The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-04-14

has Got Religion He Wants to Ease His
CoDscience-swore That He Was Sim
gle Man-sInee That He Has Been Mar
ried and Has Children Who VIII Suffer
Because of His Act of Repentance-oh-
eiaIs do Nothing
Guthrie. o. T, April 12.-The Oklaho-
man at Oklahoma City, Vouches for the
following tale:
A very peculiar and affecting scene
occurred at the United States land Of
Zee yesterday morning when pros
perous looking farmer went in with
tears in his eyes and returned back
10 the government officials his patent
which he had received some time ago
from the government giving him title
In fee simple to one Of the finest pieces
ef land in Oklahoma AS a reason for
his peculiar actions,he stated that at
the time he made his filing he was an
Unmarried man and under the age of
II years: that short time ago ne OBJ
tained forgiveness Of his sins and that
now before he could find perfect peace
10 his soul he found it necessary to
undo the perjury that he had commit
ted in his youthful ambition. He fur
Their stated that he now had wife and
children who would suffer because of
his present action, but he thought it
better TO begin now to undo, as far as
possible, the crime which he had COM
mitted SO many years ago.
The officials, it is needless to say,
were surprised UNNECESSARILY and took
no action IN the premises other than
to receive the patent and as the mat
ter has passed beyond their jurisdiction
they VIII communicate il to the secre-
tary OF the interior for his instructions.
In the meantime the homesteader has
returned TO his family content to know
that, so far s in him lies, he has made
full restitution TO the United States of
the quarter section that has been the
home Of his wife and babies for a num-
Der Of years.
BIERER IS WITH DALE.
In the United States district court at
Perry Saturday, Justice Bierer heard
the case of Butler at al. VS.. the County
Treasurer of Noble county, involving
the thirty-five per cent raise made by
the territorial equalization board.
The court held that the 80 per cent
ed the Injunction, restraining the
county treasurer from collecting the
Illegal tax. Attorneys Seward and
Galbraith appeared for the county of
Noble, while Attorneys Speed of Guth-
RE, and Smith Of Perry, represented the
plaintiff.
1t viii be remembered that Judge Dale
passed on a similar case in the city
last week in which he, like Bierer, held
that The raise was illegal, but since the
plaintiffs were tardy in bringing &C
ton, they were not entitled to relief.
Judges Burford and McAtee will this
week pass on the tax case. Attorney
Speed has appealed from Judge Dale's
decision and the treasurer of Noble
county has taken an appeal from Bier
er's court. This VIII throw all the tax
cases into the supreme court at the June
term for final adjudication.
FREEMAN'S TROUBLE.
The Pawnee Dispatch says: The in
vestigation which has been carried on
by Colonel Duncan, special agent of
the interior department, on charges
preferred against Colonel Freeman, act
ing Indian agent for the Usage Indians
has been concluded, so far as the inspec-
tor is concerned. The testimony TAX
en- by the inspector has been satisfactory
to the parties making the charges and
substaHtiates every charge made. The
fact Of the traders having paid S12,0
for the extra payment received by the
Osages in 1885 was proven by the trad
ers themselves and traced into the
hands Of L. a. Wismeyer, one of the
traders and which was new
er accounted for by him, and the in
specto- refused to make him tell TO
whom he paid the money. The inves-
tigation on that part of the charges
stopped where il should have begun,
but the parties making the charges
claim they know where So 900 of it went,
and 1t will doubtless come out in the
senatorial investigation. which will be
conducted TO find out facts The other
charges the agent Of allowing some par
ties to collect and refusing others was
clearly substantiated, as was also the
exhorbitant prices charged the Indians
by the traders for goods sold them,
In this connection 1t might be well 10
mention that John A German who was
sent TO the Usage Nation as one of three
commissioners to treat with the Usage
Indians IN 1894 and who has spent most
OF his time there since 1895, wheE he
went out of office, had a contract sign
ed with the Indians before the district
Judge last week, in which he is to act
as attorney for the Indians and is 10 re-
ceiye for his services thirteen dollars
per day and expenses. It seems lit
tie strange that German is allowed 10
remain on the reservation when other
parties are not. But all these things,
and especially the mysterious part Of il,
will soon be disclosed, and when ii is
viii be in perfect keeping with the man
aSement of the interior department I'M
der Hoke Smith. The booth certifi-
Gates and the scandals connected there
with viii be nothing in comparison. The
testimony OF Granger and Wismeyer
makes nice reading but the inspector
failed TO part With a copy OF Wismey-
er's testimony, as he had promised
claiming that he had only one copy of
1t and that he had To keep il. We reck-
on SO.
EDITORS MEET.
It has been arranged for the Oklaho- |
ma Press association TO hold its meet |
ing at Enid, Thursday and Friday. May !
II and Is. The program mapped out |
is as follows:
Address Of welcome. by request of |
Mayor Marshall-W. s. Whittinghul.
Presidents annual address
The editor and the public schools |
President Boyd, University Of Oklahoma |
Oklahoma Libel Law-Frank Greer. |
Guthrie Capital