The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1853-05-06
REPORT
Of The Joint Select Committee, appointed
to erdmine into aliedged Frauds at the
Defiance Land Office.
In SENATE March 6, 1853.

(Continaed)
ELlAs SHIRLEY, being by me frs, duly
sworn as hereinafter certified, deposes as
follows, 10 answer 10 the following ques>
lions:
Question. Were you present at the
land sale at Defiance State Land Office
on the third day Of January, 1853?
Answer. was present, off and on,
about one>half Of the day in all. 0
Question. Do you know Of any per-
sons that were prevented from buying
land at that sale? il so, state lhe circum-
stances.
Answer. | saw William Moss come
into the Office aud bid, or offered TO bid,
and he was asked by Mr.. ellison il he
had an application in. He replied he
had not. Mr.. ellison then told him that
his bid could not be taken, as none could
bid but such as bad applications in. lie
said that was the piece he had come TO
buy, and asked me to look at the num-
bers. He was all old acquaintance Of
niue. | think il was bid up to f'ty>two
or fiiy>four cents an acre. lie said he
wouli give more, but wbether he bid
more dun'i recolkct. stood behind
him and urged him 10 bid, telling him
that The money in his pocket vas good
application enough for sale at auction
but he was t,ld by Mr.. Gilson that his
bid would moi be received.
saw one other case. There was
only one application in for the land.
Thele was some other man came up and
IF red to bid more for the land, but on
beng asked if he had an application, and
upon his answer in The negative, Mr.
Gibson told him his bid would not be
received, and the land was struck off,
without opposition, 10 the person who
had he application.
ELIAS SHIRLEY.
BE,JAM1N A. HIG1r being by me first
duly sworn, deposes and says:
was present at the land sale, and
desired to purchase an so acre tract
which had selected. | came into the
Office at the time the sale opened. did
not know that il was necessary TO put in
an application for the land, neither did |
know any thing about the regulations
which were to govern the sale, and |
don't think that two out of five kne ~ any
hing about them. Myself, in common
with others, found them out only after
the sale commenced. We were told
that we could no, bid without application,
and tha, applications would not be re-
ceived until those already in were dis
posed of.
Question. How many do you think
were prevented from buying by the same
means?
Answer. | don't know how many. |
only staid at the office a shor, time after
| found out could not bid. | saw four
men who had recently come into PAUL.
ding, and were companions, and as they
represented wished to settle on some
land which they had selected in Paulding.
learned from them that they had been
prevented from buying in the same way.
They left town apparently much dlsap.
pointed. There were many others. /
don't recoIcct the names. One in
particular was the captain of the canal
boat "Forrest," who resides in this town.
don't recollect his name. lie bid
several times and his bids were ruled
out, aud further this deponent saith not
B. A. HIGH.
MICHAEL O'DwYER being by me fiIsl
duly sworn, deposes aud says:
| was present at the land sale at The
State land office in Defiance, Ohio, on
the Sd of January last. | purchased 40
acres at the sale. bid it off myself |
bid off 80 acres more, but that did not
get. had made bargain with Mr..
Welles that | should bid off some land
ard he would pay for il, and should
have a part of it. Mr.. WeIes made an
application out for me for 100 acres, and
presented it, but did not bid off more
than l2O acres Of the land. The bargain
was that | was TO have so acres Il | bid
off 100. There was nothing said about
what | was TO give Weles ldt il, except
the price whichI could bid it off at. As
did bid off only 100 acres, Welles would
only let me have 40 acres, for which !
gave him my no;e and mortgage on The
same 40 acres, for $29,20. | made tho
afIidavis for the whole 100 acres, and
assigned the certificate TO Mr., We!les
for tue so acres. There were two affi,
davits and certificates Of purchase, one
for 40 and the other for so acres. The
40 is the N. w. OF the s. w. Of section
IL. The 80 is the N. half OF the S. E.
quarter of section 2, in the same towns
ship, do no, now fecollect Mr.. Welles'
first name, but i, is the lawyer and agent
OF the Western Reserve school lands.
MICHAEL O'DWYER.
WILLIAM j. CRozIER, being by me
first duly sworn, deposes and says, that
| was presen. on the third day of
January at the sale Of lands at the State
Land Office at Defiance, Ohio, during
The forenoon Of that day. The sale, 50
far as | observed il, was conducted as
follows: Mr.. ellison would take up an
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