Turner County herald. (Hurley, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1911-03-09
LIFE IS LUXURY
IN THIS PRISON
That Is, For Millionaire Cattle
men Of Nebraska.
CELLS ARE ORIENTAL DREAMS

Quartet Convicted Of Defrauding Fed
sral Government Of Public Lands
Permitted to Choose Jail at Hastings.
Japanese Chef Prepares the Meals
kear BY and Conveys Thorn In Auto
Prisoners In the Adams county Jail
at Hastings, Neb., but enjoying near.
ly all the luxuries Of q we'll ap-
pointed clubhouse, is the position in
which the millionaire quartet of cat
tlemen-Bartley Richards, Charles
Jameson. Aquilla Triplett and w. G.
Comstock of Cherry and Sheridan
counties-find themselves.
They are occupying four connecting
cells. the floors covered with costly
oriental rugs, sleeping in soft beds and
lounging on costly divans and easy
chairs. Their cells are lighted by cleo
tricity, and when they read they take
their books from carefully selected
library. With the outer world they
have telephone connection. Carved
mahogany tables and bric-a brac are
scattered about in endless profusion.
Meals Prepared Outside.
When the four millionaires sit down
TO their meals 1t Is not to the ordinary
Jail fare, but the best obtainable deli
cacies prepared by Japanese chef
who has possession of large mansion
q few blocks away. Instead of the food
being carried by hand when cooked, 1t
Is placed in an automobile and. steam
l,0t To, xx-1,iS TN thn ioil
apartments. to be served upon china
dishes, spread upon table covered
with snow white linen that Is changed
daily.
Something like fifteen years ago
Richards. Jameson. Triplett and Com
stock went into the then unsettled por-
ton of the sand hill country of Ne
braska. selecting Cherry and Sheridan
counties as their field of operation.
They inclosed millions OF acres OF gov
ernment land which was soon stocked
with vast herds of cattle
/ Ten years ago men seeking land
/ trekked to Cherry and Sheridan coun-
ties and found many rich areas of fer
tile land. but II was all Enclosed with
III the fences of the four men who had
become millionaires. There were some
brave men among the settlers. and,
cutting through the wire fences, they
made their selections and filed claims.
Homes Are Burned.
Returning to the lands. the settlers
commenced the erection Of their
homes. In this they were interrupted
/ k,xyk khn IN, 90
cattlemen. The settlers were told in
unmistakable terms that they would
have to move. Some moved. but 9TH
ers remained. The homes of those
who remained were destroyed. They
were torn down or burned.
The storm then commenced to gath
er, and orders were sent out from
Washington that the fences must come
down and that the land be open to un-
disturbed occupancy.
This order compelled the land grab
bing quartet to play another card.
The soldiers homes for Nebraska are
located at Grand Island and Milford
Emissaries of the cattle kings told the
veterans that II they would go to Cher
~ and Sheridan counties and file, each
on $40 acres of land, the cattlemen
would pay all the expenses. would
build their houses and that by remain
ing there one night each six months
at the end of fourteen months they
could acquire title by paying $1.25 per
acre.
The cattemen, they were told. would
put up all of the money, and when
proof of residence was made each
man would be paid bonus, provided
at that time the land was decided to
the millionaires.
Government Takes a Hand.
Scores of veterans went into the
scheme. and many thousands of acres
of land were apparently occupied.
Prospective actual settlers sought to
buy the land and were told the facts
In the case by the old soldiers. In
due time this information reached the
interior department at Washington.
The government investigated and
found the facts as had been reported.
Many of the old soldiers We're brought
before the federal grand jury at
Omaha, where indictments were re-
turned against two for unlawfully
fencing government land.
Before the men We're convicted two
federal officials at Omaha were re-
moved for favoritism. Then all four
were sentenced to one years impris-
onment for defrauding the government
and conspiring to acquire title to gov.
ernment land. intimidaung settlers
and presenting false papers to the land
Office.
Then the convicted men petitioned
that they be sent to some other Jail
than the one in Douglas county. in
ststing that 1t was not suitable and
was insanftary. and so the four con-
victed cattlemen were given permis-
sion to select the Jail where they were