The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1895-07-27
Genera Land Office Takes Curious
Position Regarding Effect
of PecuIatons.
SAYS HE WAS AGENT OF SET
TIERS AND NOT GOVERNMENT.
Commissioner Lsmoreaux Finally
Wakes Up and Orders Suit Begun
Against His Boudsmen.

The following from the Marquette
Daily Mining Journal will be OF general
interest:
The general land Office seems to take
very curious position regarding the set
tiers who paid money for entries or
proof of claims to ex-Receiver Thomas
d. Meads and for which that official
failed TO account. Although the re-
ceiver is the only officer to whom pay
nents OF this kind could be made and 1t
would seem as II his receipts ought to
be conclusive as between the settler and
the government, yet the general land
Office seems TO hold.that where Meads re-
ceived money and made no entries on
the books of the Office, as he did In many
cases, the government can not only deny
liability for the money received but can
treat the filing or applications to make
final proofs as II 1t were never offered.
So far the only case in which the gen
era! land office has recognized any liza
bility for money pocketed by Meads is in
that of Miss Ella +. Bailey, of L'Anse,
whose claim was contested by Miss Alice
McKernap. Miss Bailey paid in 5000
when she offered final proofs. but on
hearing got only forty acres of the land.
The commissioner directed the local Of
tcers to issue her final receipt and write
across the face Of it, "On account of
moneys paid ex-Receiver Meads." But
Miss Bailey is still waiting for the
balance OF the $500 which she paid to
Meads.'
The history Of the defa!cations Of
Thomas ID. Meads as receiver of the
United States land Office In this city Is
pretty well known here and the more the
subject is investigated the more exteu-
sive appear TO have been his stealipgs.
From the manner In which the thefts
were committed II may well be that not
all of them are yet discovered. His
method was TO receive money sent in
for filings and final proofs, pocket the
cash aud make no entry on the books.
When contests occurred the absence of
the proper entry might not be discovered
for several years by the settler, nor until
the contest was decided and he came IN
for his final receipt. The shortages
range from 50 and Sl4 to S1O0 and $500
in individual cases, and the total amount
with which Meads got away Is stated to
be nearly 5000.
Here are some specimen cases: John
SCHNEIDER and Hermann Haas, OF Hough-
ton county, 5000 each; Thomas Madden,
James Holiday and Theodore st. Arnold
Of Baraga county, 5000 each; j. b. Piper,
OF Iron, Sl96; Mrs. Catherine Campbell
OF Iron, 500; R.V.Pavelat, of Mackinac,
Sl96; John Brossness, OF Delta, S10O;
james Fielding and A. ID. Cameron, Of
Ontonagon, $500 each. County Clerk
Webster, of Chippewa county, sent In
money for q humber OF settlers and holds
the cancelled bank drafts with Meads'
Endorsements, but not the scratch Of a
pen appears on the records here to show
that the swindled settlers ever got title
to their homes. The present register
aud receiver have done all In their power
to straighten out the tangle aud have
notified all the parties interested as fast
as ;he facts came to their knowledge.
The general land Office has been in
possession OF the proofs Of Meads'
crimes for over year but no steps have
been taken to prosecute him or TO max ke
his bondsmen put up his shortage. The
bondsmen are all Hough.on county men
and the most prominent among them is
Captain John Daniels Of the Tamarack.
The position of the general land Office
seems extremely peculiar, and certainly
suggests that some Influence has been
exercised to delay the ordinary course OF
Justice. In number of the cases Meads
has admitted receiving the money but
offers no explanation Ms to what became
OF it. Meanwhile many homestesders
are 10 very much Of pickle because the
general land Office sees 6t TO deny re-
| sponsibility for the acts of its duly au.
tnorlzed agent and bonded officer.
1t y asserted In some quarters that
George A. Royce. sx-register and ex.city
controller, Is mixed up In Msads' defal.
cations, or at least got share OF the
spviIs. II is only fair to say that nc
proof has yet appeared that Mr.. Royce
had any share In the peculatIons Of
Msads, and the ouly argument that be
had lies 10 the fact that he ought 70 have
known what was going on 10 ,hs ooce,
1t is also Alleged shas Meads lent Royce
large sums, taking the latter's notes.
! This report could not be verified, but wal