In 1818, however, many citizens were in debt for their lands, and "squatters" invaded the rights of settlers.
Some squatters settled here before 1646.
In several cases, returnees have found squatters in their former residences.
In the summer of 1854 Missouri " squatters " began to post claims to border lands and warn away intending anti-slavery settlers.
In parts of the state it became impossible to get a jury composed of these small squatters to convict anybody for stealing or killing cattle, and so bad did this become that, in 1892, certain cattlemen formed a small army of mounted men and invaded the central part of the state with the avowed intention of killing all the men generally considered to be stock thieves, an episode known as the Johnson County Raid.
