The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1881-04-09
The Missouri lesd Frauds-A Gigantic
&Wlndle.

Nc MISSVuIl 1fPmU |
SSWindle.
from the Washington Post, March ls.l
The press dispatches which have been
published regarding the recent arrest OF
the land swindlcrs in St.Louis give no idea OF
the extent OF the fraud. The officials IN the
General Land.of.ce in the city regard 1t Is
the greatest swindlc ever perpetrated on the
and its immensely can only be
realized when VII the facts IN the case arc
known. lts inception dates back to the
year 1854, more than quarter OF century
ago. In that year, on the 4th OF August an
act was passed by Congress graduating 'a''
ues Of public lands to actual settlers ana \
cultivstors from $l.35 70 II LEI cents per
acre. Just after the passage OF this act .
ring was formed In Missouri to obtain pub
lie lands by illegal methods. Some Of tho
men who engaged in the scheme are still iiv'
ing, and 1t Is believed at the Land'ofiice that
the Government officials must have been in
collision with the swiUdlers. The latter pro-
pared and brought to several Of the Land
Offices In Missouri . quantity OF false EVIL.
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
ten and Receivers, and on the presentation
Of this alleged proof patents were issued for
hundreds and thousands Of acres Of land tothe
swindlen. All their wcll.lsid plans seemed
70 prosper. Then the war came, and all
Southern and Southwestern Missouri, the
scene Of the swindIiny operations, was ina
state OF confusion. During the time II is be.
lieved the swindlers made the most Of their
opportunities and distracted a. many patents
d they could find. When everything had
quieted down they commenced to sell on the
patents In manner that was a. plausible ~
II was successful. 1t was a. follows: Mr..
A came to Mr.. B with United States patent
for certain number Of acres. It was gen.
uine patent, though obtained by fraud. Ac.
eompanying IL was . deed purpOrting to be
made out by the person whose name up.
pesred on the patent. That deed was \
forgery. TO obtain their end the swindlers
had committed two crimes. Some idea Is
thus given of the cnormity Of the fraud.
First hundreds VI afiidsyits that the signer
had actually settled aud 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.oiiice have been found to be filled
with the names OF fictitious persons to whom
patents were issued. Then, having secured
patent to the land by fraud, a decd which
was not worth the paper it covered was writ.
ten and handed to the guieiess purchaser a.
bona fee evidence that his thle to the prop.
srty was complete. There was another and
more careful way in which the skillful swim
oilers worked. Mr.. A appeared to Mr.. 3
who wished to purchase IS the agent Of Mr.
c, third party. ''Mr. C wishes to sell thi
lsnd," said Mr.. A to the victim, "and viii
probably accept your offer. Call around TO-
morrow ut l o'clock. In the meantime
will see him. It is needless to say that thi
third party was ''straw man." who neve
existed. When B appeared next day 1
showed him deed signed with CO name
but which really had been drawn up BY 1
within On hour after be had left the day DO
fore. A Il to guard against any possible de
lection 81 fraud, the swindlers used wha
they called . "smoked deed" This was
deed dissolored By smoke q ce6Ies, an
made % appear Of sufdeisst age 70 core
spoud with the date It bore. They grew 8
expert At the practice Of smoking freshly
prepared deeds that the deception escape
discovery. The investigation which led I
the exposure Of the gigantic swindien va
: instisstsd little over yeay ago BY lette
received by Secretary Schurz. This state
that one Robert P. Lindsay, Of St. Loui.
whose father had once been In charge Of Ii
, Land. office At Ironton, and who had thu
had access 70 the contents and records Of Ii
Office, possessed one Or two boxes filed wit
/: United States land patents which were eel
tainly genuine, although Lisdsay might ha,
!, obtained them BY questionable means. II
o letter alleged that he kept these boxes COZ
cealsd q moved them By stealth, and b,
queer dealings with queer" people. II
:. writar, Who psofessea n 30 . friend
p sehurzY suggested u. conclusion that
. might pay to look int the matter. II
u statements Of the letter were deemed Of su'
J. importance that the Secretary at once .
4 cured Special Agent D. p. Terrell, Of d
Il Treasury Department y vsrk up the cas
Il Hh sxperislce during the thirteen mont
d hs -, been employed would, II publishe
Al read like novel. he has been in nearly e
I. cry city II the country, under assume
!. names. Re'has figured in the pine woods
" Lissoarias saw.mill owner or prospectt
Il ,sad,in w, Western cities ~ ~ Eastern ca
ttalist who wanted 10 buy large quantity
land in the southern part Of Missouri, u
j. vas on IN anxious search for the real owl
y Of the property. Ia his Investigations
> found that tho raHliications of tho swim,
!. extended to Pittsburgh, Cleveland and oil
u cities, His lsbors were at lat crowned vi
er Succss.. A few days ago = number Of, p'
.; sons, ipcludipg Lindsay, were arrested in
!. Louj, ~ ths cities named They have
" given bail Or are on trial. 1t Is stated At
Y. Lsnd.o Office that the ring has obtained frau
., ulent titles to more than million acres
n, land; the larger proportion OF this vast u
d; they have ssld to innocent settlers, who ,
y now living IL peace AROUND happy hear
th IRIS. Legally they have no title to the Ia
l.. Ii they occupy, and the Government car, ca
<. II to revert 70 the United States. Will I
n. course BE- pursued? is question which ,
not now be answered. Government oflc
in who were conversed with to-day say tina,
IN will rest with the Secretary Of the Int,
ID. and the Attorney. General to decide whet
II I'll - III,