The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-03-14
WARNS OLD SOLDIERS.
Register Boles, OF the Perry, Okla.
Land office, Cautions Them
Against Being SWindled.


There seems to be 6 tremendous rush
these days for Oklahoma and the Indian
Territory, in anticipation of the opening
of the last strip of Indian lands, but ii
is we'll for the old comrades, as we'll as
all others, to be careful how they pro.
coed.
G. B. Jordan, OF Enid, Okla, sent the
following statement, issued by the regis.
ter Of the land office at Perry, to Il. j,
Sankey of this city, and we publish il
for the benefit OF our readers.
PERRY, o. T., Feb. PA. III, Boles.
register of the land office here, is receiv.
ing many letters OF inquiry in regard to
the possibility of obtaining claims on
soldiers declaratory statements az the
coming opening of the kiowa and Com
manche country. 1t appears that attor.
neys are preparing to fleece old soldiers
again as they have done at previous Oh.
enings, and Register Boles is doing what
he can to minimize the swindle. To the
many who have written he has replied
as follows:
Perry, o. T., Feb. %, 1901.
U. +. johnson, Gibbs. Mo.
Dear Sir:-Yo our letter of Yesterday il
received, together with circnlal from a
party claiming to be the "Old Soldiers
Declaratory Statement. Filing Agent
Oklahoma. You state: 81 have been
requested by the old soldiers to white
you in regard to old soldiers taking a
claim in the new territory to be opened
soon; look this circular over and give
me best information you can" The cir.
cular states that the agent can secure
"free homes for old soldiers by fling
their declaratorv statement; the circular
also assures you in advance that "you
are not going to be skinned; you are not
going to be robbed. No fraud"
AS this does not quite satisfy you, and
you want my best information. gladly
give you that which know to be true.
know nothing about the agent whose
circular you send me. | was present
when this country was opened, but was
not then connected with the land office.
From the information give you, you
must draw your own conclusions as to
whether any of the old boys were
skinned robbed" or "defrauded. y
A certain attorney came here on the day
OF the opening with several hundred sol.
diers' declaratory statements for the
purpose of getting "free homes for the
old soldiers" He had, so / was in
formed, and fully believe, received sew.
eral thousand dollars for that purpose.
He did not secure single claim. UNI
derstand that on his return home he
was disbarred for "skinning, "robbing'
and "defrauding." He has since died i,
hence withhold his name, unless this
statement is questioned.
Jaw this attorney q day or so after
the opening; he was then some distance
from the land Office. and large crowd
ahead of him. Had he reached the Of
lice under the prevailing rules at that
time, he could only have filed two.
have examined the Soldiers Declaratory
Statement record in this office, and find
that only nine were filed on the irst
day of the opening. and only four of the
nine secured title to their land, and that
after bitter contests, with parties claim.
lug prior settlement, in which it took
years to settle and an expenditure of
many hundreds of dollars.
While a party is running to the land
office to file, others are running for the
land, and lift should be shown that they
staked the land before the filing was
made, they would hold as prior settler.
If you will think of this moment,
you will see how absurd it is to believe
the statements made by some agents.
do not know the manner of the next
opening, but should it be the same as
heretofore you should be cautious, and
IN no event pay an agent until the land
is secured. If can be OF any further
service to you and the dear old boys
command me. Yours very truly,
ALFRED II. RoJrx REGISTER