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Rancher in prison for âtrespassing cowsâ
Severely edited for length; this is simply an introduction. Please read the whole thing and, if you are from a western state, be prepared to get really angry. Luther Wallace "Wally" Klump recently marked his 70th birthday, but he could not celebrate his threescore and ten on the family ranch in Arizona with his wife, children and grandchildren. The old rancher turned 70 in a penitentiary cell with only convicts to commemorate the juncture. Klump was not in prison for murder, rape, drugs or any of the common offenses against society. His offense was one that astounded the most hardened and cynical of the criminals in the penal complex where he is housed. Klumpâs "crime" boiled down to "trespassing" cows on Bureau of Land Management property in Arizonaâs Dos Cabezas Mountains. His fellow inmates understood why Wally was serving time. For his birthday, they made a card with a picture of a grazing cow and a bold caption: "BLM Sucks!" The rawhide tough, tall rancher has become a father figure and prison parson to many of the young detainees. As an inmate said in a phone interview, "I thank God for saving me and having Wally here to guide me to a better life. ..." I donât mean to get preachy here, but this fine old man should not be in jail. I own some ranch/hunting land in northern Nevada and I can tell you all that the BLM is way, way out of hand in the west. Iâve seen the way that theyâve run roughshod over the locals first hand. This is everything we as Rantburghers hate transpiring right in the middle of the land we love. Now do something about it. Posted by: Secret Master 2003-08-15 |
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