Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1890-01-25
MIR. Ollie EXPLAINS.
Copy of a Letter Written by the Hon.
John /. Ollie to the Hon. Secre-
tary Of the Interior in
Nav Last
UNITED STATES LAND OFFICE, }
GUTHRIE. Ok. Nav 8. 1889 {

SIR:-I have the honor to acknOwl-
edge the receipt of your letter of the Sd
instant relative to information received
at YOUR office in relation to certain mat
tiers alleged to have occurred at the
opening of the land office at this place
April 22d, 1889.
In answer thereto permit me to say:
It is true that a man by the name OF
Mark S. Cohn appeared at this Office at
the opening thereof at noon April 22d,
1889, and filed an application for town
site tor the town of Guthrie, an applica-
ton for homestead entry for himself
and soldiers declaratory statements for
Perry Twitchell, James II. Huckleberry
and Benton Turner in the lands described
in your letter. But it is not true that he
was friend of or acquaintance of mine,
or that the men for whom he filed sol
dierS declaratory statements were
friends or acquaintance Of mine. On
the contrary be and they were
total strangers to me, about whom
| knew nothing. l do not know
when, how or by what authority Cohn
came into the territory, except L knew
he could not have come into the terri
tory after II o'clock, noon, and be at this
office few minutes after that hour. l
had no knowledge of Mr.. Cohn nor of
the existence of his town site or home
stead applications or his soldiers de-
claratory statements until they were
presented at this Office to be filed. |
did not know at that time who prepared
such town site application, and do not
know now, except from heresay, that
Colonel Clayton prepared it. 1t is not
t,,,a hot Cnlnnal 10 Ic
friend of mine; but, on the contrary, it
is true that prior to the 10Th or goth day
of April he was a stranger to me, on
which day was introduced to him. L
have seen him but three or four times
since and then only to pass the time of
day. As to what he did or did not do on
or before the 22d day of April, 1899. or
since said date, in locating homesteads,
town sites or town lots l do not know,
upon which subject have no knowledge
whatever.
1t is true that Jehu E. Ollie is a half
brother of mine, that at or about 1880 p.
M, April %, 1889. he filed homestead
application for himself and soldiers
declaratory statements for brother
of his and for James A. Kenner
on the lands described in your letter, and
that he signed with others the town site
application referred to. He was in this
territory prior to noon April %, 1889, but
he was here without any aid or assist
ance from me, and against my advice
and wishes. When he presented his
homestead entry papers to me as register
of this Office turned to Hon. Frank d.
Hobbs, an inspector of your department,
sent here to aid and instruct us in our
work, and to Major Picker, a special
agent of your department, and Informed
them of my relationship with the appli-
cant and of the other facts above stated
as to his entering the territory, and de-
clined to examine or pass upon his pa
pers. Said Inspector and special agent
examined all papers presented by him
and the receiver administered the oaths
required by law. As to how he came or
why he signed the townsite application l
do not know. Such action was taken by
HIM without my knowledge or consent.
The first information l had on the sub
ject was the appearance of his name,
presented. do know, however, that he
has not taken or attempted to take a
town lot i'll this territory, or in any at
tempt to profit by having signed said APP
plication, and that his desire is and has
been to get tract of land for farming
purposes and not for townsites.
Some stress seems to be laid upon our
allowing enteries to be made by persons
who We're in the territory prior to noon,
April 30 | have supposed that the
register and receiver had no authority
to look beyond the face of the papers in
receiving applications, and that all the
questions of that character would be
raised and determined by appeals, con-
tests, department orders, etc, and have
acted under that belief. Mr.. Hobbs, a
man of great experience, has been here
to aid us, and must have entertained the
same views, as no other course was sug-
gested by him.
1t Is further stated in substances: That
three deputy marshals. who officiated at
the door of the land office, were APP
pointed at my special request, and that
they prevented others than those above
named from making entries. But one
deputy marshal was appointed on my
recommendation. Mr.. Needles offered
me the commissions for three deputies,
believing that we should have some dep
uties at this office with whom we were
acquainted. | accepted one and refused
the other two, because l did not know
of but one person who desired 10 go into
the territory as looker-on with whom
I was personally acquainted. l gave the
one commission to Mr.. O. L. Mohler,
CITY editor of the Fort Worth Gazette,
who had sixty days leave of absence
from the proprietors of his paper and
L. =,
and who stated to me at the time that he
did not wish to acquire property. At Il
o'clock, noon, Mr.. Mohler was directed
to open the doors of the land Office,
which are double and swing inward. He
did as requested, and to our surprise,
having expected and prepared for a
great rush, the men walked quietly into
the room, in single file, or very nearly SO,
without any rush or interference or push
ing from any one. did not place. OF
cause to be placed, any marshals outside
the door, and did not know the name OF
face of any of them, but | saw no move
by any of them to prevent persons from
entering the room, and do not believe
any such moves We're made. l do know
that Mr.. Mohler, the only deputy mar
shall in the room. did not interfere with
any one and did not prevent or attempt
TO prevent any one from entering the
room or approaching the place at which
/ was stationed to receive applications
which was in front of and six
feet from : the door. Major
Hobbs, an Inspector Of your de
partment. stood by my side. as also did
Receiver Barnes and the two clerks OF
the office, and [ am sure they viii al
verify what l here state. Not man
was prevented from making an entry by
Hobbs at that time expressed himself a:
highly pleased with the unexpected GOOD