Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-11-04
CATTLE BAR0NS
ARE INDICTED
Federal Grand Jury Charges Nine
Nebraska Ranchmen with
Serious Crime.
USED GUNS ON HOMEsTEAD-R3
Perry Yeast and Eight Others Figure
in the Case.
TRIED TO DRIVE OTHERS AWAY
Charge is that Ranchmen Led Raid
ing Band.
REPORT READS LIKE A NOVEL
Yeast H. Alleged 60 Have Led Thirty
! Raiders to Iiomcrrenders' Homes
nnd Driven Them or of
Their claims.
.EPoRT READS LIKE A NOVEL

Nine ranchmen In western Nebraska have
been indicted by the federal grand jury on
the charge OF attempting to drive home"
steaders from their claims at the point OF
guns. according to a report announced
Thursday
The indictments charge conspiracy TO
drive from their claims at the points Of
guns homesteaders who took quarter sec
tions of sem-arld land under the Kinkaid
homestead law by the defendants Those
indicted are Porry S. Yeast OF Hyannis.
Neb.; his son, Frank w. Yeast; Leslie L.
Baunger, NJ c. Hubbel, Emil Anderson,
Wnlmot r. Emerson, Harry sutton, Boone
b. Hawthorne and Or Harry "A. HUFF.
There are four counts in the indictments
and the specific overt acts mentioned indi-
cate an unusual frontier condition
Ot the foregoing defendants, Wilmott H.
Emerson and Boone II. Hawthorne have
been arrested Bond was fixed in each
case at $4,000. which they readily gave
! other arrests are expected TO follow within
4 day or two
According to the charges made IN the in
dictment, Yeast and his associates carried
their efforts so far as to secure the in
carceration in the insane asylum at Hast
ings, Neb, of one OF their alleged victims.
When the Kinkaid homestead law was
ner Garden, Cherry and other western
| Nebraska counties and took UP quarter sec
tions The land is in the sand hills coun-
try, but contains many fertile valleys. The
| homesteaders generally lived I'm tents and
depended on the valley land for their liv-
| ing 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.
Thirty Persons in hand.
The indictment charges that band OF
about thirty persons, headed by Yeast,
went to the homes Of many Of these home
5teaders among them Cashier j. Davasher,
! gorge Cnpenter, CSoiba y. Graves, George
! Babcock, Henry s Coulson and others and
Jy Intimidation and threats Of taking their
| ives and those OF their families forced
item to leave their claims.
The specific case of Davasher is mem
doned 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 II they did not leave the coun-
ry destroyed his home, broke up his
machinery, cut his harness to pieces and in
other ways mlstreated him. Later, accord
ing to the indictment, Davasher declared
| ( the men returned he would meet them
with gun. Yeast, it is charged, because
Of this remark, swore out a warrant for
Davasher and had him brought into court
When the judge declined to do more than
put Davasher under bonds to keep the
peace, the Indictment states, Yeast con-
spred with members Of the county insanity
board and secured Davasher's Incarceration
| m the asylum.
| to tla
ment was committed in a high-handed
manner. On announcement of the court
that DBvasher had committed no act which
ould justify a Jail sentence. Yeast and
his attorney secured the presence of the
insanity commissioners who, It is alleged,
o went through a mock examination declared
I Davasher insane and issued a warrant for
1 his arrest. This served the spot
and within an hour he was rushed off 20
the asylum without being permitted to have
; counsel or secure hearing.
Davnshcr's Case Probed.
Davashers case was brought to the at
tention Of the superintendent of the in
stitution, who was not there when
, Davasher arrived The superintendent
however, IN looking over the commitment
, papers, became suspicious and called in an
! expert and conducted an examination into
the case. He at once decided DavasheI
= was not insane and advised the latter tC
institute habeas corpus proceedings This
was done and and asylum officials ap
j. peared in Davashers behalf his releas,
e followed a short time ago
!, According to an official Of the interior
department the present indictment cover
ono OF the most remarkable attempts a
land grabbing which has recently baei
brought to the attention OF the department
O. A letter written by one OF the victims Il
- President Taft is said 70 have caused ,u
. Investigation, which resulted in tns indie,
ments being returned Special Agent
1 Harry b. Durham and William Nsff has
been working on the cases fol seyela
n months. A special grand jury was su:l
moued to consider the evidence
District Attorney Howou received an un
solicited letter a few months ugo from
surveyor named Willard ~. Alt living d
Garden county who declared the land ID
question was owned by the defendants
The go, ernment sent surveyor into th
Il territory and had Il resurveyed, with th
result that # is stated. the homesteader
were round to be legally on the land.
Many thousand acres OF grazing land 1
u contained in the tracts IN question.
ARRESTS IN CHEESE CASES