The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-11-03
NINE INDICTED.
Nebraska Ranchmen Charged
With Forming a Conspiracy
To Drive Settlers From Iheir
Claims With Guns.
THERE ARE 4 COUNTS.
Two of Alleged Land Grabbers
on Insanity Board.
Accused of RailrOading a Squat
ter to the Asylum.
THERE ARE 4 COUNTS.

Omaha Neb, Nov. 3.-Indictments
returned by the federal grand jury
Wednesday against nine ranchmen Oh
western Nebraska were made PupilS
TODAY. The indictments charge COLI
spiracy to dive from their claims AT
the points of guns, homesteaders VINO
took sections of semi-arid land under
the Kinkaid homestead law by the
defendants. Those indicted are Perry
S. Yeast of Hyannis, Neb.' his son.
Frank W. Yeast; Leslie E. BaIhnser'
NJ. c. Hubbeu, Emil Anderson, Will
mot H. Emerson, Harry Sutton, Boone
B. Hawthorne and DR.. Harry II. Hun
DR.. Huff, a prominent physician ana
Sutton, county attorney of Garden
county, are members of the insanity
board Yeast one of the largest ranci
owners in the state, was convicted Two
years ago of fraudulently securing tue
to homestead land and paid line ana
served a jail sentence.
There are four counts in the lndlct-
ments and the specific overt acts men
toned indicate an unusual frontler
condition.
According to the charge made in the
Indictment, Yeast and his associates
carried their efforts so far as to Sc
cure the incarceration in the insane
ASYLUM at Hastings, Neb., OF one Oh
their alleged victims.
When the Kinkaid homestead law was
passed many persons went TO Grant ll4
Orner. Garden, Cherry and other west
ern Nebraska counties and took up
sections The land is in the sandh1l!s
country but contains many FERTILE val
Ieys. Several big ranchers, among
them Yeast and his associates, have
heretofore depended on this valley land
for their hay and winter feeding and
the settling of homesteaders was re-
sented.
The Indictment.
The Indictment charges that a band
of about 80 persons, headed by Yeast,
went to the homes of many OF these
homesteaders, among them Cashier }.
DaYasher, George Carpenter, Golba D.
Graves, George Babcock, Henry s.
Coulson and others. and by intimida-
ton and threats of taking their lives
and those of their families forced them
to leave their claims.
The specific case of Davasher is mem
toned in detail. 1t is charged that
Yeast and other defendants, accom-
panied by band of cowboys, visited
Davasher's home, and after threatening
himself and family with death If they
did not leave the country, destroyed his
home, broke up his machinery, cut his
harness to pieces and in other ways
mistreated him. Later, according to
the Indictment, Yeast cOnspired with
and secured Davasher's incarceration
in the asylum
RaiIraOded to Asylum.
This latter act, according to the in
dictment, was committed in high
handed manner. The insanity COM
Inissioners, it is alleged, went through
mock examination, declared Davash-
er insane and issued a warrant for his
arrest This was served on the spot
and within an hour he was rushed off
to the asylum without being permitted
to have the advice of counsel
Davasher's case was brought to the
attention of the superintendent of the
institution, who conducted an exami-
nation into the case. He at once de-
cided Davasher was not insane and
the latter was released by habeas cor
pus proceedings
According to an Official of the inter-
ior department, the present indict-
ment covers one of the most remark
able attempts at land grabbing which
has recently been brought to the at
tention of the department. A letter
written by one of the victims to Presi-
dent Taft is said to have caused the
investigation which resulted in the in
dictments being r9Eurned. A special
grand jury was summoned to consider
the evidence.
Many thousand acres of grazing land
is contained in the tracts in question