Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-01-05

VIZ. XVII, w. a
making, selling and locating fraudulent land
certificates, whereby it was provided that to
be in any manner directly or indirectly con-
cerned in making, selling or locating any
forged or fraudulent land certificates, knowing
the same to be fraudulent, the person con-
victed should be punished by thirty nine
lashes on the bare back, and imprisonment for
not less than three nor more than twelve
months, in the discretion of the court; and 1t
| is charged that Judge Watrous, since his ap-
pointment to the Office of district judge for the
district Of Texas, has violated the provisions
of this statute and encouraged others in the
violation thereof.
In order to understand fully the nature of
this charge, 1t is necessary to state in 1887, by
| a general law of Texas, donations of land were
| made to those who had settled in the country
previous to 1885, the date of her declaration
/ of independence, giving to married men one
league and to those unmarried one third OF q
league Of land
Under this law it appears that boards of
| land commissioners were appointed, whose
| duty il was to investigate all claims in the
were called, and to grant certificates to such
persons as should prove themselves entitled to
| the same. 1t seems that many Of these boards
| of commissioners engaged in most extensive
| frauds, by granting large numbers Of certif-
/ Gates to fictitious persons, and to persons not
entitled to the same. These transactions be-
came open and notorious, and threatened Sc
rious injury to the interests Of the republic,
/ and In order to guard against them 80 far as
practicable, the law Of 1640 before referred to
was enacted, as we'll as other laws, tending to
accomplish the same object. 1t is quite Obvi-
/ certificates put in circulation should be con-
frmed by surveys and patents, the whole of
the vacant lands in the republic would soon
have been absorbed.
John G. Watrous was appointed a federal
judge in Texas on the 29th of May, 1915, soon
after her admission into the Union. 1t is a
| significant fact that his appointment was very
earestly pressed by Jas. N. Reynolds, a resi-
| dent of New York city, who was then engaged
| with Judge WatrOus in organizing company
| to deal in false land certificates, and who af-
forwards figured conspicuously in the business
| of the company thus organized. Other gentle
| men also interested in the same business
strongly urged the appointment. short time
previous to his appointment as district judge of
| Texas, Judge Watreus was engaged with GER
| tain parties in the city Of New York, in organ
izing company for speculation In land certi-
fcates. 1t is entirely obvious also that it was
designed to engage in the business of buying
and locating land certificates known or be-
lieyed to have been fraudulently Issued. Judge
Watrous had given an opinion as early as 1874
or 1S45, to the persons engaged in forming the
company, that the title obtained upon fraudu-
lent certificates would prove valid.
Il During the year 1915 the proposed company
l was organized under the name of The Texas
Land Emigration Company" In this COM
psny Judge Wstrous had a largo interest.
Prior to its organization money for the pur-
chase Of head-right certificates was raised from
parties in New York, which Mr.. Jas. n. Rey-
nolds took to Texas, and with the aid of one J.
III e A.
. amount of fraudulent hcad-rfght certificates
were obtained and brought to New York by
Reynolds. and assigned to parties who had ad
| vanced the money. The company was then
formed. In the distribution Of the labor in
carrying out the object Of this enterprise
Miner was purchasing agent, Reynolds was to
superintend the locating, and, as litigation was
anticipated, Judge Watrous was counsel; and
each were interested in the company to the
extent Of one-sixth. 1t is clearly established
that the certificates obtained by Miner were OF
, , the class known as fraudulent, and we're pur
chased at very small price. 1t seems also
| that Miner undertook the process of manufac
ture himself. Under the auspices of Judge
Watrous, fictitious suits were instituted in the
| district court of Texas, upon fraudulent certif.
! Gates, and transferred to the Federal court o
New Orleans for trisl-the object being to OBJ
t tain judicial determination in favor of GER
d tifcates known to be forged, fictitious, and
fraudulent The evidence connecting Judge
Wetrous with all these transactions is of mos
conclusive character, and the committee dc
not deem it necessary to refer to it in detail
There is evidence also connecting Judge Wat
rous with other enterprises of a somewhat sim
liar character in respect to land specu stions
G | the State of Texas, and particularly with
Q company organized at Louisville, Ky, known
9 as the Peters Association or Colony, in all o.
: | which he appears to have been a prominen
d and moving spirit
: 1t appears to your committee quite unneces
b sary to enter upon any argument to show tha
a man engaged in such transactions, with sucl
t associates, resorting 10 the most unscrupulOu
means to render them successful, is unfit 4
l. hold judicial Office under the Government o
the United States. 1t is quite true that tn
II operations Of the land company in the purchas
/ or manufacturing of fraudulent land certif
q Gates, knowing them to be such, and intending
/ to procure them to be approved as valid, wer
not judicial acts, yet we think it clear that it
y such " misbehavior" as gives jurisdiction b
10 impeachment. 1t cannot be pretended that
D person who deliberately sets about the viols
d tion Of law for the purpose Of gain is fit to ad
le minister justice to others 1t might as well b
5, said that notorious felon was q proper perso
10 to exercise judicial functions in the FEEDERS
D. court of Texas, and we do not perceive why
O. upon the evidence before us, Judge Watrou
I was not, with his associates, under the laws
to Texas, liable to be taken from his judicial ses
10 by the officers Of justice and punished
IS thirty mine lashes on his bare back, and ais
r, subjected to imprisonment for the period {
he | twelve months.
es The fact also that Judge Watrous, KNOWN
IN these certificates TO be false, sought by b
IN agency and influence to have them approve
se by the courts as valid, discloses on his part
q, view of the administration of justice quite IL
ID consistent with the idea that he, under all eli
ut cumstances. would exercise judicial function
D. with purity or impartiality. A judge VIII
ne with associates of questionable character, fl
., purposes Of private gain by the employment
IL base means, uses the influence which his poe
Is tion necessarily gives him to procure courts
II justice to sanction fraudulent and forged It'll
to land, should be expelled from Office. Th
ne Judge Watrous has been thus engaged, 20,
n committee think the evidence clearly show
to They therefore report to the House the ev
ut denee taken by them, and recommend Il
ne adoption Of the following resolution: