The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1910-11-04
nine RANCHMEN
ii. ARE INDICTED
Nebraskans Charged With
0usting homesteaders.
ONE VICTIM IN ASYLUM

Alleged to Have Been "RaiIroaded"
Into institution by the Accused Men,
Two of Whom Are Members of the
Insanity Board-Other Settlers and
Their Families Driven Away by
Force and Their Homes Destroyed.
Omaha, Nov. 4.-Indictments re-
turned by the federal grand jury
Wednesday against nine ranchers of
Western Nebraska have been made
public. The indictments charge con-
spiracy to drive from their claims at
the points of guns homesteaders who
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. Ballinger,
M. c.. Hubbel, Emil Anderson, Will
mot 2. Emerson, Harry Sutton, Boone
B. Hawthorne and DR.. Harry H. Hun.
Dr. Huff, prominent physician, and
Sutton, county attorney of Garden
county, are members of the insanity
board. Yeast, one of the largest
ranchers in the state, was convicted
two years ago OF fraudulently securing
title to homestead land and paid fine
and served a Jail sentence.
o4c hi ind
ments and the specific overt acts men,
toned indicate an unusual frontier
condition.
One Sent to Insane Asylum.
According to the charges made in
the Indictment Yeast and his asso-
ciates carried their efforts so far as to
obtain the Incarceration in the insane
asylum at Hastings, Neb., of one of
their alleged victims.
When the Kinkaid homestead law
was passed many persons went to
Grant, Banner, Garden, Charry and
other Western Nebraska counties and
took up quarter sections. The land is
in the sand hills country, but contains
many fertile valleys. Several big
ranchers, among them Yeast and his
associates, have heretofore depended
on this valley land for their hay for
winter feeding, and the settling of
homesteaders was resented.
The Indictment charges that a band
of about thirty persons, headed by
Yeast, went to the homes of many of
these homesteaders, among them
Charles ]. Davasher, George; Carpen-
ter, Golba D. Graves, George Babcock
Henry S. Coulson and others, and by
intimidation and threats of taking
their lives and those of their families
forced them to leave their claims.
Alleged High Handed Deeds.
The specific case of Davasher is
mentioned in detail. It is charged
that Yeast and the other defendants,
accompanied by band of cowboys
visited Davasher's home and after
threatening himself and family with
death if they did not leave the coun.
try 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 members of the
county insanity board and secured
Davasher's incarceration in the asy
lum.
This latter act, according to the in
dictment, was committed in a high
handed manner. The insanity com
missioners, it is alleged, went through
mock examination, declared Dava
sher insane and issued a warrant fol-
his arrest. This was served on the
spot and within an hour he was rushed
off to the asylum without being per
mitted to have the advice of counsel
Many thousand acres of grazing land
are contained in the tracts in question