The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1884-08-20
PEDDLING PADRE ISLAND.
REvlVlNG A TEXAS LAND FRAUD.
Mythical Titles to Texas Property Placed
on the Market by Dallas sharks
Swindling Foreign Capt.
talists - Enlightened.

The New York Herald of recent date
under the above head, contains the fol-
lowing concerning Padre Island, and as
there are parties residing in this city
who lay claim to it, and who are in all
probability negotiating its sale, the eX-
tract from the Herald given below NAV
be Of interest to them as well as to the
public.
"a specious swindle has been quietly
and successfully prosecuted in this city
for some time past said Mr.. Baxter
Noyes, a broker and negotiator, of No.
l20 Broadway, to a Herald reporter yes
terday. "lhere is an island Of the Gulf
coast of Texas, known rs Padre island.
II contains about 100000 acres, which
would make pretty good ranch land,
kind of property which is beginning to
be valuable in Texas. For the past two
or three Years, various sets of adVen-
turers, who have everything 10 gain
and nothing to lose have infested
New York, besieging the offices of CAPT
talists and promoters of companies, en-
deavOring to sell the title to Padre
Island at temptingly low figures. Their
scheme has nearly always been to get
New Workers to take the island at what
seems to be n cheap price, and then sell
it in London to a syndicate of English
capitalists, who are ready buyers OF
Texas and other American grazing lands
and are always looking for investments
Of that kind.
"Now, the swindle lies in the fact that
neither these men nor anybody else, 50
far as | can learn, can give a legal title
TO the island. II has been in dispute for
generations, and nobody knows Just who
owns it. Here is Il letter to me from j.
II. {. White, the postmaster Of Corpus
Christi, Texas, in which he says, in an
swer to my Inquiries
There is hardly man who lives OF
ever did live in Western Texas who
does not claim the whole or part Of
Padre Island, or the Big Sand Bar"
"After | had been repeatedly ap.
preached by these men to get capitalists
Interested in their schemes / consulted
my friend MIR. Charles II. Mallory, of the
| Texas line of steamers, and by his ad.
vice ] wrote to Mr.. Millin Kennedy, d
wealthy land owner in Texas, whose re
| ply comes through the Postmaster in the
language have quoted. Mr.. Kennedy
says he has received thousands of sucl
letters as mine.
"The adventures show what they cal
a title deed, which is secured i'm this
way: They have some of their confed
crates in Texas execute quit CLAIM
deed for the island, which any man MAY
do. This deed is duly recorded, ant
then the Town Clerk is asked for certi
fled copy Of the deed. This is shown il
New York and forwarded to London
such title is absolutely worthless, bu
IT has deceived many people
don't know of any Americans
who have put their money into tht
thing, but | do know of Englishmel
who have put from { 1000 to 10000 into
the scheme in the belief that TIN
property was worth over half million
dollars, and it was necessary to pa,
something down to secure the refusal o
it. have no doubt that over 100000 ha
been sunk in Padre Island i'm this wa,
IN England mt various times. | suppos
no public complaint has been made be
fore because the losers are all rich men
and the amount asked for from each ha
generally been small-about 1000"