The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-12-10

ties.
The net being dragged through the
Kansas land frauds by the. special fed
eral grand jury is bringing in its fish.
Anticipated indictments for suborna-
ton Of perjury and conspiracy to de-
fraud the government by Illegally OBJ
tanning possession of government land
came last night in the partial report of
the jury to. the court.
Thirteen indictments were returned.
Three are for conspiracy. One is for
subornation of perjury, and all are
for unlawful enclosure. Conspiracy and
subornation are penitentiary offenses.
one of the men caught is a million
aire. Two of those indicted are his sons.
Two others are managers of his affairs.
Seven of the indictments returned for
illegal fencing are against Morton coun-
ty. Two of these are against the coun-
ty attorney and the probate judge, but
in neither instance is there any hint at
official misconduct.
The Jury reported to Judge Pollock
and then temporarily adjourned to meet
in this city again on next Thursday
morning at 10 o'clock. 1t is then that
they will probe into the actions OF three
officials, two of them especially nigh IN
the plane of position
The following is the partial report
made by the jury last night to Judge
Pollock. the names, the places OF resi-
dence and the Offenses;
John E. Bilby, Quitman, Mo, I'M
lawful enclosure, conspiracy to de-
fraud the government by illegally OBJ
tanning possession of government land,
subOrnatiOn of perjury.
J. S. Billy, Quitman. No, unlawful
enclosure.
R. I. BiIby, Quitman, Mo, unlawful
enclosure.
James H. Drain, wallace county,
Kansas, unlawful enclosure, con
spiracy to defraud the government by
illegally obtaining possession Of gov
eminent land
L. c. jenkins, Quitman, Mo, unlaw-
full enclosure, conspiracy to defraud
the government by Illegally obtaining
possession of government land.
T. 3. Porter, Morton county un-
lawful enclosure.
w. E. Moore, Morton county, un-
lawful enclosure.
]. w. MacLean. Morton county. IN
lawful enclosure.
NJ. G. Combs, Morton county, I'M
lawful enclosure.
NJ. J. Allen, county attorney of
Morton county, unlawful enclosure.
E. NJ. Dean, probate judge of Nor
ton county, unlawful enclosure.
lawful enclosure.
BiIby Case Very Bad.
The Indictment against John E. Bill
by, James H Brain and L. c. jenkins,
may place all three in the penitentiary-
Not that they took possession of such
a great amount of government land
but the mOdus Operandi by
which they obtained it, was the obJec-
ton which the jury found against
them. ]. S. Bilby is millionaire Nv
ing near Quitman, Mo. He is great
land owner and cattle raiser. he mas
two sons, John z. Billy and r. l.
Bilby. Both are in his employ. John
E. Bilby, the older son. is the one
who must answer to the charge OF
subornation of purjury and
unlawful enclosure. He was IN charge
of his fathers holdings which are IN
Wallace and Logan counties IN Kan
sas. Their possessions are not extra
ordinarily large. Young Bilby had two
men to help him in his operations to
Increase their land holdings in kan
sas They were James II. Drain and
L. c.. jenkins, both Of whom were IN
dieted for unlawful enclosures and
to defraud. Drain was fore
man of the Bilby ranch jenkins was
the head of a steering committee to
bring people to Kansas to make entries
on land. a service for which they then
were paid by the BilbyS. jenkins IS
supposed to have brought fifteen peo-
pie to Wallace and Logan counties at
one time These thobOes.' as the land
department calls them, simply filed on
the land and then returned to Mis-
souri,. For this service they were to
receive all their expenses in travelling
all the expenses of making the entries
and $50 besides when the claim was
finally proved up.
Bilby built shacks on the different
tracts of land, but none of the people
who were supposed to have built them
themselves and lived in them, ever saw
the places. 1t was never intended,
charges the indictment, by themselves
or anyone else that they should make
any Of their claims their homes as the
law requires When the time limit ex-
pired, during which they should have
lContinnea 81 49, pars4