The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-03-01
fHE STOLEN LAND DEEDS.
n Distorted veFstoa 81 she Elder
JaneeOu. Listl eJohn Case.

4 Distorted veFsioa 81 tho 8lder-
Janesoa- Lissle jobs Case.
WAsHIxGros CIrY, Feb. 2s.-James FL
der, an eccentric old man OF Whatcom,
Wash. prior "a March, 1891, made . gift
BY desd 10 the United States government
Of Ave great tracts Of land. the present
valus Of which 10 now estimated at $780,
COO. Elder had three relatives for whom
he cared nothing. He decided the land TO
the government with the request that It
BE- given to deserving immigrants from the
overcrowdsd East. No sooner had Elder
decided the lands than three distant rela-
lives called on him and told him they
would take measures to have him de-
clared insane unless he would recover the
property. Elder made request for his
deeds, but did not receive shsm. Then
his relatives concocted scheme to steal
the papers from the land ONCE in WASH
ington City and substitute forged docu-
ments in their stead. When this was done
Elder could put in plea that the deeds
by which the land was conveyed to the
government were forgeries. and Of course
when the papers in the land Office were
put In evidence IL would Be clear they
were forgsries. William jameson, Of Port
Townsend, WASH. was the man assigned
to make the substitution Of forged for real
deeds. jameson came to Washington City
with strong letters Of introduction,
and was given the run Of the
land Office. AZ he WAS leaving
at night he said to Clerk Weld: "By the
way, Was any one here inquiring about
old man Elders casef I heard good
deal Of IL ont West" The clerk replied
"No," and went to shelf to take down
tin box containing the records. As soon
a. jameson saw where the tin box was
kept he pleasantly said: ''Oh, don't pull
them down: it's late and I'm too tired to
look at them tonight In fact. / don't
think they will help me in my case"
The next day Jameson visited the land
Office. and, il is said, abstracted the I've
Elder deeds from the box. He went tmme-
diate.y 70 New York, visited . lithograph-
Ing shop and had the Eve original deeds
copied, even to the Endorsements. With
the plates he went to q printer and caused
deeds exactly like the originals to be made.
6y queer coincidence Clerk Weld In the
lant Office had occasion the very next day
to look into the tin box which had held
the original deeds. The deeds were gone
jameson was afterward arrested by secret
service men. The trial will take place in
tho United States district court in . few
DAYS. Jameson was admitted TO bail in
$3.50 and allowed TO return to Port
Townsend. The object Of this was to en-
able the secret service department. to get
evidence against the other conspirators.
In this. however. they failed, except in
the case of Elder. who. Chief Drummond
says, will turn states evidence. Elder
was arrested in Wha.com fortnight ago
and taken to Washington City with Jane
son. They are now out on bail.
TACOMA, Feb. 2s.-(Special. Tho story
wired from Washington City today i'm
pl.catiug James Elder and William jane
son in an attempt to steal deeds from the
government land Office il muddled almost
beyond recognition. Jameson stole the
deed and was betrayed to the government
by q New York lishographing company,
where he wen: to have il copied. The
land is located at Tacoma. and Is owned
by the Northern Pacific Railroad COM
pany. Elder having reiinanished IL. In
order TO prove this REIMBURSEMENT. for
gerry II was stolen and forged copy was
TO be substituted. which could be proved
an actual forgery, .hus allowing the land
10 revert 70 Jack Littlejohn. of this city,
prominent real estate man. whose wife is
q relative of Elder.
The land in question is known as the
Willard tract and consists OF ifso acres in
the southern part Of the city. The story
told by Jameson in connection with his
arrest is very interesting. He had been
employed By Eastern lumber people TO
secure large tracts of timber lands by
fraud. He located men on timber land
and VAS furnished money to defray their
expenses and hire. But when he was ar.
rested for stealing the deed from the land
office all his timber land magnases deserted
him and would not bail him out That
angsred him and he vowed vengeance.
All this did not come about, however.
until he had been ont of the hands of the
Law for long time. and not. il is said, un-
III the department Of justice got
hold al the fact that he had