Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1877-06-21
a Bio STEAL IN LANDS.
HOW SOLDIERS ADDITIONAL LAND
WARRANTS ARE USED TO PROMOTE
FRAUD.

In June, 1872, Congress amend-
ed the act granting lands to honor
ably discharged soldiers, SO that
those who had not taken up 100
acres might enter the remainder in
tract contiguous to the one occu-
pied by them. IT. the closing hours
of the session which terminated in
March, 1873, some interested par,
ties had the act of 1872 amended
by striking out the words ssconti-
guons to the trace, embraced in the
first entry" This amendment let
in a horde of thieves, who have
been rrthlessly plundcring the
Government ever since. The San
Francisco Chronicle has been stir.
ring mp matters in that district, and
in the Susanville district, in which
is situated some of the best timber
land in California. Frauds have
been perpetrated in both districts,
but those in the latter have simply
been enormous. The modus oper-
andi has been as follows: So soon
as Congress passed the amendment
striking out the words Contiguous,
&C., there was wild rush of spec
ulating harpics and others, in per-
son and by letter to the Western
States, principally Missouri and Ar
kansas. They went into the land
offices there, ascertaihed the names
and residences of those who had
not taken up all of the 100 acres,
and hunted them mp. They then
induced them to fill up an app!ica-
ton for the remainder, all save
description of the land, swear to
their name and identify before
county clerk, and then dispose of it
at nominal sum per acre. The
purchaser was then enabled to go
to any other portion of the country,
fill in description Of the land de,
sired, and obtained possession of
the property. The signatures be
ing bona tide, this class have never
been disturbed, but where one
such genuine application has been
allowed at land office, thousands
have been passed which are bogus,
nd it is through these latter that
specui"roIo na'o uurH severely bit
ten. As soon as the operation of
the law, as amended, became known
the pnhlic plnnderers saw an OPP
portunity which they were not slow
to profit by. Most of the frandu
lent applications have come, as be-
fore stated, from Arkansas and
Missouri, and principally bear tie
forged signature of the Register at
Springfield, in the latter State
That office has no seal, and the
Registers signature is very easy
one to forge. They arc then sworn
to before County Clerk. The
scrip makers forged the Registers S
name, had duplicate of the
County Clerks seal made, easily
swore to the signature of some
genuine dead or alive soldier, it
mattered not which, and then sold
the scrip to the spectators, who
paid certain price per acre. Hun
dreds of them, says the ChronicLe,
came to the State. The applica.
tions were not assigned, and the
soldier whose name had been nsed
had no knowledge of the Calitor
mia land. The applications came
into this office filled out with the
description of land. showing that
the papers had been filled in since
they lett the soldier, the prcsump
ton being that the holders mus
have procured power of attorney
or some instrument to enable the
blank TO he filled in. The Office
here had no other course to pursue
than to issue a receipt. Before
the final entry could be made, how
ever, this application was required
to be sent to the General Land Of
, flee at Washington, where the sig
; natures arc compared with those o
the first application. Here tn
, forgeries were Immediately discov
+ cred, and the second application
sent back for cancellation. On
+. N. Z. Chapman, partner in tn
! law firm of Gilmore, Hoemer {
r Chapman, doing business in Wash
}, ington, d. g., has been operatin
: in California. The Chronicle say'
E "The extent of Cbipman's oper;
+ tions will be readily seen when
$ is understood that his application
o cover between sixty thousand an
!, eighty thousand acres in tho 5,
v sanville district; 10000 acres
"a the Sacramento district; betwec
4 s. 900 and 10000 acres in the Ss
Francisco district, and 35, ,O(
:. in the Visali district. All the lar
: entered in Susanville district
q chiefly in Plumas County and
p covered with a heavy growth
De the most valuable and tho fine
quality of sugar pine. In the ST.