Fergus County Democrat., 1912-09-10
News Of Our NeighbOrs
Items Of Interest to Our Readers
Clipped From Our Contemporaries
STANFORD.
(StanfOrd WORLDLY

John S. Riley, owning a ranch ad.
joining the townsite of Windham, six
miles from Stanford, has just com.
pleted the harvesting of sixty acres of
winter wheat that threshed 2.25O
bushels, machine measure, and lacked
only few pounds of weighing 2.4OO
bushels at the elevator. At the very
low pirce of sixty-eight cents per bush
ell (the present market quOtations),
this yield means gross return of over
twenty-seven dollars per acre. We un-
derstand the Riley ranch is not for
sale at any price, but computed on
basis of forty dollars per acre this
crop would make very substantial
first payment, to say the least, on the
value of the land. Mr.. Riley states
that this was the first crop, that the
ground was plowed with moldboard
plOW, was disked five and six times
and narrowed twice before seeding,
and was sown about the middle of Sep
tember. 1t appears to be the general
consensus of opinion, further borne
out by the threshing and elevator re-
turns as each years crop is harvested
and marketed, that the farmer who
takes pains, the man who resorts to
careful farming methods, takes the
necessary time to prepare the seed
bed as he knows he really ought to
prepare it, and follows it up with seed
ing at such time and in the manner
that is becoming very generally recog-
niZed as correct, appears to be as sure
that his crop will be an aerage yield,
at least for the community, as they
are in that section of the country
designated the rain belt.
Harry Raynsford, one of the three
tramps accused of killing brakeman
at Boone, this state, on June 18, was
arrested last Thursday at the Miller
ranch, five and one-half miles south
west of Benchland, where he was en-
ployed on threshing machine. The
Arrest was made by Northern Pacific
detective, Constable R. A. Chapman, of
Benchland, and G. M. Glasser, of
Coyote, who was deputized for the oc.
casion. The crime of which Raynsford
is accused was the brutal killing of
Northern Pacific brakeman, who is
supposed to have attempted to eject
the three tramps from bOx-car near
Boone. The brakemans revolver was
taken from him and used by his as.
sailants in the killing, after which the
body was thrown from the moving
freight train into the Missouri river
The murderers Immediately left the
train and made their escape under
cover of the brush and woods in that
vicinity, completely covering their
trail until some weeks later, when it
was picked up at Vaughn, but at that
time no incriminating evidence could
be secured. One of the roads detec-
tives made Raynsford's acquaintance
and left Vaughn as his partner, travel
ing with him as a typical tramp. This
program was followed for nearly two
months, during which time the suspect
was extremely reticent regarding his
former movements, although constant
ly showing that something was prey
ing upon his mind. Evidence sufficient
to convict was not secured by the de-
tective until last Thursday, when
Raynsford said: II wish had not been
where l was on June 18th" Follow
ing this natural lead, the detective in
quired into the mans trouble and soon
had what he deemed sufficient proof
to warrant making the arrest. Going
into Benchland, ne secured warrant
and enlisted the service of Constable
Chapman and Mr.. Glasser, then re-
turned to the Miller farm and took
Raynsford into custody. Raynsford
made no resistance when the warrant
was served, although expressing sur
prise and entire ignorance of the
crime. He is about % years of age,
was comparatively well dressed and of
good appearance.