Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1843-01-10


contrary to all law and right, and alter
wards as attorney, taking advantage of that
usurpation to defeat the execution of JUS
tice.
Can gentlemen yet wonder when Judge |
Doty could be guilty Of such infamous con-
duct, that Governor Doty should attempt |
to trample down all liberty, all rights of
the people.
After this James d. Doty obtained from
the Indian department the office Of COM
missioner to locate the lands of the Half !
Breeds under the treaty with the Winneba- |
go Indians; and knowing that most of the |
claimants were ignorant and could be east
ly duped, he determined on buying up the
oc,ir,o, at tho- tir-.ono acting as
commissioner to locate them. He located
them within the mineral region, contrary
to the terms of the treaty, and on the most
valuable timbered and mining lands in the
west, even on some tracts held by other
occupants; and publicly avowed that he
had bought up such of the claims as he
could, and advised his friends to do the same
thing; and the purchase of the Half-Breed
claims became an object of speculation
The treaty required him to give each clai-
mant if possible his homestead, but this he
in every instance disregarded. No farther
off than the other side Of the lake, within
sight of this capitol, lived poor, ignorant
half-breed claimant. His tract was rich in
SOIL and beautifully located, and it required
no great discernment to discover that it
would in time become valuable. The half
| breed asked to have his claim located there
! and received the promise Of Doty that it
should be done. But did he keep his prom
| Use? No, sir, but on the contrary he loca
ted the claim of the half-breed on another
section-on one of the poorest of all this
country-and acent hin1selfto the land Of
| flee and entered the home Of the hGl-breed
IN HIS OWN NAME!
The next item in the history Of this re-
markable man which | shall notice is his
conduct rs Treasurer, and President of the
Bank Of Mineral Point; and as it SO ably
displays his financial skill, shall give the
! history Of that transaction somewhat at
length. The charter Of that bank, q anted
at the Belmont session, after receiving GER
tain modification by Congress, became
law. The provisions Of the charter requir-
ed ten per cent. of the capital stock to be
paid in at the time of subscribing, and that
the bank should go into operation when
one hundred thousand dollars in specie,
were paid in, and not before. The books
for the subscription ofthe stock were open
! ed at Mineral Point, by the commissioners
appointed for that purpose; when on the
fourth day Doty appeared and subscribed
for all the stock then remaining one hun
dred thousand dollars, and palmed upon the
commissioners certificate of deposite of
! specie, signed by Stringham, the cashier of
the Bank Of Wisconsin, at Green Bay, for
! twenty thousand dollars. From what has
since been revealed concerning that bank,
it is rendered quite certain that Doty pos
scssed such a control over the bank and its
cashier, that it is very doubtful whether
cent was ever deposited there. A provision
of the charter required that the Bank
should go into operation within the year
and in accordance with that provision, a
| board Of directors were chosen, and Doty
was by his own votes; dependent on the
amount Of stock controlled by him, elected
| Treasurer.
Soon after a call was made for the pay
ment Of the remaining instruments, TO en-
able the bank to be put in operation. The
manufacture Of paper money commenced,
and he and his confederates were soon en-
abled, without a dollar of specie, or even a
suficiency of 'swild-cat' or .'red-dog," to
rcprcsent the stock required to be paid in,
to flch from the farmers and miners of
Wisconsin their hard earnings under the
cloak of law.
AS the paper of this bank was receivable !
at the land office, a commission was issued |
from the Treasurer Of the U. S. to examine |
into its condition, when the fact was dis
covered and published to the world, that j.
d. Doty, as treasurer Of the board of direc-
tors, when engaged in receiving instalments |
on the subscription Of stock, had drawn up |
and actually signed, in his official capacity
receipts, acknowledges the payment to him |
of the whole capital required by law to be
paid. These receipts, for money paid in
by subscriptions for stock, are executed |
and signed on the back of the certificates
of stock, and represent that more than
NINETY THOUSAND DOLLARS in
gold had been paid. One of these receipts
acknowledges the payment of TWENTY !
THOUSAND DOLLARS IN AMERI-
CAN GOLD, by James Morrison, the in
dividual who has assisted Doty in dispos- |
ing of the $40, 900, receivable for the con-
struction of the public buildings of Wiscon-
sin, and is now a defaulter with Doty for
the same.
On these receipts Of gold! the bank was
put in operation, but the first report of its
cashier, John F. O'Neil, shows that the |
golden treasure had strangely vanished, and
the blank had nothing left but beggarly |
account Of empty boxes; and the books as
exhibited TO the U. S. examining commits
sioners, show that when the bank common |
ced operation in the fall of 1887 only 3d.
$50 sin notes on several banks and spe-
cie," was on hand Ia specie, there was
,bovo +v-o or tbrao thousand 6o11orc