO acres. OF this amount
per cent. In the instance of one OK
the other cases, against which an in
dictment has been returned, but about
which nothing has been made public,
81 per cent of the enclosed land be-
/ fonged to the government.
The h S. Boice Cattle company is
organized under the laws of New Jer-
sey, and is said to be an extremely
wealthy concern H S. BOice is treas
urer of the Kansas City Live Stock
company and lives at Kansas City. He
is now in Texas on business.
The trial of these cases will prob
ably not come UP until January, ac-
cOrding to E. D. McKeever, assistant
United States attorney.
ssWin much of a fight be made
against the indictments?'' % he was
asked.
7 believe that a lot of them win
plead guilty" was his answer. There
may be some pretty stiff fighting
however,
It is not believed that the offending
cattlemen in these instances will get
off with light fines and merely nominal
punishment as has been done at some
previous instances. Judge Pollock has
naturally not indicated his attitude in
the matter, but it is believed that the
punishment will be rather severe.
Today the jury began its 1nvestiga-
ton of the more serious cases of fraud
which have been unearthed by A r.
Green. There are more fencing cases
to still come up, and these will be
sandwiched in from time to time. But
now under headway, namely, the guilt
of certain officers in connection with
the matter. None of the officials
would say anything this morning con-
cerning the work now under way. 1T
has been their plan right along to not
give out anything definite concerning
the investigation until entirely COM
pleted. The making public of seven
of the indictments returned yesterday
resulted more from a linking Of
signals" than anything else. It is to
be expected that nothing more will be
given out from now on until the work
is entirely finished.
Colonel Green thought this morn
ing that the jury work may be over
by the middle of next week. ct don't
know definitely about that however"
he replied. I'VE are just in the thick
of it now. One thing is certain how
ever. There won't be any more in
dictments returned until we are
DONE