Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-02-09
LAND GRAB PLOT LAID BARE
History of COmpany'S Methods Told
in w. P. Miles Letters.
MATERIALLY wEAKENs DEFENSE
Letters 10 President of Cattle Com
pany Reveal scheme to Herd
Homesteadcra and Con-
test Certain Claims.

In a calm. deliberate manner Special At
torn Sylvester r. Rush Yesterday laid
bare the inside workings OF the Western
Cattle and Land corporation, much after
the fashion OF seasoned surgeon in max
ing a long. deep incision. In the introduce
ton Of documentary evidence gave the
jury in the United States district court
connected working idea OF the methods
employed by the defendants Benjamin M.
Fox Georg r. Townsend and w. p.
Miles in rounding up the straw entrymen
and manipulating affairs to satisfy their
corporate greed for more land. This testi-
mony. It appears. will serve to demolish
the claim OF the defens earlier in the
trial that the prosecution could not sustain
the charge OF conspiracy in the indictment.
History of transactions.
Under fire Of objections from Attorney
william F. Gurley. counsel for the defense,
Attorney Bush introduced about twenty
five letters written by Attorney W. p.
Miles to George r. Townsend. then presi-
dent OF the Western Cattle and Land com
pand and these covered practically all OF
/ the transactions Of the company from the
| time OF the roundup of the fake home
steaders to the contest Of claims designed
to- relieve undesirable entrymen of their
| holdings The letters were read to the
| Jury taking up greater part Of the
time OF the afternoon session Of court
/ In truth the letters from Miles TO Town
! send furnish almost a complete history of
the fraud case insofar as the prosecution
is concerned. According to these letters II
was apparent that straw homesteaders
were needed by the company to take up
land which they needed to fill out the Fix
he
we're really anxious for homesteads and
would be in the way Of the Western Cattle
and Land corporation scheme to increase
its holdings in Deuel. county. 1t was there
fore arranged to send a delegation of straw
entrymen to the land office at Sidney,
Cheyenne county, Nebraska.
Entrymen's Expenses Paid.
The expenses OF the strawmen were paid
from Omaha to Sidney and they were fur
nished I'm most Instances. with the neces-
sary fees, by Mr.. Townsend. Upon arriving
at Sidney they were herded into the office
of Attorney Miles, who had previously Sc
lected the lands each was to enter upon
filling the descriptions of these lands in the
entry blanks, None Of the strawmen a.
that time knew where his land was located
and some never did know
After locating the entrymen on the lands
they coveted the company then set about t.
further their scheme by contesting certain
claims The legal end of all this procedure
was handled by Attorney Miles, according
to the letters introduced in evidence
These letters cover practically every phas,
Of the alleged land grab, winding up Will
an appeal from Miles to Townsend for fee,
for his services. He said in his last lette
that he would be pleased to receive a par
Of the money II the company could no
pay him the whole amount agreed upon
which was something like $3.50.
The fore part Of the day in court wa
taken up examining the balance Of tn
straw entrymen and all told the sam
1 story of how they were taken to Sidney
expenses paid. and steered into the Ian,
i office without knowing exactly what he.
I were 10, do.
1t does not appear that the case will b
concluded soon. The prosecution has no
) finished and the number of witnesses t
be put on ythe defense will largely de
pend on what the prosecution has accom-
= plished toward it's end. The case is no
. spectacular in any way. but It is very in
, terestng.