The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1901-03-15
DON'T GET
SWINDLED
Sharpers are Taking Advan-
tage of the
Anxiety of Thousands of PeO-
pie to Take Claims
in the
k|OWA and COMANCHE
Country and are Using all
Sorts of Devices
To get Money, for Which
They can Give no Return
Let them alone

Ell Reno, Ok, March 1.-THE desire
for lands in the Kiowa and Comanche
country by prospective settlers has
enabled swindlers to fleece many un-
suspecting persons. Complaints are
coming to the Office of Horace Speed,
United States district attorney, from
persons not only in Oklahoma but in
adjoining states. who have paid sums
of money to schemcrs who robbed
them. Two men were indicted in the
federal court here last week for violat-
ing the federal law.
One of the men, yet under arrest, is
said to have obtained hundreds of dol
lars from credulous persons. The
federal authorities first heard of him
at Yukon, where he represented that
he had secret understanding with the
Secretary of the Interior department.
and exhibited alleged credentials
written in cipher code which he said
the uninitiated, of course, could not
understand. This man declared that
he had been employed by the Secretary
to select desirable men for settlers.
Indians had been employed to guide
them to the choicest lands in the
reservation. The sum of 500 must be
paid down when a man agreed to join
the enterprise, and $40 when the settler
was located upon his claim. Each
man would be given button, on one
81 Of w "a
promoter and on the other side a
description of the claim to be settled
upon. These buttons would be recog-
nized as credentials at the opening.
Hundreds of these buttons bearing a
picture of the promoter, but blank on
the opposite side, reached Yukon.
Horace Speed, United States district
attorney for Oklahoma at Guthrie, is
anxious to receive information con-
corning persons who represented that
they have special privileges in locat-
ing settlers in the new country. Said
he: mo person, not even President
Mckinley himself, can give any man
any special right or privilege to home
steads or town lots in the new country.
The conditions imposed in the law
opening the country to settlement can
not be changed, and any man who pre-
tends that he can give any prioity to
a settler is an imposter and a swindler.
A large number of persons are sending
out letters saying that as agents of ole
soldiers they are qualified to lille
declaratory statements for them and
guarantee them claim. This is
swindling statement. No agent car
file more than one declaratory state
ment, and such agentcannotg guarantee
anything. Upon such statement, how
ever, they got cash payments with
contract for further sum when the
soldier gets his land. If by chance
one of these agent should locate an
old COLDER upon quarter section o.
land not claimed by any other person
then he will demand his whole fee.
the old soldier should get nothing
then the agent is ahead the amount o
the first payment. Some OF thes'
agents are getting thousands of de-
claratory statements from old soldiers
The G.. A. r.. should warn its member
that the scheme of these agents is al
unmitigated swindle."
Another scheme which hardly comes
under the prohibition of law is a
source of wealth from questionabl
assets. Advertisements are inserted
in newspapers in many States, calling
attention to the fact that Jones
Smith have established bureau G
information relating to the Kiowa an
Comanche country, and that upon tn
payment of certain membership fe
of So, S4 and S. any person can get tn
publications of the company and kee
fully informed about the new country
Jones e. Smith do not promise specid
information, and as result they d
not hesitate to print newspaper rut
bish in pamphlet form and send it
their patrons. A, we'll advertise
company of this kind ought easily
get 10, 900 members, which at 50 eaC
would make the sum of $40, 900, lea
ing a net profit of not less than SlS,0
to the company.
Headache often results from di
ordered condition of the stomach al
constipation of the bowels. do
or two of Chamberlain Stomach al