Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1881-04-02
The MissounIand Frauds-A Gigantic
SWindle.
From the hshington Post, March i9.l

VIC SlOattbI bWiulc ONOi iPOtA"e~N va "A~ |
Government, I'D its immensity can only be
realized whenll the facts in the case are
known. Its Inception dates back to the
year 1854, moi than quarter Of century
ago. In that rear, on the Attn OF August, an
act was passeS by Congress graduating VAL
ues Of publicl lands TO actual settlers and !
cultivators from 81. % to 10 1.2 cents per |
acre. just aftS the passage OF this act
ring was formed h Missouri to obtain pub
lie lands by Illegal methods. Some Of the
men who engaged In the scheme are still liy-
the Government ofncraishndapas otfieeothat
colusion with the swindlers. The latter pre-
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
ters and Receivers, and on the presentation
Of this alleged proof patents were issued for
hundreds andthousands Of acres Of land to the
swindlers. All their well-laid plans seemed
10 prosper. Then the war came, and all
Southern and Southwestern Missouri, the
scene Of the swindling operations, was in
state of confusion. During the time it is be-
lieved the swndlers made the most Of their
opportunities and abstracted as many patents
as they could find. When everything had
quieted down they commenced to sell off the
patents in manner that was as plausible as
it was successful 1t was as follows: Mr..
A came to Mr.. B with United States patent
for certain number Of acres. 1t was gen.
uine patent, though obtained by fraud. Ac-
companying 1t was deed purporting to be
made out by the person whose name ape
peared on the patent. That deed was a
forgery. To obtain their end the swindlers
had committed two crimes. Some idea is
thus given OF the enormity of the fraud.
First hundreds Of affidayits 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 office 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, deed which
was not worth the paper it covered was writ.
ten and handed to the guileless purchaser as
bona fide evidence that his title to the prop.
erty was complete. There was another and
more careful way in which the skillful swim.
dlers worked Mr.. A appeared to Mr.. B.
who wished to purchase as the agent Of Mr..
C, a third party. "Mr. wishes to sell thi;
land," said Mr.. A to the victim, "and will
probably accept your offer. Call around to-
/ - t..
will see him." It is 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 il to guard against any possible de-
lection Of fraud, the swndlers used what
they called "smoked deed" This was q
deed discoored by smoke or coffee, and
made to appear Of sufficient age to corre-
spond with the date it 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 st. 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 the
Office, possessed one or two boxes filed with
United States land patents which were cer-
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 professed to be q friend to
Schurz, suggested in conclusion that II
might pay to look inte the matter The
statements Of the letter were deemed of such
Importance that the Secretary at once Sc.
cured Special Agent d. p. Terrell, Of the
Treasury Department, to work up the case.
His experience during the thirteen months
he has been employed would, II published
read like novel. He has been in nearly ev.
cry city in the country, under assumed
names. He has figured in the pine woods oi
Missouri as q saw mill owner or prospector,
and In the Western cities as an Eastern cap.
italist who wanted to buy large quantity Of
land in the southern part Of Missouri, ant
was on an anxious search for the real owner
Of the property. In his investigations ht
found that the ramifcations of the swindlt
extended to Pittsburgh, Cleveland and othel
cities. His labors were at last crowned witt
success. A few days ago number Of per
sons, including Lindsay, were arrested In st
Louis or the cities named. They have al
| oiuan ho or triol Tt fc on taA af \,
Land office that the ring has obtained fraud
ulent titles to more than a million acres O
lands the larger proportion Of this vast are;
they have sold to innocent settlers, who ar,
now living in peace around happy hearth
fires. Legally they have no title to the lane
they occupy, and the Government can cans,
it to revert to the United States. viii thi,
course be pursued9 is a question which car
not now be answered. Government officia
who were conversed with to-day say that I
will rest with the Secretary of the Interio
and the Attorney General to decide whethe
civil suits shall be begun at once to vacat
the titles to these lands. 1t is believed that
whatever is determined upon, it will be s,
arranged that the blow shall not fall to,
heavily upon the thousands of duped settler
whose hitherto undisputed titles to thei
homes have been rendered valueless at on,
swoop by this exposure.
d CLEVELAND, O., March l9.-George Linn
one Of the men arrested for completely in tn
y Hand swindle business, was admihed to bal
in the sum Of 5000 for appearance on tn
25th for hearing. 1t has been decided, con
trary to some expectation, that preliminar
; hearing will be held here, Detective Tyrrel
being the principal witness. The Unitet