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| What are this white supremacist's intentions with a tiny Nebraska town? | What are this white supremacist's intentions with a tiny Nebraska town? |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| In September 2012, Craig Cobb moved to Leith, North Dakota, and started buying up property. Soon he owned 12 houses in the tiny town – population 24 – and announced his intention to create an Aryan community. | In September 2012, Craig Cobb moved to Leith, North Dakota, and started buying up property. Soon he owned 12 houses in the tiny town – population 24 – and announced his intention to create an Aryan community. |
| Plans for the white supremacist town – it was to have been named Cobbsville – fell apart after Cobb was convicted of terrorising residents. The all-white utopia was also dealt a blow when a DNA test revealed that Cobb himself was 14% African. | Plans for the white supremacist town – it was to have been named Cobbsville – fell apart after Cobb was convicted of terrorising residents. The all-white utopia was also dealt a blow when a DNA test revealed that Cobb himself was 14% African. |
| With his dream of a Caucasian conurbation in tatters, Cobb faded from public view. At least until last month, when he began buying property in another tiny town: Red Cloud, Nebraska. | With his dream of a Caucasian conurbation in tatters, Cobb faded from public view. At least until last month, when he began buying property in another tiny town: Red Cloud, Nebraska. |
| The prospect of Cobb moving to Red Cloud has people in the town worried. He has begun posting pictures and details of residents who have dared to criticise him on Stormfront.org, a neo-Nazi web forum whose users have been linked to a number of hate crimes. | The prospect of Cobb moving to Red Cloud has people in the town worried. He has begun posting pictures and details of residents who have dared to criticise him on Stormfront.org, a neo-Nazi web forum whose users have been linked to a number of hate crimes. |
| Officials are afraid to talk about Cobb. No one from Red Cloud’s city office would comment for this story. One employee said he did not want to speak on the record – “for fear of my own safety and that of my family”. | Officials are afraid to talk about Cobb. No one from Red Cloud’s city office would comment for this story. One employee said he did not want to speak on the record – “for fear of my own safety and that of my family”. |
| No one in Red Cloud could be accused of overreacting. In Leith, Cobb daubed his properties with swastikas and flew separatist flags. When locals voiced their disapproval, he began patrolling the streets with a rifle. | No one in Red Cloud could be accused of overreacting. In Leith, Cobb daubed his properties with swastikas and flew separatist flags. When locals voiced their disapproval, he began patrolling the streets with a rifle. |
| While Cobb was a high-profile resident of Leith, in Nebraska he has so far been a distant, ghoulish figure. Slim, bespectacled, and with long white hair and beard, he has been popping up sporadically in the Red Cloud area. He has also taken to posting selfies to a Facebook page, in front of a series of local landmarks. | While Cobb was a high-profile resident of Leith, in Nebraska he has so far been a distant, ghoulish figure. Slim, bespectacled, and with long white hair and beard, he has been popping up sporadically in the Red Cloud area. He has also taken to posting selfies to a Facebook page, in front of a series of local landmarks. |
| Physical interactions with locals have been brief. One man saw Cobb at an auction, bidding on a property. Others have seen him further south, near the Kansas border. | Physical interactions with locals have been brief. One man saw Cobb at an auction, bidding on a property. Others have seen him further south, near the Kansas border. |
| Cobb’s secretive nature makes gauging his plans unclear. He told a local newspaper, the Kearney Hub, that he planned to fix up the houses and move in “nice, young white people”. But Cobb is a hard man to get in touch with. His self-taken photos have been posted to a public Facebook account, but it is unclear whether he runs that page himself, or a friend runs it, or both. | Cobb’s secretive nature makes gauging his plans unclear. He told a local newspaper, the Kearney Hub, that he planned to fix up the houses and move in “nice, young white people”. But Cobb is a hard man to get in touch with. His self-taken photos have been posted to a public Facebook account, but it is unclear whether he runs that page himself, or a friend runs it, or both. |
| The Guardian exchanged a series of surreal messages with whoever manages the account while in Red Cloud, but the person purporting to be Cobb didn’t agree to a meeting. | |
