The National tribune., 1891-12-17
OLD SOLDIERS, ATTENTION.
How Veterans are Defrauded in Signing Away
Rights 60 Ilomrsicads.

hiGhtA 10 Nomfhitadss
EDITOR NATIONAL tribune: lnclosed
please hud a circular letter which Will explain
itself, which ] forward you for publication at
the request o Kmgisher Post, 2, G.A.R., De
partment OF Oklahoma. A little explanation
may not be out Of place. ] will endeaVor 10
show the course pursued by these sO-styled
agents. In the first place, by means Of printed
circulars and maps sent 20 different Posts oi
the GAR, or individuals, they succeed M
opening correspondence with some comrade,
aud then written letters are sent which are
full of false aud misleading statements and
promises that they cannot fulfill They ask
the soldier to depnst SIS or $50 IN their homo
bank, 10 be sent 10 a bank here with instruc-
tions 20 pay TO the sender Of the letters circu-
lars, etc, when they shall present TO the bank
receipt from the Register and Receiver oi
the Land Office, showing that they have se-
lecied and filed claim tOr loo acres OF landl.
On tie presentation OF this receipt the bank
has 10 pay the amount, aud there is no con-
tract or agreement between the soldier and
this agent farther than q deciaratory State
nent (which incl0se with this aud the in
stInctions sent 10 the bank.
There is nothing 20 prevent this man from
selecting and filing the soldiers claim on some
sandhill or desolate, barren, sandy plain, which
no man VIII take, aud, unfortunately, there is
some Of that class OF land la oklahoma
Now, the poor old soldier sells out Rt a sacri-
fee in his old home IN Nebraska, Minnesota,
Iowa, Kansas, Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, or wher-
ever he may live. and, with his family, comes
on 10 his farm But on his arrival here, for the
first time he discovers that be has no farm, aud
that his money is lost and his homestead right
used up, which closes the chapter One OF
these frands has between 5000 and $4,000 de-
posted To his credit on the terms as given
above, aud understand that be is receiving
about $50 per day. We feel that ID is time the
fraud WIS exposed aud halt called. Now, We
do not wish TO mislead our comrades aud leave
them under the impression that they cannot
secure good homes here. Far from that. But
we do hope that they will have confidence
enough in their old comrades, or the officers Of
the United States Land Offices, 10 make inqui-
ries OF them before sending their money 10
some irresponsible young fraud.
Any letters Of inquiry 10 any United States
Land Office, OF any Grand Army Post IN Okla
homa, will be cheerfully answered; aud most
every town in Oklahoma has its GAR. Post.
There is will be millions Of acres Of fire, fer
tile land well watered and timbered, aud in as
fine climate as there is in America, to be Ia
ken as h0mcsteads as soon as the Cherokee
strip or tho Cheyenne and ArRpahOe ResCrva-
tiOn Is opened 10 settlement, which we expect
will be early next Spring
j guess seven .tenths Of the population Of
Oklahoma is composed Of old soldiers, and i
would like 20 see that percentage largely in
creased. would like 10 sec and believe that
Oklahoma can be made the soldier State Of the
Union. Yours in f., c. aud L.--WM. III. Wis
NER Adjutant kinEGsher Post, 2, GAR, De-
partment of oklahoma.
The circular letter referred 20 by COmrade
Nisner is too long for publication, but summed
up briefly is 20 the effect that q committee Of
hingtsher Post appointed a committee Of seven
members 10 examine into the frauds which are
being perpetTated on the veterans Thsc0mmt-
tee went over the whole ground and reported
to the Post that they find numbers Of men en-
gagged in soliciting powers Of attorney from old
soldiers, and That these agents make fraudulent
and misleading statements; that scores Of COM
rades have been induced 20 come 90 oklahoma
by these misrepresentation expecting TO 70
Immediately upon their claims. but find that
lands upon which their claims are represented
ms being located are not yet subject 10 settle
ment, aud many are consequently in dcsti.
tute condition; that these agents are neither
financially nor morally reliable aud do not hesi-
tate 10 make fraudulent representations 20
old soldiers; that when these agents represent
that they have surveyed these lands Cheyenne
and Arapahoe and other reservations. that they
have lists Of lands subject 10 entry that they
can locate soldier upon bottom and timbered
land aud guarantee his right 20 the same, ard
are not telling the truth, and they cannot do
for the soldiers what they claim they will be
able TO doi that prior settlement upon public
land is superior 20 a soldiers filing or a home
stead entry, and hundreds Of soldiers filings
by agents will be made upon lands either
already occupied by settlers or which are
worthless. The receipt Of the Receiver Of a Land
Office for a soldiers fling is no guarantee that
the land 10 not already occupied by bona
fde settler, or that il Is OF any value, and under
the contract made with their agents they are
entitled 20 their fee of $50 or more upon the
mere production Of such receipt; aud, in short,
that comrades filing through these agents will
find themselves defraudcd.
ln view Of these facts, Kingfsher Post, 9,
says t0 the old soldiers Of the country who
contemplate coming 10 this country for tho
purpose Of selecting homes. that they eau Sc.
cure iull Information concerning tho same by
writing 10 the United States Land Office al
Guthrie, Oklahoma City. Beaver, or KingGsher,
or 20 the GAR. Post in these or other towns Of
the Territory. Comrades who desire 10 secure
homes in this country should como here when
the lands are open 10 settlement, and make
their own selections or send their own agents
here for that purpose. One man should not
undertake 10 act a. agent for more than six or
eight comrades"
Kinp6sher Post refers comrades seeking for
information 10 Hon. A. J. Seay, Associate Just
ice Of the Territorial Supreme Court; 20 Capt
j. V. Admire, Receiver Of the u. s. Land Office
both OF whom are members Of the Post: 10
Hon. j. G. Roberts, Register Of the ~. s. Land
Office at Kiugisber, aud 10 Hon. A. X. Sill
Special Agent Of the General Land Office, who
has thoroughly investigated this subject