The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1902-12-04
BIG LAND FRAUDS in NEBRASKA
Government Agents Discover Land
Frauds.

Frauds.
All eyes in Nebraska and several
other states are turned on the federal
grand jury in Omaha and its work is
watched with fear and anxiety by
thousands of widows of Union soldiers
in dozen states, who have been per.
suaded into making entries on Nebraska
lands owned by. the government, their
claims then being transferred to cattle
men in such manner that fully 80 per
cent of the claims are declared to have
been fraudulently made, while perjury
was committed in the filings.
Makers of entries which prove to have
been fraudulently made, will be indict-
ed, and the cattemen who induced
them will be indicted for conspiracy to
defraud the government.
Land grabbing. through Grange Wild
ows" has been in progress for years.
The practice has been for large cattle.
owners to pay some widow to settle on
claim, live there five years and then
sell the land to the cattlemen. But
wild :ws we're apt to marry and the lands
would bs given to their husbands at the
last minute.
Some smart cattlemen evolved the
idea OF getting widow OF soldiers to file
on lands and then transfer the claim to
themselves. A soldiers widow is not
compelled to reside on the land, but
must be identified in some way with it.
This was done by renting the land to the
cattlemen, with the understanding that
when final proofs We're made, the land
would be decided to the occupants. For
this the widow was we'll paid. They
were asked to come to Nebraska at the
expense of the cattlemen and take up
claims. They would be paid .,S75 cash,
given nice trip and, when the final
proofs of the filings were made, receive
$75. They were to sign certain papers.
which would make the transaction
entirely legal.
In making her filings, each widow
makes oath that the land is tor her ben.
efit alone. knowing that she would
never live on the property, and that ii
was for the Gland syndicate . each
woman in making the entry committed
perjury, and the person or agent no
carried the deal through conspired to
defraud the land department..
Entries of soldiers widows claims
became the principal business at the five
land offices in Nebraska. They came by
hundreds. Nebraska, Kansas and Mis-.
souri, were good fields, but Iowa was the
most fruitful recruiting ground. Illinois,
Minnesota, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio
and PENNSYLVANIA each furnished it's
quota. There were scattered entries
from many other states also.
Forty-three widows made entry at the
Rushville land office on November IS,
1902. Some of these may have been bona
hide entries, but. coming in such. num-
bers, they are under suspicion. During
the first half of November, it is said,
there were 500 fraudulent entries IN the
state
Col. John S. Mosby, agent of the pub.
lie land department. of the government,
was sent to Nebraska to tear down il.
legally constructed fences. He saw the
condition of affairs and wrote to the de-
partment, and was given orders to secret
ly investigate the matter. He was called
to Washington to make his report three
weeks ago. 1t bore fruit at once.
The United States attorney for Ne
braska was ordered to bring the matter
before the grand jury there, ,and to pros.
ecute all cases to the end.
In certain quarters, it is said, several
officials and employees of the land de-
partment have been paid to wink at the
frauds.