Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-03-25
.BLISS'S OUTRAGE ON JUSTICE.
An Interesting Document.

To the Honorable Joseph Is. Foraker
Governor of the State of Ohio, Col
umbus.
Strive, the undersigned, citizens
of the State of Missouri-residents OF
Southeast Missouri-and many of us
life long neighbors and acquaintance
of Col. James Lindsay, the father OF
ocrats-do respectfully represent and
solicit your attention to the following
statement of facts:
That to prevent any political capital
from being interposed or made in this
case, one way or the other, we distinct
ly and collectively as Democrats ap-
peal to you.
Several years since an agitation was
melted and aroused in this part of the
State through United States officials
connected with the Department of JUS
tice at st. Louis, and the appearance
hereabouts of special detective con-
corning, as was put out by these Off
cials, the alleged fraudulent titles to
| eight millions of acres of Government
lands in Southeast Missouri, and that
the investigation was preparatory to
the institution of proceedings upon the
part of the Federal officials to recover
the same, not a tract Of which. large or
small, was subject to the District At
torney's disposition--in or out of court.
| Of course, as was incident and una
voidable to such proclaimed and her
aided purpose, great alarm ensued
and prevailed, and following upon it
to the U. S. Grand Jury for the March
term of the U. S. District Court a. the
City Of st. Louis, for the e sstern Dis
trict of Missouri, in the year eighteen
hundred and eighty.one, an effort was
made through the U. S. District At
torney, to indict Robert L. Lindsay.
The foreman of the Grand Jury, Mr..
Stark D. Crumb, of Bloomfield, Stod-
dard county, being familiar with the
| facts, and more conversant with the
laws and situation than the U. s. Dis
Attorney, or his detective, was of his
own and familiar knowledge aware
that for twenty-five years the State
and counties had assessed the lands,
and that the owners were then in un-
disputed lawful possession. the U. S.
Land Office having certified to the
State of Missouri their entry, and that
the Only cloud then resting upon the
| fitJn fhnrnnf of h
ance, was that put cut through the U.
s. District Attorneys Office, in notice
or request to several of the counties in
interest, to vacate and deter proceed
ings against lands therein delinquent
for taxes, which for several years work
ed hardship to the innocent and legal
owners, deterring sales and transfers
through fear of purchasing law suit.
This through the legal inexperience
and blunders of the y. S. officials at
St. Lou!a.
Thus the u. 8. Grand Jury ignored
the matter, and the U. s. District At
torney through the fortunate presence
of an informed juryman, learned that
the acts of Congress had confirmed the
very titles he, and he alone, disputed.
It would have been natural to pre-
sumo that here. if the sole purpose was
to protect the y. S. Government, it
having removed any and all cause for
any and all attempts upon the part OF
the U. 3. District Attorney and his de-
tective to take from the owners the
lands in question, they having been
irrevocably confirmed to the holders,
that all proceedings would have ceas-
ed; particularly SO, as the Honorable
the Secretary of the Interior-Mr. Tel
ler-interposed his official objection and
quietus.
The u. 8. District Attorney, howev-
ler, conceived 1t to be his duty to still
further pursue the matter. and did
draft, as we are informed, IA Bill'' to
present to Congress, and did take the
trouble to journey to Washington, to
individuals. urge upon Congress its
enactment into law, the provision OF
which made it incumbent upon tue de-
Ifendant to prove his innocence, thus
reversing all law and all justice and
precedent, which comedies the limo.
Icence Of an accused until proven
guilty.
But this disregard of the very pre-.
lcepts of law and justice, found nc