Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-12-22
NEBRASKANSFOUND
GUILTY OF FRAUD
AFTER TRIAL LASTING NEARLY
a MONTH, LAND AGENTS ARE
CONVICTED
Jury Returns Verdict Holding Defend
ants Guilty on Thirty-sx Counts
Company Controlled 100000 Acre
Spade" Ranch.

Omaha. Neb., Dec. 21-The trial in
federal court of Bartlett Richards, pres
ident. Will G.. Comstock, secretary
treasurer and G. c. Jamison, general
manager of the Nebraska Land and
Feeding company, controlling the 4O0,-
600 acre Spade" ranch, and Aquilla
Tripiett, their agent. resulted in the
conviction last evening Of the four de-
PENDANTS on thirty-six counts of an in
dictment which charged conspiracy to
defraud the government Of public lands
and subornation Of perjury. The jury
took but two hours to consider the evil
dence.
The trial began Nov. 10 and the jury
was completed two days later. The en-
tire time of the court since then has
been devoted to hearing testimony for
the government and the arguments of
the attorneys, no witnesses being ex-
troduced for the defense.
Many Iowans Interested.
The accusation against the officers
of the Nebraska Land & Feeding com.
pany was that they attempted to Sc
cure title to vast tracts OF land within
the Spade" range enclosure in Cher
ry, Sheridan and Box Butte counties,
Nebraska. by means Of fraudulent
homestead entries under the Kinkaid
law, which permitted the homesteader
to take up a section of land in the
semi-arid districts.
Scores Of witnesses, many being
from Iowa, were introduced, who
swore that they filed on the lands at
the solicitation of agents Of the prin-
cipal defendants. with the understand
ing that they would be paid all the
way from $500 to $1,000 for their
claims when title was secured and
that all necessary improvements would
be made by the company.
Convicted in Previous Cases.
A year ago, Richards and Comstock,
who are counted in the millionaire
class, were convicted in the federal
court of Illegally fencing government
land and fined $500 each and sentenc-
ed to six hodrs imprisonment each.
The latter part of the sentence was
served at the Omaha club in the nom.
inal custody of their attorneys, who
had been deputized for that duty by
United States Marshal T. L. Matthews
AS sequel to this escapade, President
Roosevelt removed both the marshal
and United States Attorney Irving L.
Baxter.
A few months later Rev. George G.
Ware, an Episcopal clergyman of Lead
and Deadwood, S. D.. president Of a
big cattle company, and two of his
agents, were convicted on charges sim
liar to the one on which Richards
Comstock, ct al, have just been tried
His case is now before the United
States supreme court of appeals.
Others viii be TnIed.
Fred Hoyt, T. NJ. Huntington, and
James Raird, officials of the Mavernick
Loan and Trust company of Gordon
Neb., and Ami B. Todd of Denver. an
agent. were included in the indictment
against Richards, Comstock and others
but elected to be tried separately
Their trial will begin early in Janu
airy.
F. M. Walcott, an attorney, who was
also indicted, was discharged.
A number of cattIemen and their
agents are under Indictment for similar
The maximum penalty for the of.
Tense is two years Imprisonment and
$1,000 fine on each count,
.offenses.