The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-11-24
WIDOWS SECURED IN DROYES.
DIG LAND.STEALING SCHEME ny
THE CATTLEMEN.
Scheme to Prevent the Government From
Taking Down Fences on Grazing
Handsome Man Planned to Form a
Gordon OF widows 100 Miles LOng
Grand Jury After the ConspiratOrs.

Grand Jury After the Conspirators.
OMAHA. Neb.. Nov. 2:.-Nebraska is on
the eve of the exposure Of a conspiracy
80 far reaching that thousands of people
from twenty or more States are concerned
in its ramifcations. The conspiracy ex-
tends to officers and representatives Of
the United States, and takes In business
and professional men in many cities and
States. but the sufferers will be the COM
paratively innocent.
The United States Grand Jury, in ses-
sion at Omaha. Is now probing the scandal
Hundreds Of widows of Union soldiers
will probably be indicted for perjury.
1t is the old story Of the cattle barons Of
the West and his efforts to keep out the
small cattle raiser and the settler who
comes West with the purpose of home
stealing" farm for himself
A new tack has been taken by these
cattle kings Instead OF the usual way
of running a long line Of wire fences across
the Government domain. they have hit
upon the plan Of inducing the widows of
Union soldiers to take up homesteads
and sell their claims to the cattle raisers
1t sounded all right. but when it is taken
into consideration that IN order to make
filing on public lands 1t becomes neces-
sary TO make oath that such lands are for
the exclusive Use of the applicant, it then
became necessary for the applicant TO
commit perjury TO make the filing.
Soldiers widows were selected to take
up the claims because of the clause In the
United States laws which permits them to
make the necessary entries without living
on the property. Now these widows are
being taken before the United States Grand
Jury to tell what they knew Of the matter
And also the land agents, cattlemen and
others are being summoned to appear
before the same tribunal.
The magnitude Of these frauds can
scarcely be estimated On Nov. IS, 1902
forty-three widows made entry at the
Rushville. Neb land office There are
five land offices in Nebraska where entire
may be made While every one Of these
entries are not illegal. yet the vast ma
jority of them are. The frauds have been
In operation for eighteen months. and il
IL said that during the first fifteen days
Of November alone fully 500 fraudulent
entries were made in this State.
Col John s Moseby, agent of the Land
Department Of the United States Govern
ment was called to Washington several
weeks ago to confer with the President
and with Secretary Hitchcock over the
frauds. although it was given out at the
time that he went to answer charges made
against him regarding his zeal in removing
the illegal fences which have been erected
on Government lands. Col. Moseby had
been securing evidence on this subject for
a year at the same time that he was re-
moving fences. All Of his information
was laid before che department and part
Of it Immediately bore fruit.
w. X. Lesser. agent OF the department
in Nebraska. was called to Washington
and suspended from Office pending a thor
ough investigation into the matter. W. 8.
Summers. the United States attorney for
Nebraska, was ordered to bring the frauds
10 the attention of the United States Grand
Jury and TO prosecute with full vigor.
One of these "syndicates' Is said TO have
100 agents, seeking out war widows" who
will accept the offers and make entry on
Nebraska homestead, which they agree
10 lease To the syndicate. and at the end Of
five years. after the property has been
proved upon, to sell to the same set of peo-
pie. Their modus operandi is the same in
all cases. After the widow of a Union
soldier lis found, she is approached with an
offer from land syndicate to go to Ne
braska, make an entry at land Office,
sign several papers, receive SIS and all
expenses and return to her home. At the
end of five years she is to receive another
SIS and to deed the property to the
syndicate.
The widow sees a pleasant trip without
expense o herself, $50 in money and moth
ing wrong. She is told that everything is
entirely legal. and that she is simply selling
her right to homestead. But the papers
which the applicant signs after her entry
is made are an agreement to sell the claim
after final proofs are made, and this is
where the Illegally comes In. The papers
are not read TO them and they do not know
their action is not according 10 the land
laws;
Iowa has proved a fruitful field for the
agents Illinois has also furnished a large
quota, while Missouri, Indiana. Ohio. Mich
igan, Pennsylvania and New York have
each sent large numbers Of the widows
Of Uncle Sans free lands. According to
the Gordon (Neb) journal, the following
widows made entry at the Alliance land
Office on the same day. each registering
from Gordon, although they arrived there
only twenty-four hours before the entries
were made Laura Pickard Esther Hates
Margaret wilkins, Cora Shomo, Hannah
Cooper, Matilda Irma, 4. W. Hockstetter
Angeline Men, Anna L. Beech, all Of Glen
wood, Ia. Phpbe Ketcham. Mary Huckns
Sarah Brewer, Abbie Jameson, Griswold,
Ia; LYDIA Parks, Lewis. Ia; Emily Bates,
Peoria, Ill Esther Higgins, Malvern, la. II l.
not charged that all OF these were registered
illegally. but they will probably be in
vestigated along with the others. Within
sixty days, sixty-three widows have entered
lands near this one town Of Gordon,
The penalty attached to fraud Ia severe.
There is the regular statute against per-
jury, which is punishable by term in the
penitentiary In addition to which the land
entries may be cancelled and no further
entries be allowed the person attempting
the fraud. But in most of these cases
it will probably be shown that the widows
we're not aware they were committing
fraud That will lie with the Court to
decide. But to those who conspired to
secure the fraudulent entries, the law m "
not be 30 lenient. A charge Of conspiracy
to defraud the United States Government
IL a serious offence
II may be difficult to prove who these
cons traitors are, although it is easily dis
coverable who profted by the entries. The
cattlemen and sheepmen OF the Western
ranges are the people who will secure bene-
Ats from such frauds and 1t will be the
efforts Of the Grand Jury to connect them
with the transactions
One OF the agents OF the land syndicate,
speaking Of the matter. said;
Don't know that the whole business is
fraud? OF course, | know that. But
don't think | am running any risk and |
don't believe the women are either In
the first place, IL the Government should