The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1901-05-16
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Guthrie, Tom Churchman, who was
indicted by the United States grand
jury at FL Reno. was placed in the fed.
eral jail here Wednesday charged with
inpersonating ap officer and participa.
ting In a swindling plan to defrnud old
soldiers and others who desired TO se;-
tie In the new country. His plan was
TO write letters to old soldiers stating
that he could locate lots for them In
county seats and other town sites, so
much money to be paid down and the
rest In payments. The man is suppos.
ed to have reaped q great harvest in
his work. This Is the kind OF swindle
which the United States officers have
been warning the people regarding
their plan Of operation. There are 9th.
er men operating In Oklahoma and
they nre likely TO meet the same fate
as Churchnan. United States District
Attorney Speed has made statements
concerning these frauds and he says
that there 10 not word Of truth in the
allegations set forth and that the
whole plan is u fraud from beginning
TO end. The evidence agninst Church
man IL considered very conclusive and
that he will have hard time ty prove
that he Is not guilty. rs tho evidence
against him has been stacking mp for
some time. II was rather hard for n
time for the officers to locate their
man, but they finally found him 10
Garfield county.
United States District Attorney
Speed has written To Commissioner
Hermann OF the general land Office n,
Washington regarding the matter. A
special dispatch to the Kansas City
Journal snys;
commissioner Hermann has rcceiv-
ed letter from United States District
Attorney Horace Speed, at Guthrie,
o. T., calling attention to the numcr-
Gus frauds perpeiratcd by persons
claiming to have special facilities for
locating persons In choice locations in
the Kiowa and Comma nche country
soon TO be opened to settlement. lie
refers 10 the operations Of Sam Church
man, who claimed TO be a government
employe, ind William Kinman. who, IL
Is alleged, was actively engaged for
some time In selling lots and claimed
TO locate homestcBdcrs, charging u few
dollars for each pretended location.
Kinman has pleaded guilty und Church.
mans arrest has peen ordered. Mr..
Speed says these operations are very
extensive and n large number OF per.
sons are engaged In them, both as al.
legged corporations or associations and
individuals. The most gigantic sys.
tens Of swindling are remote from Ok
lahoma. The commissioner warns the
public against the schemes and says
they simply entail losses 10 persons
who put their confidence In them
The swindles principally apply TO old
soldiers, tho ignorant and destitute.
Prosecution by this Office says
Mr.. Speed, can only be made after
the swindle has been committed, but
that does not restore the money TO the
needy pers ons from whom II Is com.
monty obtained. l notice that In n
few cases that have been investiga-
ting and nm now working up, the
amount Of money obtained has been
more than 81, 900 In each scheme. aud
In no case has the money been obtained
from an intelligent or well-to-do per.
son.
"The district attorney suggests that
the commissioner make these facts
known, 80 as TO warn people agains,
imposition"