Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-06-24
WIPED IN THE BUD.
Government Will Get Back Land
 Seized by Cattle Barons.

Washington, D. O., June 24.-One land grab has been nipped by the gov ernment frosts. Nearly million acres of the public domain which were seized by the cattleb barons'of the west will revert to the government and some of those who were identified with the fraud, not only have been given penalties Tn the form of heavy fises, but will be obliged to survive prison sentences.
 When sentence was pronounced upon Thomas M Huntington, Fred Hoyt and Ami B. Todd, the most gi- gantic land steal of which the govern ment ever was the victim, was brought to a close. The cases have been pand- ing In the federal courts of Nebraska for long thl,e. They have been re. plete with sensational developments. The neu Indicted were wealthy and influential. Hey exhausted every re- source that money or influence would avail them to avert the penalties of their unlawful acts, but to little pur- pose. Six or eight of the prominent cattlemen of Nebraska were fined heavily and given jail sentences. after being convicted of frauds upon the government, United States marshal and United States district attor- ney were removed sammarily from office because Of derelleticn of duty in connection with the cases and Il United States judge was publicly reprimand- ed by tue president for favorlng the h xt.AI nd sxtx, Co, that repetition of his favors would lay him liable to impeacnment pro- ceedings.
 a The evidence in the cases was most remarkable. Much of it was given by yeteraps of the civil war. wao had been niade innocent part!es to the H. legal transactions. These old soldiers were induced by the catflcmen to set- tie on the land and take 1t up under a patent from the government. Subse- quently the cattlemen secured the lands from the soldiers for few hun dred dollars. Many of the old sol- dlers were inmates of government homes, who had no sort of idea of settling on the lands permanently.
 The lands were fenced m the ranch men and any attempt to encroach upon it wac at the risk of one's life. Hundreds of cowboys roamed over the great tracts, looking after the herds of cattle, and keeping off would-be bona fide settlers. When the govcrTl- ment officials ascertained what the situation was, they instituted a rigid investigation. The rasul. of that in- quiry is now of public record. Sev- eral of the most promiuen. md wealthy men of Nebraska aud other states were Involved in the Illegal work and were brought before tho courts. The cases were fought des- perately both in the courts and in congress. but the evidence was clear and the men guilty of the enormous frauds have been called upon 10 suf- fer the penalty for therr misdeeds.
 The rlngleaders in the conspiracy have hcen convicted and sentenced to pay heavy fines and to serve terms In prison, but there remain yet on the United States court docket forty or fifty cases to be tried.
 The result of the prosecution of the cases. aside from the punishment of those convicted of the frauds. will he that the fences. erected illegally. will have to come down and that vast tracts of the most valuable farming lands In the west will be subject to proper entry by homesteaders. In addition, 1t Is expected. in the end, that the work of the government in this respect will restore to the gov- ernment several millions of acres of valuable mineral lands and timber tracts "a many states. The fight is yet in progress. but the principal bat ties of the campaign against the graft CTS have been won and 1t Is recari- cd that the war soon will be termInat-