Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1885-02-10

Large Tracts OF Government Laad Ne.
inE traadaiently Battered
Arrests made and MoFe 10 FelIsw.

- 0@NcFMoE1h Gn10 HN-
inE FraadsientIy Entered-s~vera,
Arrests made and NoFe 20 FelIsw,
A reporter Of the Posr IxrKILrsKxcxn
called on Deputy United States Prose.
cutting Attorney Hanford. and asked
him for statement IN regard 70 the re-
Gently discovered land frauds. After
come hesitasey Mr.. Hsnford said: On
February lst learned that certain per
sous we're engaged in fradduIeutly
entering timber lands in yarious parts
Of Western Washington, under the tim
ber act Of June 3. 1873. The vay the
frauds we're perpetratsd was as fol-
lows: A syndicate, probably ia the East.
sent their agents here 90 carry on the
work, and for long time past. they
have been doing it successfully.
These agents first found where tbers
we're large bodies of valuable timber
land. They would have IL eruised. 20
as 10 get hold Of ali the valua, le claims.
They vsuid then come 20 Seattle. sr
some other place, where there were idle
men whom they could Csc. Whenever
they found fellow that thew could
trnst, they would propose IN give him
fS5 to go TO Olympia and file on a tim
Der eiain under q false or fctitious
name. These agents found no trouble
in getting -filera," as the records show
that since the 2lth of January there
have been twenty four claims fraudu-
lensly fled on in Chehalis county. These
pa rties, at the time Of making their fil.
ings, or before doing so, give to the
agents OF the syndiaate deed for the
land, which, Of course is not filed until
pstents Issue 20 the land. The object
10 having these fellows 6Ie on the
land under fictitious names Ia to pre-
vent the matter ever being traced up.
Ine parties, after making the filing sign
all the necessary proofs and other pa
pers IN blank, whieh are afterwards All
ed out and fixed up by these agents"
OF course thess parties who file on this
land at the instance of these agents, ARE
not only guilty of forgery. bat perjury
as we'll, as The first step in filing on a
timber claim is 10 swear "rhat do not
apply 10 purchase the land above de-
scribea on speculation, bat in good
faith. to appropriate IL to my own ex-
ciusive use and benefit; and that have
not, directly or indirectly, made any
agreement or contract, in any way or
manner, with any person or persons
whomsoever, by which the title / may
acquire from the Government. Of the
United States, may enure. in whole or
in part, 20 the benefit Of any person ex-
cept myself" This and similar afi-
davitS, must be sworn to in she Land
Office on making the application to pur
chase the land. When | learned that
these frauds we're going on. employed
officer Gardner to work the matter Up,
and secure the evidence. and am glad
10 say he succeeded admirably, securing
positive evidence in large number Of
cases. Two of these 'a2ents," Mich sel
Daily and VIM. Winters, were arrested
Saturday night and put in jail,and steps
have been taken to arrest q number of
others Who are mixed up In this affair.
feel that We have Just discovered the
entering wedge TO gigantic frauds
against the Government, and can assure
you that prosecutions will swiftly fol
low. Colonel W. +. Prosser has. inter
ested himself in tnis matter, and 10
doing all in his power TO unearth these
frauds and punish the Offenders.
LATER--Jamieson, the Surveyor aud
cruiser of the lands In question, and
who has been one OF the leading spirits
IN these frauds, was arrested late last
night and locked up.