Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1908-01-04
TOLD FILERS TO Be CAREFUL
Yeast Was Cautious in Relations with
Old Soldier Entrymen.
GOOD PROFIT IN DECLARAToRIEs
Cattle and Land Owners Testify They
Bought DeclaratOry Statements mt
from $40 to s38 which Yeast
Secured for S5.

That Perry A. Yeast, one OF the defend
ants in the Yeast and Sutton land trial
which is on before Judge Munger, was
cautious in his relations with the old SOL
diers from whom he purchased declaratory
statements was brought out by the evil
dence of witnesses at the hearing Friday
afternoon. The evidence also disclosed
that Yeast bought the declaratory state
ments from the veterans at s. each and
sold them to cattlemen who wanted to file
on land at fromNS1O to $96 each.
One witness who had gone up to Grant
county to see his land testified he met a
secret service man who began to ask him
pointed questions. He said Yeast eau
toned him to avoid, as much as possible,
being seen with him. Yeast Letters were
also read from Yeast to one or two OF
the entrymen cautioning them to use care
about talking or writing too much in de-
tail about the transactions.
Rufus IIaney, a cattle and ranchman
from Hyannis, Grant county, testified he
had bought a declaratory statement from
Yeast for about $15
IT understood Mr.. Yeast had some de-
claratories" he testified. "and he said he
could get me one. l bought it and located
it on land within my range. I furnished
the description of the land, but did not
put any improvements on the land"
One witness Paid sac.
Captain Haskell a ranch owner living
between Hyannis and Paxton, said he paid
$50 for a declaratory statement OF Jacob
Brown, an old soldier, and located it on
his range. Arthur ]. Abbott of Hyannis
testified he paid $40 or $12 each for the
statements he purchased OF Yeast. c. l.
Marin. clerk of the district court at Hy
annis, identified Yeast's signature on a
number of land filing papers. ]. Frank
Garner and Mrs. Luella Bellmyer testified
TO having signed powers of attorney in
blank
The evidence of the government is prac-
tcally all in. There remains several rul-
ings on objections by the defense to be
disposed of and by agreement of counsel
Saturday will be devoted to the argument
of a motion Of the defense to have the
court instruct verdict for the defense.
The jury was excused Friday evening until
9:S0 Monday morning Most Of the govern
ment witnesses were discharged Friday
evening and permitted to return to their
homes.
Ignorant of where Land Is.
A remarkable fact brought out in the
testimony Friday morning was that many
of the old soldiers who filed for Yeast and
Sutton on land did not even know what
state the land was in and testimony
showed not one of them ever had the re-
motest idea of occupying the land. 1t was
the same old story of filing for so much
per and getting the per"
Judge John Rees, register OF the Broken
Bow land office, was the first witness
called Friday. He simply identified GER
| tain records of filings in his office, most
of which were on the declaratory state
ment record. Mrs. Bellmyer was recalled
| for a brief examination as to her knowl-
! edge of certain of these declaratorles that
she had solicited. The other witnesses
were David N. Kennedy. Richard A. Ship
ley, David II. CsllahaP and other old SOL
diers of Quincy, ILL.,, who had made decla-
ratory statements at the solicitation of
! Mrs. Bellmyer, Yeast and Garner for
which they each received s..