The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-05-17
LAND SWINDLERS.
Aggregate Losses Will Reach Fifty
Thousand.


Chicago, May 1.-THE arrest of
Walter Marshall Cowell, of Kenosha,
in the Texas land swindling case, was
the result of an investigation begun
by Governor Culbertson, of Texas, his
land commissioner. Andrew j. Baker,
and Governor Altgeld, of Illinois. So
far as known to the authorities here
there are now six victims of the
Swindle, whose aggregate losses are
nearly $4,000. From reports received
from the Texas land commissioner it
is believed that these are but the be-
ginning of the losses, as 1t says that
there have been individual cases where
sums as high as $4,000 have been in
volved.
About the middle of April William
Briggs, of 6019 Green street, Chicago,
was in the Washington real estate
office of jackson Taylor. They were
discussing a real estate deal whereby
Mr.. Briggs had traded property in
Chicago for land in Texas. Mr.. Taylor
said that his client had more of the
land and desired to obtain more Chi
cago property. The next day Mr..
Briggs introduced Colonel Slough, of
the introduction Colonel Slough trad
ed property at COLL Morgan street and
at 6S31 Elizabeth street for Texas land.
The amount involved was $4,000
Mr.. Briggs received an abstract and
a warranty deed.
The name in the deed was Thomas
NJ. Bell" of Denver, Colo. The pa
pers were certified to by Attorney
Cowell, Of Kenosha, who claimed to
have power of attorney from Bell, and
Cowelfs seal as notary public was
affixed.
Colonel Slough wished to inform
himself regarding the taxes on his
newly-acquired property and wrote to
the authorities of the counties where
the land was 1ocated-Pros Preside
and Tom Green counties. In reply, he
learned not only that he had no title
to the property described, but that
Thomas M. Bell never had title to
It.
Colonel Slough applied to Governor
Culbertson, of Texas. Governor Gull
hands of Land Commissioner Baker
for investigation. Mr.. Baker looked
up the records and found on file hun
dreds Of letters complaining of the
swindle that Slough had discovered.
He wrote Governor Culbertson a long
letter in which he explained that the
land traded purported to be in the
counties named by virtue of survey
certificates issued to the Gulf, Colo
RADIO & Santa Fe railway company
and was mythical. The town of Dun
ton, near which the alleged farms
were located, was not on the map, he
said, and James Slater, the patentee.
as well as James Rufiner, of Austin,
whose name as notary public had
been affixed to some of the abstracts
of conveyance, were mythical per-
sons. Commissioner Baker located
the headquarters of the swindlers in
Chicago, but the victims, he said,
came from every state in the union.
Governor Culbertson forwarded Ba-
ker's letter to Governor Altgeld, and
the latter, after personal investiga-
ton, forwarded it, with q number OF
the names of victims, to Chief of Po-
lice Badenoch, of Chicago. All the pa
pers were given to Detectives Elliot
and Alexander to make a thorough
investigation. Meanwhile. Slough had
seen Mr.. Briggs, who introduced him
to Jackson Taylor, through whom the
transfer was made of his property.
Briggs had made a second deal and
acquired, as he thought, more Texas
property.
''Have you looked up the title?"
asked Slough. Briggs replied that he
QdQ not. MI. bIlSSo lliCi OioOOH q SN
that he had been swindled twice and
that he was out on property in Chi
cago, Kansas City and La Grange,
Wye, $4,000. Jackson Taylor was
found, and he paved the way for the
arrest of Cowell, who. the police say,
is the mythical Thomas H. Bell. OF
Denver.
An inquiry for further Chicago vic
tins, who, it is believed, exist in hun
dreds, will be prosecuted until the
time for Cowelrs second arraignment.
Topeka, Kansas" says Detective
Alexander, will furnish $4,000 VIC
tim, and a man in West Washington
street, Chicago, will swell the aggre-
gate at least $4,000 more
In connection with the land swim
dies. it is believed that Cowell had te
10 with but a small\ portion of then,
The police assert thAt the big swim
dlers live and maintain richly fur
nished Offices in Chicfgo, and while
the Cowell continuance, is pending. an
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