St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-07-27
PUNISHED, BUT NOT BLAMED.
Story of Marcus A. VOLTS Part in
Land Claim Swindle.

OUOfy Oh Nitrous "A w OH 1-dfC IN
Land Claim Swindle.
ST. Louis Globe Democrat.
Marcus A. Wolff, whose death was an
nounced i'll the newspapers yesterday
morning, will be buried this afternoon.
and many of the oldest and best citizens
of ST. Louis will attend the obsequies.
Mr.. Wolff leaves a fortune that good
authorities say can be converted readily
into 5000, 900 cash. He has been for
years recognized as the shrewdest and
most enterprlSing of st. Louis real eS-
tate men, and in credit he ranked sec
On1 to no man. This is the more Strik-
ing in view of the fact that his was
character that rose above circumstances.
A cautious biographer in one of the
paid-fOr collections of autobiOgTaphieS
that were at one time the fashion in ST.
Louis. says that "he at one time battled
with the amenities of fortune" The
truth might as well be told now, mas
much as many people who knew
nothing of the circumstances are likely
to make statements that are not borne
out by the facts. Mr.. Wolff did serve a
brief term in the penitentiary, but so
general was the belief in the cOmmun-
ity that he was an unwilling tool of per-
sons who prOfited by acts of his that he
could not have been understood to be
criminal; that he was pardOned by Gov.
Sterling Price, came back to st. Louis,
and was taken into partnership by Al
bert Porter. leading real estate man,
and lived with prejudice in the COM
munity for thirty-tive years. He has
held since that dark time many posi-
tons of trust. He was, among other
things, vice president and then treas
urer of the Knights of St Patrick, and
was by them made the special messen-
ger that carried their donation to the
Irish cause and delivered it in person
to Charles Stewart Parnell.
When quite young man Mr.. Wolff
was in the employ of Presbury IL Co.,
a firm of private bankers, doing bust
ness at the corner of Main and Locust
streets. The head of the firm was
known throughout the country as the
editor and publisher of the American
Bank Note Director an invaluable sheet
during the days of widest money. Two
lawyers named Whetmore were
connected with the banking house.
The are said to have been as talented
as they were INSCRIPTIONS. Along
about 1854 congress passed an act which
gave to every veteran of the Mexican
war special privilege tolOcate 100 acres
of any land not entered to date belong
ing to the United States. Proof of SER
vice secured the patent, and the docu-
ment had a negotiable value. In some
way the lawyers obtained possession of
an old Mexican army muster-roll, and
proceeded, in connection with the bank,
to take out letters patent for choice
Western lands in the names of the
veterans.
Marcus A. Wolff was a messenger and
trusted clerk in the bank. In purely
clerical way he signed the application
with the names given him. When the
government became apprised of the
fraud, which seems to have been quite
extensive, the lawyers ana Mr.. Wolff
were apprehended and convicted. All
three went together. Mr.. PresDury es-
capped prosecution. Mr.. Wolff was par
doned inside of two years. The story
obtained that he had sacrificed himself
in the interest of his employer and that
he was paid a good sum for his loyalty.
This was never proved. although often
asserted. and the friends of Mr.. Wolff
were not strenuous in their efforts to
suppress the rumor. Suffice is to say
that they to-day deny most positively
that there was any such collision; that
they assert to man that he was victim
to the perfidy of those who led him into
q trap, and that he died with the char