| While Cobb has not moved to Red Cloud yet – indeed his probation for terrorising Leith residents restricts his movements – his spectre looms large. In the local bar, the Palace, all the talk has been of the white supremacist. | While Cobb has not moved to Red Cloud yet – indeed his probation for terrorising Leith residents restricts his movements – his spectre looms large. In the local bar, the Palace, all the talk has been of the white supremacist. |
| “That’s the main topic. Our mayor came in today and the first thing they said [pointing to customers] was, what are you going to do about these Nazis?” says Robin Meyer. She owns and runs the Palace, which has a long, low-slung bar running to the right. At the bar, five grey-haired men are sitting, watching three television screens. One is playing a car programme, the other two are showing Deal or No Deal. | “That’s the main topic. Our mayor came in today and the first thing they said [pointing to customers] was, what are you going to do about these Nazis?” says Robin Meyer. She owns and runs the Palace, which has a long, low-slung bar running to the right. At the bar, five grey-haired men are sitting, watching three television screens. One is playing a car programme, the other two are showing Deal or No Deal. |
| While Meyer is talking, the mayor himself, Gary Ratzlaff, walks in. “Our city attorney’s office is right around the corner,” he says when asked about Cobb. He would not answer any questions. Neither would the city attorney. | While Meyer is talking, the mayor himself, Gary Ratzlaff, walks in. “Our city attorney’s office is right around the corner,” he says when asked about Cobb. He would not answer any questions. Neither would the city attorney. |
| The fear of commenting on Cobb is common. On Webster Street a young man with a beard and baseball cap will not talk: “I have a young son and I don’t want to be targeted by anybody.” | The fear of commenting on Cobb is common. On Webster Street a young man with a beard and baseball cap will not talk: “I have a young son and I don’t want to be targeted by anybody.” |
| The men in the Palace will not talk. “I don’t need any violence.” | The men in the Palace will not talk. “I don’t need any violence.” |
| But there are some people who are standing up to Cobb. Mike Goebel is one of them. He grew up in Las Vegas but moved to Red Cloud 11 years ago. He’s a veteran who has done tours in Afghanistan, and has been a vocal critic of Cobb on various Facebook groups and in the local press. | But there are some people who are standing up to Cobb. Mike Goebel is one of them. He grew up in Las Vegas but moved to Red Cloud 11 years ago. He’s a veteran who has done tours in Afghanistan, and has been a vocal critic of Cobb on various Facebook groups and in the local press. |
| That has caught Cobb’s attention. He posted a link to Goebel’s Facebook page on Stormfront. Then he posted a link to Goebel’s wife’s Facebook page, along with a picture. The website is not to be taken lightly. In 2014 a report by the Southern Poverty Law Center found that Stormfront’s users were disproportionately responsible for major killings. | That has caught Cobb’s attention. He posted a link to Goebel’s Facebook page on Stormfront. Then he posted a link to Goebel’s wife’s Facebook page, along with a picture. The website is not to be taken lightly. In 2014 a report by the Southern Poverty Law Center found that Stormfront’s users were disproportionately responsible for major killings. |
| Goebel invited me to talk to him at his house, where he has begun flying a “Don’t Tread On Me” flag, as a message to Cobb. Goebel, whose mother is Mexican, says he is not concerned about being listed on Stormfront. | Goebel invited me to talk to him at his house, where he has begun flying a “Don’t Tread On Me” flag, as a message to Cobb. Goebel, whose mother is Mexican, says he is not concerned about being listed on Stormfront. |
| “I’ve never been one to run from confrontation and I’m sure as hell not gonna run from it now,” he says over a can of Busch Light. “If they want to come to my house, come on in. Actually don’t come in. And don’t threaten us. Because you will be answered.” | “I’ve never been one to run from confrontation and I’m sure as hell not gonna run from it now,” he says over a can of Busch Light. “If they want to come to my house, come on in. Actually don’t come in. And don’t threaten us. Because you will be answered.” |
| ‘A white supremacist running around’ | ‘A white supremacist running around’ |
