The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1889-10-17
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. c. Special Telegram
Assistant Land Commissioner Stone, of the
general land office, has given an opinion
in what Is known as one of the Chippewa
half breed scrip cases. The lanu in contro-
versY is very valuable, as it contains rich
deposits of iron and is in the great Minnesota
iron belt The land is lot and northeast
quarter section so, town l / range 63, in the
Duluth district The land was first located
by james II. Warren by his attorney in fact
J. H. Sharp, under the treaty of Sept ~,
1854, which allowed every head of faml
of the mixed blood Chippewas of Lake Su-
perior to loca e eighty acres OF land. Feb.
%, 1889. Joseph H. Chandler applied to To-
cate Valentine scrip on the tracJ. March %.
1889, Jesse g. BarIide applied by attorney
TO locate soldiers additional homestead
entry. Both applicants were rejected on the
ground of Warren's previous location, March
II, 1889, Emio Hartman applied with Por-
terheld scrip and was also refused. All par
ties appealed to the general land office
Chandler and Barride failed to file athdaVlts
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 valuable consideration;
that ]. H. Sharp was made his attorney for
location, and c. A. d'Autremont attorney to
sell No law was ever passed by congress
regulating
OTHER METHODS OF SELECTION,
But the interior department authorized
the half-b breed 10 appear before an Indian
agent and make proof that he or she was, at
the rate of the treaty, the head of a family
belonging to the Lake Superior Chippewas.
The agent should deposit the proof with the
land officers, and the Indian secure certin-
cate of identify. This certificate OF identity
was located by Warren through his attorney.
The assistant commissioner holds that War
/ ren's selection is prima fGcia valid. 1t was
made by virtue of power of attorney duly
executed in the name of Warren himself,
properly identified as a beneficiary in the
treaty. He had Il right to have the land Sc
lected fol- 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 rel Getting said ap-
plication is affirmed subject to appeal tC the
department. He directs patent to issUe to
Warren. II Warren has been defrauded as
alleged by the contestant, his patent will
pI otect him. If he has agreed to sell the
land for a consideration it is 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 pa.enJ is directed to issue to Warren or
his author zed agent, subject 10 appeal. This
terror department, as there are others pend
ing which will be affected by the final decis-
: ion and the land involved in this case is
t worth $3.50 900 or more