Kansas City daily journal., 1896-12-09
FOUNDER OF HILL CITY, KAS., UN-
DER INDICTMENT.
HE WILL BE TRIED THIS WEEK.
CHARGED WITH RoBBING ORPHANS
OF OLD SOLDIERS.
Would Secure Government Lnnd for
of It-FederaI Officers Dis
covered the scheme
by Chance.

ToDeka- Kas.. Dec. S.-(Special0 Colonel
" r Hill. founder Of Hill City. Kas.. has
been INFLICTED in the federal court on the
charge NJ defraudinG the government, and
he viii be tried in the United States dis
trlct court the latter part of this week.
This case was set for hearing to-day, but
Judge Foster could no. finish the docket
in the circuit court, and the case had TO
20 over for 4 few days
Colonel TIin is a real estate boomer. Ac-
engaged in conducting a gigantic land
swindling game in Western Kansas for sev-
eraI years. His prey was the orphans Of
soldiers Of the late war. Under the federal
laws, each orphan of a deceased Union SOL
der may take up I60 acres. The officials
assert that Hill would hunt up a soldiers
orphan and would work deal to have HIM
self appointed as guardian, so that he could
enter a claim for the ward. He would as
guardian, file the necessary entry papers
in the land Office and in due time would
file the second paper, swearing that all i'm
provements required by the government
had been made on the claim. Then he
would get title to the land as guardian.
His next step would be to go 10 the pro-
bate court in the county in which the claim
was located and present bill for moneys
expended and services rendered in securing
the claim for the orphan The bill would
always amount to as much as or more than
the value of the land. The probate judge
would order the land sold, and it was al
ways purchased by Hill, in the name Of
J. NJ. POmeroy, of New York. The Off
ctals claim that Pomeroy is either a ficti-
ticus person or else he is in on the deal.
1t would always take the proceeds of the
sale OF the land to square Hills account.
Officials at the land offices in Western
Kansas say that from thirty to forty
soldiers orphans have been defrauded in
that way, and that Hill and his friend,
Pomeroy, have secured large tracts of land
in Graham and adjoining counties, through
the scheme.
The case on which the arrest was based
is one in which Hill is accused of secur-
ing a claim for deceased orphan named
Minnie Montgomery, daughter CT James
Montgomery, of Company K Ninth Kan
sas infantry. The first fling was made at
the Colby land office on September 5, 1892
In due time the deed was secured from the
government. This was obtained upon af-
fidavits purporting to be signed by the or
phan girl when, in fact, she had been
dead for more than year. 1t is these af-
fdavits on which the federal officials ex-
pect to secure conviction. 1t is claimed
that they are rank forgeries The Mont
gOme1y girl, during her lifetime. resided
with sister, Mrs. Emma Riley, at 9lJ
West Eighth street, Kansas City. Mo- Mrs.
Riley, her husband and a number of otner
people of that place have been subpoenaed
as witnesses. Receiver James Fike. of the
land office. ia also a witness in the case.
He will be called upon to produce the
books showing up HIPS land transactions
for soldiers orphans. lie arrived to-day
with the records. Hill is out on bond, but
the federal authorities say ne will show
up when the case is called and fight It.
The authorities say this was one of the
cleverest land swindles ever perpetrated in
the state. and that it was by mere acci-
dent they discovered 1t.