The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1894-10-23
IS HOEE IN IT.?
ru1cAGo TIMES EXPOSES
81 LUZ LAND PIRATES.

D.,stary Hoke Smith and His Prede-
ST.. Said to be Implicated---Many
s;ctments are Found.
bO ATLANTA Daily Press
HIKE Smith in the deal9
!. Is the story published in the Sun
CHICAGO Times from it's Washing
correspondent a fabricationa
y" charge is a serious one, and the
I0.nondent did not stop with max
g.* but produced proofs.
a chicken thief-oh! no; there's
.;no small and petty about the
.of larceny recently unearthed by
Times, for it involves millions.
H@hother or not Mr.. Smith be guilty
W is no doubt that others are, and
- Is absolutely no doubt that there
s,nndation for the charges against
Fifty eight indictments have been
..,gbt in by the United States grand
T. at Madison, Wisconsin, against
..ons said to be in a conspiracy to
i,snd the government, and charging
M with perjury in the Illegal &C
,+ement of lands by entries at the
EsIepd, Wisconsin, land Office, at
sch one Heydlouf was receiver.
secretary Hoke Smith is not in
tied. Those against whom indict
-snts appear as being directly impli-
,bd-those who were connected with
aland piracies by name. The higher
aesls of the government are charged
An being cognizant of the existing
#enness and countenancing it in con-
aration Of being sharers in the i'm
snse profits.
Secretary Smith is not the only high
Hei8l whose honor and integrity is
1stioned. His predecessor, John W.
5He, Senator Villas and others prOmi-
mi in national affairs are included in
be exposure.
The formation of the timber ring
ses back to the land grants of 1856,
living to certain corporations whose
tensible purpose was to construct a
hlroad from Madison to ST. CrO& and
hence to the west end Of Lake Supe
br. a strip of land six miles in wid b
b either side Of the road.
Other grants were subsequently
hade, which overlapped the land
iginally granted to the first company
I'D after some quibbling the matter
ss finally left so that neither Of the
antors had any claim to the land.
By a law passed in 1887, called the
Innocent purchasers act" it was pro-
lied that if land was granted to q
Esumptive settler by a railroad com
any, to which the corporation had no
lille, the settler could go to the land
flee for the district and, by swearing
bat he is a bona fde purchaser. &C
1re title to the land upon payment of
be patent fee.
Here is where the timber ring got in
~snefarious work. Thousands of their
red minions posed as innocent pur-
asers and thereby acquired titles to
nd which was stripped by the timber
be-.
|Hey dlauff, who is previously men
uned as the receiver of the Ashland
nd Office, was appointed by Score
~ of the Interior John W. Noble.
proved very valuable to the timber
lg in that he accepted the af1davits
the alleged bona fde purchasers"
Hhout a protest
During HarrisOn's administration a
Enplaint was made against Heyd-
1f's methods, and Special Agent s.
EOmon was sent to the Ashland office
make an Investigation.
@lomOn was a man not made OF the
ne clay as the other agents, and in
pad Of CLOSING over the truth and
Emitting favorable reports as the
Der Investigators had done, he told
Pts straight from the shoulder.
HE Times prints Solomon's letter to
chief IN which he scores the Nc
pa ring. the law firm of Lamoreaux,
ason, Shea & Wright, Receiver
9dlauff and his real estate partner,
born.
from the letter printed in the Times
omon had a hard time of it, being
<otted and prosecuted by those who
ne afraid of an exposure.
AlS92 one W. Fl. Harlan, of the land
~e, requested Heydlauff's resigna-
y. He refused to resign, and inter
f%d IN his behalf Senators Sawyer
~~0poorer, both OF whom the Times
sSes to be in the ring,
Inc Result was that Heydlauf did
"ORiy not resign, but was retained