The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1910-11-04
SEVERAL WESTERN NEBRASKA
RANCHMEN ARE INDICTED.
kINkAI0ERs WERE DRIVEN OFF
NEW SETTLERS LIVES THREAT.
ENED BY RANCHMEN.
ONE RAILRoADED TO ASYLUM
One Of the Most Remarkable Attempts
at Land Grabbing Ever Unearthed
is Discovered Following Letter Writ
ten by Settler to Taft.

is Discovered Following Letter Writ.
ten by Settler to Taft.
Omaha, Nov. 3. - Indictments re-.
turned by the federal grand jury
Wednesday against several ranchmen
of western Nebraska, were made pub
lie today. The indictments charge
conspiracy to drive from their claims
ut the points of guns homesteaders
who took sections of semi-arid lands
under the Kinkaid homestead law by
the defcndants
Those indicted are: Perry S. Yeast
of llyannis, NCb.; his son, Frank w.
Yeast, Leslie r. Ballinger, M. C. Hub
bel Emil Anderson, Willmot Zimmers,
Harry Sutton, Boone b. Hawthorne
and Harry II. Huff.
Threatened Settlers Lives.
The Indictment charges that band
of thirty persons, headed by Yeast,
went to the homes of many of the
homesteaders, among them G. j. Da-
Washer, George Carpenter, Golba ID.
Graves, George Babcock, Henry s.
Cou1son 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 Davaisher is
mentioned in detail 1t is charged tha5
Yeast and the other defendants, ac-
Companied by band of cowboys, Wis
tied Davaishers 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,
Davasher declared that if the men re-
turned he would meet them with a
gun. Yeast, it is charged, because of
this remark swore out warrant for
Davasher and had him brought into
court When the judge declined to do
more than put Davaisher under bonds
to keep the peace, the indictment
states Yeast conspired with members
of the county insanity board and Sc
cured Davaisher's incarceration in the
asylum.
RaiIroaded Him to Asylum.
This latter act, according to the in
dictment, was committed in a high
handed manner. On announcement of
the court that Davaisher had commit
ted no act which would justify a Jail
sentence, Yeast and his attorney Sc
cured the presence OF the insanity
commissioners who, it is alleged, went
through q mock examination, declared
Davaisher insane and issued a war
rant for his arrest This was served
on the spot and within an hour he was
rushed off to the asylum without be-
ing permitted to have the advice of
counsel or secure hearing.
DR.. Huff, a prominent physician, and
Sutton, county attorney of Garden
county. are members of the insanity
board. Yeast, one of the largest
ranch owners in the state, was con-
victed two years ago of fraudulently
securing title to homestead land and
paid fine and served n Jail SEN
tence.
kOugn fTOntleT COnuItioH'
There are four counts in the indict-
ments and the specific overt acts men,
ton indicate an unusual frontier con-
dition. According to the charges made
in the Indictment, Yeast and his asso-
ciates carried their efforts so far as
to secure the Incarceration in the in
sane asylum at Hastings, Neb., of one
of their alleged victims.
When the Kinkaid homestead law
was passed many persons went to
Grant, Banner, Garden and Cherry and
other western Nebraska counties and
took sections. The land is in the
sandhil country but contains many
fertile valleys. The homesteaders
generally lived in tents and depended
on the valley land for their living. Sew
eral big ranchers, among them Yeast
and his associates, have heretofore de
pended on this valley land for their
hay for winter feeding and the set
Ting of homesteaders was resented.
Davaisher's case was brought to the
attention of the superintendent of the
institution who was not there when
Davaisher arrived. That official, how
ever, in looking over the commitment
papers became suspicious and called
in an expert and conducted an eXami
nation in the case. He at once decid
ed Davaisher was not insane and ad
yised the latter TO institute heabus cor
pus proceedings. This was done ant
asylum officials appeared in Davaish
er's behalf, his release following {
short time ago.
Taft Causes investigation.
According to an official of the inter
for department the present indictmen
covers one of the most remarkable at
tempts at land grabbing which has re