Due to the repeated occurrence of cattle stealing in southwestern Kansas during the past year, the officers of Clark, Comanche and surrounding counties appealed to the attorney general's office and the Kansas Livestock Association for assistance. Accordingly, an undercover man from the attorney general's office was assigned to the case. The officers in Clark county had previously been informed that J. J. Rock, a Minneola barber, was an intermediary who was working with a cattle rustling ring.The state detective eventually gained the confidence of Rock and reached an agreement wherein the barber was to deliver twenty 900 pound cattle to his new "pal" for the sum of $700. As agreed upon, Rock's supposed confederate, accompanied by a friend, met at Rocks home in Minneola Monday night, March 7. Rock insisted, with a sawed-off shotgun visible for emphasis, that the $700 be paid him before the cattle were delivered. Reluctantly, the officers handed over the money.
Rock and friend then stepped into a car and told the officers to follow them with their large trailer, which they did. However, instead of driving to a corral where the cattle were to be found, the automobile was driven, by a circuitous route, to Ashland, where the men in the car made their get-away from the heavy trailer. While the driver of the car was returning to Minneola, the Clark county sheriff shot down a rear tire and captured him, placing him in jail. On the way to Ashland, Rock left the car for a short time when in a pasture. However, the driver said he left Rock in Ashland instead of in the pasture.
Officers from Comanche, Clark, Meade, Barber and Kiowa counties were on the grounds in various locations in Clark county the night the cattle delivery was to be made, but were unable to find Rock.
The next chapter in the unusual proceedings occurred the following morning when Rock and his wife walked into the attorney general's office in Topeka, They had driven to that city during the night. Rock told the attorney general that he had been framed by the officers, (whom he thought were Clark county officials.)
With a few variations, he told of the foregoing plans, but stated that of the $700, the officers had given him only $30 and still had the $670. He related how he had leaped from the car in the pasture near Minneola, and made his way to the home of a relative, where he borrowed a car so he could go to Topeka, to expose the Clark county officials.
Here are the facts in the matter: Some time between the time when the state detective first contacted Rock and the night of the cattle delivery, Rock "smelled a mouse" and decided that, inasmuch as he was being framed, he would, in turn, frame the local officers. The only mistake he made was that the officers he contacted were from the attorney general's office, not from Clark county, as he supposed.
The attorney general phoned to Ashland and learned that Rock was wanted, hence the barber was placed under arrest. He was brought to Ashland and was later taken to Topeka where he is being held by the Federal Bureau of Investigation on a charge of having in his possession a sawed off shotgun. In his home in Minneola was found a German Luger automatic revolver. Rock has twice been convicted of crimes in Oklahoma, once for cattle stealing.
When he was brought to Clark county, he was taken to a pasture south of Minneola were he unearthed, from a prairie dog hole, a fruit jar which contained the $700 in bills.
The above is a summary of the story of Rock's arrest, as told to the Star by the Comanche county officials.
Thanks to Shirley Brier for finding, transcribing and contributing the above news article to this web site!
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