The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1919-08-06

| lu0 cVcuLS WHICH LIullSpAIeu pIOVA
in for rOOrback.
The scenario opens with Assistant
Attorney General Albert E. Sheets, Jr.
talking:
I'VE have spent nearly 100000.
The department of justice of the Unit
ed States government has had a man
there for six months because it was
considered possible the poisoning of
cattle might have been done by those
seeking to embarrass the government
and shorten the food supply. Paul E.
Thuett & Co. of St. Paul, who hold a
mortgage on Bowen's cattle have made
an analysis. We took the best speci-
mems Bowen could send but the N. d.
Agricultural college and DR.. CreWe,
state veterinarian have examined
them and all these sources have failed
to find trace of poison. II you can
produce one specimen or one iota OF
evidence or trace of poison, or that
there has been any poisoning we will
spend $4,000 of the states money get
ting the men who put 1t out
Martin Blank, editor Of the Town
ley paper at Beach, had called at the
attorney generals office and made in
situations that the department was
ignoring the cattle poisoning condi-
dition in the Golden Valley county
ranching district. He threatened to
"show up LANCER" If something was
not done. His visit was early in May
and was made after M. K Bowen
(who was shot and killed last week by
Bert Taylor) had made charges that
politics had entered into t:le affair.
The above statement was the answer
he got
Reads Like Real Wild West.
Examination of the records OF the
case and the incidents which culmin-
ated last Thursday in murder, pro
duce a story that reads like wild
west story in the cheaper fic ton mag
azines There are crooks and cattle
rustlers who might we'll be wearing
the black flowing mustaches Of the
movie bad man; ranchers who toted
gats and rifles and who made great
threats of killing each other; situa-
tion where someone will shoot first
and straight" financial hackers in the
background who were losing money;
detectives and dead cattle; not to say
anything about political fight where
in the State Boss endeavored and is
endeavoring to "get" the young attor-
ney generals hide.
To the west there is great expanse
of fertile luxuriantly grassed rolling
land ideal for cattle raising where
the only break is the division line be-
tween Montana and North Dakota.
Carlyle and Ollie, Mont, Golva and
Beach, N. D., have risen from the
foundational success Of the ranchers.
To this land Of success came M. X.
Bowen from Iowa. He entered into
the cattle business, leased consider
able land and was fairly successful.
Then he plunged on big scale,
bought more stock and became heav-
ily Indebted to Paul E. Thuett & Co.,
st. Paul, who held mortgages on his
cattle.
Taylor Former Employe.
He employed on his ranch one Bert
Taylor. Now his murderer.
Just as in the movie plots, there
was a rival rancher and his name was
D. r. Offley, now held for conspiracy
in murder charges. Differences arose
over the range and stock which soon
developed into feud between Bowen
and Offley.
In the spring of 1919, Bowen came
to Bismarck. He charged that Offley
was trying to put him out OF bust
ness. He related various incidents to
the attorney general. Then he re-.
turned home and shortly afterwards
he reported the death of another COW,
presumably by poisoning.
Bowen's Story.
Assistant Attorney General Albert
E. Sheets, Jr., was sent to Beach and
met Bowen there, and the latter re-"
lated wild west tale which is en-
bodied in the report Of Bowen's side
of the case made by Sheets, filed with
Mr.. LANCER March 10, and which was
in part as follows:
"The fall of 1917, Offley made
threats to put Bowen out Of business.
In the spring Of 1918, Bowen lost 112
head of cattle through poisoning. He
notified the United States department
of Justice at Fargo, and an investi-
CATION was started which resulted in
no poisoning evidence. The United
States officials believed it possible
that German agents were endeavor.
ing to embarrass the government and
diminish the food supply during war
time.
"Mr. Bowen told me that he had ex-
amined the stomachs of various ami
mails and found they were completely
burned away. In some cases the sec
ond stomach was hard and crisp and
the inner walls of the intestines and
the mucuous membrane so decompos-
ed by the particular form OF poison
ing used that it peeled off in shreds
similar to noodles
II would call attention to the fact
that this story did not coincide with
the report of the United States agents
who could find no trace of poison.
Taylor and offIey Confer.
Bowen declared that during this
time (the spring of 1919, one Bert
Taylor was working for him. Taylor
and D. R. Offley had many confer.
ences together of secret nature and
CONTINUED on Page Six.) y" 2