The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1862-01-29
A Remarkable g.v,nd,.

Fhs Lafayette (Ind. Journal states that
a gigantic swindle has been peFpetrated in
Iowa upon the non-resident land owners. -
The plan OF operations is stated to be- Gthat
| companies of six to twelve sharpers have ia
! paany instafees gone out into the unsettled
E'V' y u 'ssScs- organized cuBnfiazr elaet-1
| themselves county officers, levied exOrbitant
( county taxes on the lands, principally held
| by non-residsats, collected and disbursed
| the money for their own private advantage.
| With County Judge and County Board
| selected from among themselves, it is an
easy matter TO make appropriations for ser
vices never performed, work never done,
material never needed. In a certain county
north of Fort Dodge, in which heavy taxes
have for several years been levied, collected
aud expended, that we are informed that
last year there were cast but nine votes
and these all by oifice-holders, who of course
voted for themselves. The distance at
which the owners of the lands live from
them has afforded to these rascals every ad-
vantage in the eonsummation and prosecu-
ton of their robbery. In most cases the
money for the payment of taxes is sent to
tax paying agents, who are generally inter-
ested in sustaining the fraud and dividing
the proceeds. Vague reports come back, in
answer to complaints, of schools being
built, roads being constructed, public build
ings being erected. Investigation shows
that these are mere pretexts. Enough money
has been sent from Indiana to some Of
these wild counties TO build roads equal to
the Simplon and not inferior to the Appian
Way, all over them. The school-houses and
eourt-houses prove to be chateaus en- Es-
pague, or castles in the air, for either of
which Iowa sehool-houses will heneeforth
be synonomous terms.
The above is strictly true. But the wri-
Ter has not told one-half During a resi-
dence of three pears in Northwestern Iowa,
the writer was knowing to the operations
of such scoundrels and swindlers mentioned
above. The laws of Iowa are rather loose
in relation TO the organization of new
counties, and these unprincipled fellows had
Just enough law in their favor to prevent
them from being sent to the State prison,
where they ought to be. Another reason
why they were not arrested was, that no
one person was interested sufficiently in the
taxes which were levied TO cause him to
prosecute the guilty parties. 1t would cost
more to investigate the sWindle than il
would to pay the unrighteous tax. Hence
the scoundrels escape.
Sioux and O'Brien counties, in the ex-
treme north western part of Iowa, were cor
ganized" by band of adVenturers, when
there were not half dozen bona .tfde resi-
dents IN the two counties. In O'Brien
county there was but one actual settlement,
and in Sioux there was one; and we believe
there is not farm opened in that county |
to this day. And yet both of these coun- |
ties are "oTganized," taxes are levied, and |
those who own land there are called upon |
to pay, and if they do not pay, their land |
is advertised TO be sold. In fact so much of |
the land in the counties organized as above |
becomes delinquent for non-payment of tax
es, that au enterprising printer put small |
printing press and some types into wagon /
and took them up into that district for
the express purpose OF getting the job OF
advertising. He made fat thing of it
and as soon as he had advertised all the /
delinquent lands and got his pay, be put
his press into his wagon and moved it /
away. This paper was called the Peterson
Democrat, and was supposed to be printed
at the county seat, of Clay county. We /
think there were four numbers issued.
Most OF the county officers OF Sioux and
o. Brien eounties make their headquarters
at Sioux City, in Woodbury. county. They
provide themselves with weeks rations
once in while, and go up into these conn
ties 10 inspect the public buildings and
i" bridges being built with the money Taissd
by taxing the lands of fnon-residents. Those
who OWE lands in Northern Iowa may en-