The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1910-11-04
NINE RANCHMEN
ARE INDICTED
Nebraskans Charged With
Ousting 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. 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 G. Hubbel, Emil Anderson, Will
mot 2. Emerson, Harry Sutton, Boone
B. Hawthorne and DR.. Harry H. Huff.
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 Jail sentence.
There are four counts in the indict'
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 band
| of about thirty persons, headed by
/ Heast, went to the homes of many of
| these homesteaders, among them
| Charles j. Davasher, George Carpen-
ter, Golba ID. Graves, George Babcock,
| Henry S. Coulsen 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. 1t is charged
that Yeast and the other defendants,
accompanied by a 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 high
handed manner. The insanity com
missioners, 1t is alleged, went through
a mock examination, declared Dava
sher insane and issued 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 lanC
are contained In the tracts in question