The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1889-10-18
HALF BREED SCRIP.
An Important Land Case From Min
nesota Decided by the General
Land Office.
Burned to Death While SUSPENDED
in Mid-Air by an Electric
Light Wire.

WASHINGTON, D. G. Special Telegram.
Assistant Land Commissioner Stone, Of the
general land office, has given IN opinion
In what II known ~ one of the Chippewa
half-breed scrip cases. The lanu in contro-
versy 10 very valuable. ~ it contains rich
deposits Of iron and IL in the great Minnesota
iron belt The land IL lot z and northeas,
quarter section 80, town IL. range SO. in the
Duluth district The land was frst located
BY James h. Warren by his attorney in fact
J. H Sharp, under the treaty of Sept 80,
1854, which allowed every head Of family
of the mixed blood Chippewas Of Lake Su-
perior to locate eighty acres Of land. Feb.
%, 1889. Joseph Il Chandler applied to To-
cate Valentine scrip on the tract March %.
1889. Jesse G. Barride applied BY attorney
to locate . soldiers additional homestead
entry. Both applicants were rejected on the
ground Of Warren's previous location. March
IL, 1889, Emio Hartman applied with Por-
terfield scrip and was also refused. All par
ties appealed to the general land office.
Chandler and Barride failed to file affidavits
OF contest against Warren until after Hart
mans affidavit was fled, and his contest
therefore comes first and he is the only one
considered. Hartman alleges that Warren
made the entry for the benefit of other par
ties, who paid him a valuable consideration;
that J. H. Sharp was made his attorney for
location, and G. A. dAutremont attorney to
sell No law was ever passed by congress
regulating
OTHER METHODS OF SELECTION.
But the interior department authorized
the half breed to appear before an Indian
agent and make proof that he or she was, at
the rate Of the treaty. the head OF family
belonging to the Lake Superior ChippewaA
The agent should deposit the proof with the
land officers, and the Indian secure a certih-
cate OF identity. This certificate of identity
was located by Warren through his attorney.
The assistant commissioner holds that War
ren's selection is prima facia valid. It was
made by virtue of power Of attorney duly
executed in the name Of Warren himself,
properly identified as beneficiary in the
treaty. He had right to have the land Sc
lected for him, and the land in question had
segregated from the public domain when
the other applications were made. The &C
ton of the local officers in rejecting said ap-
plication is affirmed subject to appeal to the
department He directs patent, to Issue to
Warren. II Warren has been defrauded az
alleged by the contestant, his patent will
Protect him It he has agreed to sell the
land for consideration it ia something with
which the department has nothing to do.
The authority by which the land was located
was certificate of identity and contains
nothing to prevent the Indian from dispos.
ing Of it or bargaining for the land before he
has located it The allegation that Warren
had signed two powers Of attorney in blank
one to locate the land and the other to sell
the same, does not invalidate the certificate
The patent is directed to issue to Warren OF
his authorized agent, subject to appeal: Thii
case will OF course be appealed to the in.
terror department, as there are others pend
ing which will be affected by the final decls
ion and the land involved in this case II
worth $3.50, 900 or more