Douglas daily dispatch., 1926-11-17
PACKED ROOM
HEARS 2 HELD
TO HIGH COURT


preliminary hearing Tuesday a1ter
noon of Nat Saunders and +. c. kine
who wore bound ever to the superior
court for trial by Justice of the Peace
sam Yarnell on charges of haVinS
stolen and hutchered caif belongins
70 Chap Watts.
General interest N the Sdse was
evidenced by the large number OF
stolsmen, ranchers and business men
who attended the trial. Saunders has
been q resident of the Douglas dis
trict for many years and IS wen
known among cattlemen.
Frank Thomas, assistant county
attorney, prosecuted the case and
called ed Leahy, United States Gus
toms inspector, to the stand as the
first witness for the state.
Leahy testified upon direct eXamin-
alton that he had come upon Saund-
ers and King in the vicinity OF
Niggerhead mountain Sunday after
noon. He stated that he first saw
King alone, and that the young man
was apparently working on truck
which had q large canvas roll in the
rear OF the body. Leahy said he
brought his family back to the city
and returned to the vicinity where he
had seen King and waited his deN
parture.
About sundown, Leahy testified, he
heard a shot fired, and about half an
hour later heard the truck coming 10
ward him He said he ordered the
men to stop, explaining that he was
IL government officer. Saunders, he
testified, drew rifle from alongside
the truck body when he started to
inspect the truck. Leahy said he al
( lowed the men to believe that he was
searching for liquor and continued
to look about under the canvas un.
til he gained possession OF Saunders
rifle, when ne placed the two inch
under arrest and brought them to the
city.
In the truck, Leahy said, was a
freshly butchered steer calf, quar-
tered an1 with the hide left in
PLACE, with the exception of a small;
portion which had been cut away.
I Chapp Watts. who swore to the
complaint against the accused men,
was called for questioning regarding
his Identification of the calf. Ee
stated that Leahy, Sam Hayhurst
deputy sheriff, and j. w. FOUR, cat
tie inspector, visited him at his home
and asked him If he had lost a calf.
| Upon investigation, he ves,ired, he
| found one of his four head of cattle
missing. He said he found one of his
cows bawling al the spoy where its
calf had been butchered.
Watts testified that he identified
the head of his stolen calf in the or,
f.cers' car and later identified the
hide and brands at the office of the
cattle Inspector
/ 1t developed that Hayhurst, Leahy
and Fourr had succeeded in finding
the head, ears and feet of the can
and the portions of the brand which
had heen cut from the hide. Watts
said that he positively identified tins
portions of the brand as having beer
! cut from the hide of his calf and tina;
Ire had been able to fit the cut pieces
in place on the animal which was
found in the possession of Saunders
and King.
Hayhurst was called as a witnes;
and told of his investigation in con
nection with the case. Upon cemanc
by W. G. Gilmore, counsel for tnt
QeIenSe, produced Cne ear!
Of the calf and the portions of tin,
hide bearing the brand. The re
mainder of the animal, Haynurs
stated, was in cold storage.
Leahy, Watts and Hay1urst wer
cxhaustively ross-examined by Gil
more who sought to bring out ira
! Watts was susceptible to suggestion
and that Hayhurst had suggested t,
the man that his calf had been stolen
AS the conclusion of Gilmore
cross-examination Thomas s e
Watts If Hayhurst had suggested t
him that his calf had been stolen
Watts replied in the affirmative an
Thomas then asked him if the sug
gestion had not been borne ouy IN
asmuch as he 1ater found his cal
missing and saw the brand and th
hide in the officers possession. Watt
: replied in effect that Hayhurst's sug
gest:on had been borne out.
Spectators in the court room wer
unable to conceal their amusement a
one time during the cross eXamina
tion of Hayhurst. Gilmore asked Hay
!. hurst if he had seen any partfcula
marks on either of the calf's ear:
!. Hayhurst replied that he had an
/ Gilmore asked where. After appar
: emily pondering for moment, Hay
: hurst soiemnly replied, "On ;ne ear
When the taking of testimony wa
completed Judge Yarnell announce
his order binding both defendants owe
; to the superior court for trial H
y fixed the bond of each defendant i
!. $500
Neither defendant took the stand
An interested spectator at the pre-
s' liminary hearing was James r. Ger
try county attorney-elect, who wi
: probably prosecute the case when
, comes up for trial in the superic
court.