Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1881-03-31
The Misssuzi Lane Fralds-A Gigantic
Swindle.


realized when all the facts In tho case nfe
known. Its inception dafss back 70 the
year 1854, more than quarter OF century
ago. In that year, on the Atm Of August, an
act was passed by ConSrsss graduating va
ues of public lands to actual settlen and
cuitivators from s1.25 70 II leg cents per
scre. Just aftsr ths passage a ithbac .
ring was Termed ia Missouri to obtain pub.
lie lands by Illegal methods. Some Of the
men who engaged In the scheme are still liv-
ing, and IL IL believed ut the Land-ofhcc that
the Government officials must have been In
collision with the swindlers. The latter pre-
pared and brought to several OF the Land.
Offices in Missouri . quantity Of fame evf-
dence, alleging that the public lands for
which patents were desired were actually
settled and cultivated according to law.
THIS was sent to Washington by the Regis.
ters and Receiver, and on the presentation
of this alleged proof patents were Issued for
hundreds and thousands Of acres of land tot the
swindlers. All their well-laid plans seemed
10 prosper. Then the war came, and all
Southern and Southwestern Missouri, the
scene of the swindiing operations, was in
state of confusion. During the time II In be-
lieved the swindlers made the most of their
opportunities and distracted rs many patents
rs tuty COuiu W hCh Vftty'hfhh hsa
quoted down they commenced 10 sell on the
patents in q manner that was as plausible -
It was successful. 1t was as follows: Mr..
A came to Mr.. b with United States patent
for certain number of acres. IL was gem
uine patent, though obtained by fraud. Acc
companying IL was a deed purporting to be
made out by the person whose name ape
peared on the patent. That deed was .
forgery. To obtain their end the swindlers
had committed two crimes. Some idea 10
thus given OF the cnormity of the fraud.
First hundreds Of afiidavits that the signer
had actually settled and cultivated the land
were prepared, when the person whose
name was affixed never existed. Page after
page of some Of the entry books In the Mis-
souri, Land oflice have been found to be filled
with the names Of fictitious persons to whom
patents were issued. Then, having secured
a patent to the land by fraud, deed which
was not worth the paper IL covered was writ.
ten and handed to the guileless purchaser as
bona fde evidence that his title to the prop.
erty was complete. There was another and
more careful way in which the skilful swim.
oilers worked. Mr.. A appeared 10 Mr.. b,
who wished to purchase rs the agent If Mr..
c, third party. "Mr. c wishes to sell this
land," said Mr.. A to the victim. sand will
probably accept your offer. Call around to-
morrow Mt o'clock. In the meantime I
will see him. 1t In needless to say that this
third party was "straw man." who never
existed. When B appeared next day A
showed him deed signed with C's name,
but which really had been drawn up by A
within an hour after he had left the day be-
fore. As II to guard against any possible de.
lection of fraud, the swindlers used what
they called q "smoked deed" This was o
deed discolored by smoke or coffee, and
made to appear of sufficient age to corre-
spond with the date II bore. They grew so
expert at the practice Of smoking freshly.
prepared deeds that the deception escaped
discovery. The investigation which led to
the exposure Of the gigantic swindlers was
instigated little over year ago by letter
received by Secretary Schurz. This stated
that one Robert p. Lindsay, Of 81. Louis,
whose father had once been in charge Of the
Land Office at Ironton, and who had thus
had access to the contents and records of tho
Office, possessed one or two boxes filed with
United States land patents which were GER
tainly genuine, although Lindsay might have
obtained them by questionable means. The
letter alleged that he kept these boxes con-
cealed or moved them by stealth, and had
queer dealings with queer people. The
writer, who protested TO be q friend 10
Schurz, suggested IN conclusion that it
might pay to look int the matter. The
of the letter were deemed of such
Importance that the Secretary 1t once Sc
cured Special Agent d. r. Terrell, Of the
Department, TO work up the case.
His experience during the thirteen months
he has been employed would, IL published,
read like novel. He has been I'm nearly cy-
cry city in the country, under assumed.
names. He has figured in the pine woods Of
Missouri - . saw-mill owner or prospector,
and in the Western cities ~ an Eastern cap.
italist who wanted TO buy . large quantity Of
land In the southern part Of Missouri, and
was on an anxious search for the real owner
of the property. In his investigations he
found that the ramifications Of the swindle
attended to Pittsburgh, Cleveland and other
cities. His lsbors were ut last crowned with
'uccess. A few days ago . number Of per-
ions, including Lindsay, were arrested in 81.
Louis or the cities named. They have all
given bail or are on trial. 1t Is stated at the
Land-ofice that the ring has obtained fraud.
llent titles TO more than . million acres Of
and; the larger proportion Of this vast area
hey have sold to innocent settlers, who are
Tow living In peace around happy hearth
Tres. Legally they have no title to the land
hey occupy, and the Government can cause
to revert 70 the United States. VIII this
course be pursued Is question which can
lot now be answered. Government officials
Who were conversed with to-day say that ft
viii rest with the Secretary Of the Interior
md the Attorney General TO decide whether
ivfl suits shall be begun at once to vacaie
he titles to these lands. 1t is believed that,
whatever 10 determined upon, It will be 20
rranged that the blow shall not fall too
'eavily upon the thousands of dupcd settler,
whose hitherto undisputed titles to their
,omes nave been rendered valueless At ons
woop by this exposure. H,H -
o
CLEVELAND, o., March i9.-George Linn,
ne Of the men arrested for completely in the
and swindle business. was admitted to ball
n the sum Of 5000 for appearance on the
5th for hearing. 1t has been decided, con-
rary to some expectation, that preliminary