The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-09-30
SAY IHEY WERE SWINO[ED.
POLICEMAN r. A. IvERsoN ACCUSED
OF TIMBER LAND FRAUD.
Victims Say He showed Them Bodies
of Merchantablc Timber. hut
Caused Their Filings TO He ne-
corded Upon worthless Claims.

Rumors were current upon the street
yesterday to the effect that Ferdinand
A. Iverson, who for three years has been
a patrolman in the local police depar
ment. would shortly be arrested upon
complaint OF several alleged victims of
timber land swindle In which lverson Is
charged with deliberately setting about
10 obtain money under false pretences AMI
in violation OF the federal statutes, by
locating prospective purchasers OF gov
eminent timber land upon claims either
owned by other persons or else exhibit
ing TO them the latter claims and caus-
Ing the filings 20 be recorded as cover
ing other land barren OF merchantaole
timber. Iverson Is said TO have victim
lied at least five residents OF this city.
among them Peer Emil and Alvin Hem
rick. a well known brewer.
For some weel-s past officials of the
local United States land office have been
cognizant OF the fact that filings were
being made upon claims in township ss
north. OF range east. which land Is
situated partly uaon the summit OF a
high mountain range and presumably
barren OF timer, but each applicant, in
making his filing upon the land. certified
under oath that he had made a personal
inspection Of the location and that II was
In all respects as represented. Under the
circumstances upon the prima facie show
ing of good faith made by the applicants,
there remained no alternative but for
the local office to accept the Hing and
await tsults
Early in September Iverson located Peter
Emil, n well known local saicon man,
upon lfO acres OF land In section OF
township 2s north. ~ ranve s east Emil,
when he accompanied Iverson TO the land
represented TO be that upon which he
paid to file. demanded TO see the corner
stakes designating the boundary OF the
land. fverson e said TO have explained
that the stakes had been removed by van
dals but assured the prospective purchaser
that he was upon the land designated as
scrhed
Emil returned to this city and rendered
his fling to the local land office, but be-
coming suspicious that all was not right
Instituted an investigation in order to as
certain the exact locality OF the land de-
scrihed In bis filing He now claims to
have discovered tina. he had never been
upon the land described in his fling. but
that Iverson conveyed him to land in
section Is Of the township. upon which
there ., have been final proof locations for
fully two miles on a direct line from
that described in Eml's fling. Accord
ing TO the description furnished by Uni
ted States government surveyors and ac-
companying maps. compiled when the land
was surveyed, the section In which Iver-
son located Emil and four other pros
pective purchasers lies along the crest
OF a mountain above the merchantable
timber line. and is covered only with a
slight growth Of brush and scrub pine, of
no merchantahle value.
With this knowledge in his possession
Emil appeared at the land office and de-
manded to have his filing withdrawn upon
the ground that he had innocently repre-
scented himself TO have inspected the land.
whereas he was convinced that he had
IN fact never been upon the sections des-
ignated In his application for purchase.
He notified several other men. among
them Alvin Heinrich. Of this city, of his
action and in this manner the alleged
swindle. was brought to the attention
OF the land office officials.
Heinrich. before he ascertained the true
circumsta noes surrounding the location,
paid to the land office $500 in the belief
that he had received in return land which
he claims to have inspected In section
is of the township in which all the filings
are alleged TO have been shown.
Iverson Is said to have located William
Fritz, Harry Cookson Christian II.
Ratchy and Frank c. Worth upon adjon-
ing sections in the same township. Their
are now being printed In the current
| issues OF the Skagt County Times, a
weekly paper published at Sedro- Woolley.
| The land upon which the filings are
| in reality made Is designated on the gov
| eminent maps as wing in northenrterly
| direction about eighteen miles dlstan,
| from Lyman station. The country Is de-
scribed as mountainous and the sections
| in question are designated by the notes
| OF thu surveyor who inspected the land
when II was surveyed as barren of mer.
| charitable timber on account OF IT'S att.
| tude and the general slope OF the timber
| belt OF that region.
| Iverson is at present under suspension
| In the police department for an infractior
| OF the rules IN absentinC himself from
the service without first having obtained
| permission from the chief OF police
| Though he refused to discuss the matter
| for publication yesterday, II Is known
| that CHIEF Reed Is aware Of the charge:
| preferred against Iverson by his accuser:
| and II Is probable tina; he win further
| be suspended pending an Investigation BY
| the civil service commission.