Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1914-07-02
LATEST GET RICH !.
GRAFT IN THE WEST
Two Held to Omaha Federal
Court for Selling Wild
Horse Herd.
NOBODY CAN CATCH THEM
They're Down on an Arizona Range
and Every Sucker Makes
Try at II.

Omaha, Neb.-A brand new get
rich-quick" scheme has come to light
In Omaha, where j. S. Smith and two
companions have been arrested by
Federal authorities on a charge OF
conspiracy to defraud. Then men are
under bond while the District Attor~
ney is searching the code to find
law to fit the case. The scheme 10
particularly unique and is said to
have netted thousands of dollars.
Briefly, the victims are persuaded
to purchase range horses, subject to
range delivery''-that is, the buyer
must catch his own horses. This 10
not an unusual method purchasing
Western horses and creates no suspi-
cion upon the part of the victim.
The horses are represented as being
on a range in Arizona and the price
quoted is ridiculously low. The VIC
tim is given a bill of sale calling for
horses from to years old, giving
general outline of the section of the
country where they are to be caught.
In all cases so far this is Coconeno
County, Ariz.
The horses are there, as described
In the bill of sale. The range Is in
Coconeno County, and the purchaser
Is at liberty to catch his horses, place
them on cars and get them to market.
But, so far, the Government agents
hav not found a man who has been
able to catch horse. Coconeno
County is as big as all outdoors and
the horses are a shade wilder than
the proverbial buck"
They are the wild horses" of the
Western plains. They are the de-
scendants of those which escaped
from the Spanish conquerors and for
nearly 400 years have not known q
master.
In early days the Navajo and other
Southwestern Indians had ways of
running down the young colts and
raising them to maturity. But 1t al
ways has been impossible to catch
the horses, once they have grown old
enough to have full strength and
speed. With hundreds of miles OF
wild country over which these horses
can run, the purchaser stands little
chance of catchin gthem. In addi-
ton, they have a disposition akin to
a hyena.
Smith and his associates assert
they own bunch of these horses and
that their brand will be found on
them if anyone cares to investigate.
So far, no one has been able to dis
prove their claims. The brands may
be there, but inasmuoh as none Of
Aho h,,, within milan
and miles of band of these horses,
they cannot deny the declaration.
One of the victims told his story
to the United States District Attor-
ney: ,
~ contracted for 80 head and was
to go to Arizona and catch them on
Me range. Smith told me they were
Wild and that it would be no easy
Job, but l knew a lot about horses.
I've cut out range horses hundreds
and thousands of times and l didn't
believe there was a horse on the
prairies that l couldn't get.
Armed with my bill of sale, went
down to Flagstaff, Ariz., and prepared
to pick up my horses. was to have
so between the ages of and 8 years.
and could take my pick of any Of
those belonging to Smith.
81 noticed the gang of loafers at the
livery stable in Flagstaff smiled when
l hired an outfit. There was a
camp wagon and half a dozen men.
thought it would take US about
three days to get the best of the
horses on the range, SO engaged the
: outfit for that length Of time.
I'VE were on the range for more
days than / care to admit. We saw
wild horses, and they certainly were
wild. In fact, they were but clouds
of dust.
II worked around the country with
the crew eating their heads off and
finally 1t dawned on me there was
something wrong.
"Those horses were so wild fell
; low would have had to hire brigade
of cavalry to surround them. When
became convinced of that we went
back to Flagstaff. AS our outfit en-
tered the town we met another one
going out to catch a bunch Of range
horses 1 bought explained the
. sucker I let him go. l saw him a
week later. He didn't have any
horses. He saw dust, just like did.
.. "Those animals have been sold doz-
ems of times, but no one ever catches
: them. We suckers all had the same
.. . experience. There are horses there.
!. all right / don't know whether or
not they belong to Smith. In fact,
they are SO wild they belong to
|. Smith. In fact. they are SO wild they
: belong to anyone who gets them.
. II play the game, fell sucker and
lost But the next man that sells me
: horses in Arizona will have to catch
= the animals himself"