The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1881-03-23
FORGED TITLES.
An Important Arrest in St. Louis BY Gov
ernment Officers.

An Important Arrest In st. Louis BY Gov
ernment Onicers.
ST. LOUIS NO.. March l5.-United States Special
Agent p. d. Tyrrell, arrested here to-day, Robert
L. Lindsay. well known lawyer and an investi-
gator Of titles, the charge of conspiracy to de-
fraud the Government out OF lands by uttering
false deeds under fraudulent titles. These opera
tions appear to have extended over long period
OF years commencing pror to 1860, and 1t is in
timated that from 100000 TO 1000 600 acres of
lands in Wayne, Butler. Shannon. Ripley, Ore
gon, Carter, Reynolds. Ment, Iron and other
Counties of Southeastern Missouri are involved
The frauds were originally perpetrated under the
graduation act passed byCongress in1S54 Under this
act a large amount of land in this State was grad
uated in price from 81 down TO twelve and half
cents per acre, and any one could enter $40 acres
register OF the land office, and paying the
price of land. On subsequent
proof of the settlement the Government
patents were issued and title perfected. II ap-
pears that as long ago as between 1856 and 1860
hundreds. perhaps thousands, of applications
were made for the cheapest grade of land, the ap-
plicants being chiefly men who were hired for
this purpose by bands Of Spectators on these
applications and subsequent proof Of settlement
the latter being as is now asserted, composed
patents passed into the hands OF these speculators
or, as they are now called, swindlers. Some of
these these PA parties &piesa5e,, are , now dead. S but
tions even as late AS two years ago and lived, and
are now living in various parts of the country.
From 1861 to 1866, and since 1870,
large number of land warrants
disappeared from the land Office at Ironton
apparently without the knowledge of the Regis
terer Under these patents. and the hundreds
acquired previously. an immense amount of
lands has been sold and deeds dismissed by
parties of nearly all the large cities in this coun-
try. There seems to be a regular organized band
engaged in this work, of whom SPECIAL Agent
Tyrrell regards Lindsay the chief conspiratOr.
were made simultaneously with that
of Lindsay, and still Others will be made Those
arrested so far are Orland Eanhise, John X.
Carwin, lawyers or real estate agents OF
Cleveland; George Linn. of Linndale,
near Cleveland; Addison f. Burns, real
a notary of Pittsburg. There are still others i'm
plicated in the swindle in New York, PhiIadel
| phia, Chicago and other cities, and additional
| arrests may be looked for at any time. The deeds
| issued by these parties have been manipulated
| in manner not usual with land
but stupendous frauds have been systematically
perpetrated and hundreds perhaps thousands of
! persons now settled upon or have acquired land
In Southeast Missouri the title TO whichlis utterly
valueless. \ thorough investigation of the
swindle viii be made by United States District
Attorney Bliss ana all parties will be dispossessed
of the land they have acquired under these
fraudulent deeds and illegally secured patents
| 1t is estimated that several million acres
OF land will revert back TO the Government
when the affair is straightened out. Robert T
Lindsay has borne a good character here, and hi,
father, James Lindsay, was Register of Land a
IrontOn for several years There is no evidence
| however that he was at any time concerned In
the swindle 1t is expected that one or two othel
arrests wall be made here tomorrow.