Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1902-02-17
INQUIRY .!!!!! |! . INTO NO! TIE SILL |L!L
Officials of the Land Department Be
gun Inquiry Into Sale Of Fort
" e Stevenson.

Claims Made that There Was Col
4. lusion Among Bidders at the
II 5$ Sale in October.
4Fy.ts71. .t7 -. -. y. eIGs5 sisssEi
Before Register McGillivray and
Receiver Satterlund Of the local land
office, with Col. J.. w. zevly, special
land inspector of the, interior depart
ment and M. D. McEniry, special agent
of the general land office present, there
began at 10 o clock this morning an
inquiry into the sale Of the Fort
Stevenson reservation, which was made
at public sale in October last, and bid 4
den in by&L G. Black of Cincinnati,
Ohio, for some $4,000 above the ap-
praised value set by the government.
Among those present in the city to
attend the inquiry and give their tes-
timony as to the facts in the case are
& 4L..C: Black Ls.lVon ;Steinwehr and C..
) a. Boswerth of Cincinnati, d; who
bought the land, e. E.4Secor Of Buff
1aio 5GehIer, iowa y. g. .CroWeli, &C..
M. ~. Johnson ana ~. Z Halilm OF
Richland county, who also came up at
the ne time ls OF the sale to do some bid
ding. .%sss. s.s G.s5 .ss ssy as 4,s
When the sale of the land was made,
Mr. Black was the principal bidder,
outbidding all competitors on every
tract of land as sitesWas offered, and
making cash payment for the entire
reservatlons as soon, as the sale was
concluded lift appears that after the!
saie, ;ssasndaVIts We're fled with the in
teIaers!sdepaFtment tossthe. effect that
there was cealusion to prevent. idding
by Seeor and Jehnson----thataSecor was
- t tissse Aas : choies o1 lllefiand Foh the
). es's. : Ao's = ~ l'si sel'c 1uvstilcs', ana
e1s1e5 'on l's'on eee7fveu @loV' ana I1aA-
nanu - IS ciaiiaea -tnat aIeer the sale'
WET i'isach lsdenef enan nave any nard
iessnlts siow ousss od ;tne iactS 1na1 ne
llaa I1 odt.'1adehsttn otners2piodefs. LOT
the iahd, yoiuhtafiiys: y paid pald Johnson =,
eApehses ~ tne Guy OUT OF MS MS Owl own
peschee. = ls claimed Una Inat MT: Black
LOOK al al tne land as II was offered,
sood ana oao, Wnlie. tne other bidders
Wanleu- onty on. tne pest iana on the re-
%. vs .aa' llso 1aeeo = LA Inat5 oecor
S tne e s on
ie'1ills Po 1ai ta1ie ior Inc entlre 5reeF-
ss'eii'on.7$ ei''' | #
When these amdaVlts were filed with
the government, an investigation Of
the matter was ordered, and the TAX
ing Of Stestlmony was begun at 10
O'Clock THIS morning at the land
Office
81 The first witness called this morn
ing was Mr.. gE. .eE. Secor, who stated
that he had come here to bid on some
OF the lands on the. reservation. That
at noon 1on the day of the sale. Mr.
5CrowelI had told him that if he did
not bid, he could get what land he
wanted after the sale at an advance
OF 10 per cent. That in the afternoon
he did not bid on the land. Mr. Black
on cross-exam1natlon brought out the
fact that Secor had written Mr. Black
letter asking that this agreemnt be
carved out Then Mr. Black produced
tne iet.er anu d copy OF the answer as'' IN
"nicn ne sta'eu tns'l ie uiu no' unuer-
s.anu oeeoi it' ? relues't e anu that oio"eil
noi any one eise nau autnoilty til'1: 10
inahe any ueai " any hinu iof niin'
anu "as no' au.noiiAe'e 'oil1s ~ iel'iesen'
uln - any way 70. - suon '. q 'ansao'ion'
le aiso oiouent o',t Tue iact 'ia' MI
oe'oi nau spoAen u Tie nla',ei ~ MI
=. von o1ein"enf afeer uihnei On Tue
uay - tne saie, anu 'nae oteilweni
udu SOuS luIO Tie OlllCe where bldCk