| The three houses Cobb has bought all have one thing in common: they are barely habitable. He owns one in the south of the town that he bought for $25. He snapped up another to the east, for $100. A third was purchased in the nearby town of Inavale. Cobb pushed the boat out on this one, paying $3,410 at a sheriff’s auction. All had been foreclosed due to taxes owed to the city. | The three houses Cobb has bought all have one thing in common: they are barely habitable. He owns one in the south of the town that he bought for $25. He snapped up another to the east, for $100. A third was purchased in the nearby town of Inavale. Cobb pushed the boat out on this one, paying $3,410 at a sheriff’s auction. All had been foreclosed due to taxes owed to the city. |
| The $25 house is the worst one of the bunch. It looks like a $25 house. There are two foreclosure notices, dated 2014, pinned to a rotting front door. There is a partially collapsed porch, sheltering a couple of crushed Budweiser cans and two phone directories, long since turned to mulch by the rain. | The $25 house is the worst one of the bunch. It looks like a $25 house. There are two foreclosure notices, dated 2014, pinned to a rotting front door. There is a partially collapsed porch, sheltering a couple of crushed Budweiser cans and two phone directories, long since turned to mulch by the rain. |
| There is a hole in the roof. At the back of the house there is a toilet leaning against a wall. A door at the side has been broken in two, horizontally, and inside there are more empty Budweiser cans, along with some empty Dr Pepper cans. The floor has rotted away, revealing the pipes underneath. | There is a hole in the roof. At the back of the house there is a toilet leaning against a wall. A door at the side has been broken in two, horizontally, and inside there are more empty Budweiser cans, along with some empty Dr Pepper cans. The floor has rotted away, revealing the pipes underneath. |
| As I look at the house an old Ford Bronco pulls up. The two occupants are staring at me. They ask what I am doing there. A standoff continues for a few minutes. I think they might be white supremacists. It turns out they think I might be a white supremacist. Eventually we realise that none of us are white supremacists. The man in the car is Jeff Russell – he lives next door, and he is with his wife, Lisa. | As I look at the house an old Ford Bronco pulls up. The two occupants are staring at me. They ask what I am doing there. A standoff continues for a few minutes. I think they might be white supremacists. It turns out they think I might be a white supremacist. Eventually we realise that none of us are white supremacists. The man in the car is Jeff Russell – he lives next door, and he is with his wife, Lisa. |
| “I really don’t like the idea of a white supremacist running around,” Russell says. He is 52 and has been in his house – about 100ft away from Cobb’s – for 21 years. Cobb’s property has been empty for the past 15 years, he says. At night he sees racoons running in and out of the house through the side door. He doesn’t mind that, but he is worried about Cobb moving in and inviting like-minded people. | “I really don’t like the idea of a white supremacist running around,” Russell says. He is 52 and has been in his house – about 100ft away from Cobb’s – for 21 years. Cobb’s property has been empty for the past 15 years, he says. At night he sees racoons running in and out of the house through the side door. He doesn’t mind that, but he is worried about Cobb moving in and inviting like-minded people. |
| “What if my grandson or my son or my daughter or somebody has a friend or a soon-to-be spouse or something that’s not the same colour as them? Do I have to worry about someone trying to shoot my grandson? | “What if my grandson or my son or my daughter or somebody has a friend or a soon-to-be spouse or something that’s not the same colour as them? Do I have to worry about someone trying to shoot my grandson? |
| “This town is so small he could take over here in a heartbeat.” | “This town is so small he could take over here in a heartbeat.” |
| Red Cloud is indeed small. The centre consists of one cobbled street – Webster Street – that runs north to south. On either side are redbrick buildings. Only one in three of the businesses are open. | Red Cloud is indeed small. The centre consists of one cobbled street – Webster Street – that runs north to south. On either side are redbrick buildings. Only one in three of the businesses are open. |
| It is probably the depressed nature of this little town that attracted Cobb. Property is cheap: there are more foreclosed buildings that could be bought. It is rural: the nearest “big” town is Hastings, population 24,000. Hastings is a 50-minute drive to the north. | It is probably the depressed nature of this little town that attracted Cobb. Property is cheap: there are more foreclosed buildings that could be bought. It is rural: the nearest “big” town is Hastings, population 24,000. Hastings is a 50-minute drive to the north. |
