St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-10-23
THIEVERY!! !.
The Stigma of Fraud and
Robbery Branded
On the Forehead Of Con-
gresham Gilfillan.
Bare-Faeed and Corrupt
Attempt to Steal
A Portion Of the Public Do
main by Fraud.
AHidavits That Furnish the Most
Startling Exposition
Of Prostitution Of a Public Trust
by the Peoples Servant.
The Base Conspirator Who Poses
for Reflection to the
High Office He Has so Vilely and
Corruptly Dishonored.
High Office He Has so Vilely and
Corruptly Dishonored.
A Rotten Record.

A Rotten Record.
When the returns are made up that will
sound the political death knell of John b.
Gillian, and relegate to Obscurity the crea-
lures of the state wheat ring gang and pine
land baronS. on the second day of Novem-
Der next, not the least important factor
conducting thereto will be the infamous
record of the Republican candidate for
congress in the Fourth district in his cum
ningly devised and subtle attempt TO
swindle the government by the evasion of
the presumption laws of the United States.
1t is a matter of history, based on the re-
cent decision of the secretary OF the interior,
affirming the ruling of the commissioners OF
the general land Office. that a more bare
faced, corrupt and braZen
ATTEMPT TO STEAL
2 portion of the public domain by means Of
chicaney and fraud. has never been made
in the Northwestern country, not except
ing even the steals of the savory Duluth
ana Minneapolis pine land grab
berS. than the one under consideration.
AS will be seen by what follows. the rec
ord of robbery and fraud is made up.
Judgment has been decreed, the ill-gOtten
wealth wrested from the government by
and unsuspecting dupes, has been right
eously and f0rciby restored. and branded
upon the forehead of John B. GiIfllan and
his cOnfrereS Is the
STIGMA OF FRAUD
as firmly and as clearly as the tribunal
before which they and their infamous tran
sactiOns were tried has the power to place
it. In the eaIly spring Of 1885, Webster
Eaton, an agent of the general land Office.
was detailed to investigate rumers of fraud
and swindling in the attempt to evade the
presumption laws in connection with
settlers claims near Grand Rapids,
Itasca county, and vicinity, in this state. AS
the sequel proved the reports were but too
well founded. The attempt was bold to
the limit of audacity, and had it not been
for the
UNSUITABLE GREED
of its promoters it might have been Sue
cessfuI to completion. The investigation
resulted in hearing before the land COM
missioner, in which it was shown that the
attempt to Swindle the government had
been personally conducted by j. 3. Gill
Ian. who acted as legal adj
visor, and i'll conjunction with
the John Martin Lumber company
of Minneapolis. Of which he acted as the
paid apper. and to which he is allied by
the double bond of self-interest and con-
sanguinity. The history, in brief, of the
nineteen
CASES OF FRAUD
named IL the affidavits now on file in the
general land office, furnish the most start
ling exposition of prostitution of a public
trust in high place for purely selfish pur-
poses almost ever witneSsed-that of con-
gresham employing his power to
concoct conspiracy to defraud
his government and constituency and
by so doing of having been guilty of subor-
nation of perjury. in employing poor, igno-
rant. but honest men to pre- empt valuable
claims. upon which he took first mort
gage, to prevent a transfer of what they
were led to believe was their own property
while in reality they were but part of the
chattels necessary to carry out
THE CONSPIRACY
to defraud and indispensable to the machin-
cry. And what a pretty kettle of fish it all
is, as shown by the sworn statements of the
victims, appended below. A sort of nice
family arrangement with the fine hand of
Gillian to arrange the wires and c. E.
Brown. son-in-laW of John Martin. and
William Brown. of the same firm, to work
the puppets. The affidavits are most In
teresting reading. Charles Kearney testi-
feS that he and i've others were hired by
Rogers to take claims, and that GiIfillan
gave them to understand that they must
swear to certain things or they would not
get the land or receive pay for their work.
They were to receive $50 per month for at
least six months. and 500 for their claims
after they were proved up. Both Gillian
and Brown were present, he swea-s. and
they explained the contract. He had been
induced to sign
POWER OF ATTORNEY
to GiIfllan in the latter's Office; he did not
recognize that he wanted an attorney and
considered that Gilfllan had dealt unfairly
with him.
This witness swears that, being poor
man. he was forced to do as Gilfillan told
him or lose his pay and claim. When he
asked why the mortgage was not dated, the
latter told him it was all right.
John Brushln, Charles Gagnon. other vic
Tins, stated that they did not want to sign
the notes or mortgage, and that they then
considered themselves deceived and de-
frauded by Gilhllan. John Brushin, as
shown in his sworn affidavit, also consid-
cred himself deceived and swindled. James
Clark is very distinct and explicit as to
NAMES AND DATES
when the frauds were perpetrated. Jerome
E. Henley felt satisfied that he had signed
irrevocable power of attorney. To some
extent his affidavit is the dandy of the lot
He was approached by G. E. Brown. SON
in-law of John Martin, of the John
Martin Lumber company, and Of
cred S25 and all expenses in
case of arrest, to whip one James Smart
and get him out of town. said Smart an
other victim. having made himself dislked
by reason of circulating the untruthful re-
port that the entries were fraudulent
Whether he carried out the contract is not
stated, but he realized on the alleged
investment of muscle just the same
At this stage of the proceedings another
John Smart lOomed up in the person of Spe-
cial Agent Webster Eaton. But the latter
could not be either bulldozed, bribed,
whipped or got out of the way. and we
next find MIR. Gilfllan and his delectable
associates
ARRAIGNED
before the land commissioner for investiga-
ton. all the parties at interest being repre-
sented. The nineteen entries were can
celled for fraud, when an appeal was
Idktn W tno secretary OF the interior,
who, upon hearing, fully sustained
the decision of the commissioner.
This was about two months ago, when Gil
fllan. the congressman about to be retired
to the obscurity where he belongs, was con-
victed of conspiracy to defraud and sub
ornation of perjury. And this is the man
who poses for reelection to a trust he has
so vilely dishonored. But his DAYS and op-
portunities for fraud are alike numbered:
he has mufied his own bell and the polit-