The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1875-12-16
A GIGANTIC SWINDLE.
Deeds Forged to Twelve Millions Acres
of Arkansas and Missouri Land.
(From the st. Louis Timea.l

4 ~~N~ -
of Arkansas and Missouri Land.
IFrom the ST. Louis Tilnes.l
It is claimed that the existence of 8
heavy land ring was brought to light
recently by the Investigations of the
Grand Jury of Shannon County; this
State. That body, on Saturday last, re-
turned indictments against three par
ties, two of them residents of this city,
charging them with completely in Ger
tain alleged swindling operations, ex-
tending over period of years, by which
various parties have been defrauded out
of millions of dollars.
The indictments are against DR.. Thos.
K. Harmon, David S. Bingham and Jas.
M. Lawton. The last-named gentleman
claims to be an English subject, with
his residence at Manchester, England,
but he spends considerable time in this
city, and is expected here In short
time ou his return from visit to En-
gland
The parties named in connection with
others, as appears from testimony adj
duced before the Shannon County Grand
Jury, it is charged, formed ring some
five years ago for the systematic forging
of deeds to land in Northern Arkansas
and Southeastern Missouri The ring, in
addition to the parties interested here,
is said to have agencies established in
Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia,
New York and Manchester, Eng. Some
of the agencies, it is alleged, have done
an excellent business, and it is estimated
that the ring has forged and disposed of
deeds to at least -, 600, 900 acres of land,
worth some $25, 600, 900 or 3O,O0O,O0O.
It is well-known fact that the greater
part of the land in che territory to which
the operations of the ring have been
confined is owned by non-residents, who
pay little or no attention to their claims,
and frequently neglect to pay the taxes
due on the same for years, and much of
it is yearly sold by reason of non-pay-
ment of taxes.
Another fact that greatly favored the
operations of the ring is, that the records
of the counties of the territory around
were very generally destroyed during
the late civil war.
The mode of operation pursued by the
ring seems to have been to get posses
sion of the yearly delinquent tax-lists of
these counties. From these lists was OBJ
tanned information concerning the land
upon which taxes were not paid, and it
was deemed quite safe to conclude that
the parties owning the land were not
watchful of their interest. Forged deeds
were made to such lands, showing titles
through several fictitious parties. The
deeds were ingeniously drawn, having
the proper acknowledgements taken in
due form before David S. Bingham,
Notary Public for St. Louis county. The
deeds were also properly recorded in the
counties where the land lies, and have
the appearance of being genuine in
every respect. Whenever parties de-
sired abstracts of titles, they obtained
them in due form, showing the chain of
title running back through successive
parties to the Government. In some
cases deeds were forged to lands occu-
pied, but as rule the ring confined its
operations to the lands of non-residents,
which were unoccupied. No suspicion
attaches to the Recorders of the counties
making out the abstracts of titles, as
they simply followed the records as
they appear in making out the chains of
title.
The forged deeds have been sold all
over the country many of them are held
in st. Louis. Lawton has operated prin-
cipally in England. He is said to be a
sharp operator, and has victimized his
corlntrymen out of many thousands of
dollars. One of his favorite plans was
to form colonies to settle in certain local
tiles in Missouri, where he represented
he owned immense tracts of land. He
would sell off as far as possible, reserv-
ing for himself a large tract in the pro-
posed settlement. After completing his
sales, and just prior to the time set for
the colony to depart for their new homes,
MIR. Lawton would find some pretenses
for abandoning the scheme.