| A 10-minute drive west of Red Cloud is Inavale. Around 400 people live here, according to the sign welcoming you to the town. | A 10-minute drive west of Red Cloud is Inavale. Around 400 people live here, according to the sign welcoming you to the town. |
| This is where Cobb bought his most expensive property, at a sheriff’s auction. Like the others, it is a one-storey house that has been seized, and sold, by the city after its owners failed to pay taxes. In this case the owner died seven years ago. The home is in better condition than the others in Cobb’s burgeoning portfolio. The paint on the wood-slatted walls is chipped and faded in places and completely worn away in others, but it looks sturdy enough. And there are no holes in the floor. | This is where Cobb bought his most expensive property, at a sheriff’s auction. Like the others, it is a one-storey house that has been seized, and sold, by the city after its owners failed to pay taxes. In this case the owner died seven years ago. The home is in better condition than the others in Cobb’s burgeoning portfolio. The paint on the wood-slatted walls is chipped and faded in places and completely worn away in others, but it looks sturdy enough. And there are no holes in the floor. |
| Virgil Deisley lives next door. His own one-storey home is perhaps 30ft away across a dirt track that leads to a field beyond. Deisley has lived on the street, which is really more of an unpaved, desolate road, for 10 years. | Virgil Deisley lives next door. His own one-storey home is perhaps 30ft away across a dirt track that leads to a field beyond. Deisley has lived on the street, which is really more of an unpaved, desolate road, for 10 years. |
| “I didn’t want anybody as a neighbour anyway. Let alone a jack-off like that,” he says. | “I didn’t want anybody as a neighbour anyway. Let alone a jack-off like that,” he says. |
| Deisley is 73, and retired 10 years ago after a career racing thoroughbred horses. He has a big, bushy moustache and is wearing a beige cowboy hat, flannel shirt, worn jeans and brown boots when I arrive. He is one of the few to have actually seen Cobb in Nebraska. | Deisley is 73, and retired 10 years ago after a career racing thoroughbred horses. He has a big, bushy moustache and is wearing a beige cowboy hat, flannel shirt, worn jeans and brown boots when I arrive. He is one of the few to have actually seen Cobb in Nebraska. |
| Deisley went to the auction for the house. He wanted to buy it: “Just so no one else could live there”. He was outpriced early, he says, with Cobb determined to win. | Deisley went to the auction for the house. He wanted to buy it: “Just so no one else could live there”. He was outpriced early, he says, with Cobb determined to win. |
| “There were other people bidding against him and he just kept upping and upping it,” he says. | “There were other people bidding against him and he just kept upping and upping it,” he says. |
| “He told one of the other guys that was bidding: ‘I’m getting it. I’m getting it.’” | “He told one of the other guys that was bidding: ‘I’m getting it. I’m getting it.’” |
| Like others, Deisley has heard of Cobb’s history in Leith. He said he had not “seen hide nor hair” of Cobb since he bought the property, but the white supremacist is the hot topic of conversation in such a small community. | Like others, Deisley has heard of Cobb’s history in Leith. He said he had not “seen hide nor hair” of Cobb since he bought the property, but the white supremacist is the hot topic of conversation in such a small community. |
| “I do not like to even think about him coming round here packing a gun,” Deisley says. “After I found out what kind of guy he is I just got sour on him and said: ‘No, I don’t want him here.’” | “I do not like to even think about him coming round here packing a gun,” Deisley says. “After I found out what kind of guy he is I just got sour on him and said: ‘No, I don’t want him here.’” |
| Goebel and other residents have begun sharing information about Cobb and his plans on Facebook. There are also plans to raise money, through donations, to pay the taxes on the properties Cobb bought, so he would not be able to take ownership of them. | Goebel and other residents have begun sharing information about Cobb and his plans on Facebook. There are also plans to raise money, through donations, to pay the taxes on the properties Cobb bought, so he would not be able to take ownership of them. |
| In the meantime, however, Red Cloud’s residents do not know what is going to happen. In this tiny town, surrounded by corn fields in rural Nebraska, there is little they can do but wait. | In the meantime, however, Red Cloud’s residents do not know what is going to happen. In this tiny town, surrounded by corn fields in rural Nebraska, there is little they can do but wait. |