New-York tribune., 1902-08-30
INDIAN SCANDAL AVERTED
BIG STEAL OF LANDS OWNED BY DEAD
RED MEN WILL NOT BE sue
CESSFUL.
lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIBUNH.l


Washington Aug. 29.-William A Jones. Com
missioner of Indian Affairs. thinks he has
nipped in the bud a scheme that promised to
develop a S10OO0,0OO OF S2OOOOOO0 steal of
Indian lands and cause one Of the worst scan
dals the Interior Department has had TO deal
with for years. Commissioner Jones admits
that there is chance yet for the Indians to be
robbed by the instigators of this scheme. but
says he will do everything in his power to pre-
vent 1t.
Many large syndicates have been organized
throughout the West to purchase the lands for
merly owned by dead Indians. which are now
in the hands of the government; that is they
cannot be disposed of without the approval
of the officials of the Interior Department.
Many thousands of acres of these lands
valued at from $40 to $50 acre. and the
willy individuals in the scheme know there is
fortune in the lands if they can be purchased
at ridiculously low price. They have had
their agents work for almost year securing
the descriptions of these parcels of land and
also the names of the heirs Of the dead Indians.
to whom they were originally decided by the
government
In many instances attempts have been made
by these syndicates to induce the Indian Agent
at the reservation to furnish them with all the
descriptions and also the of the heirs.
which would permit them to make bid for the
purchase Of the lands at a very small figure.
So far no Investigation has been made to de-
termine whether or not any of the agents have
sold out, but the Commissioner admits that it
is almost Impossible to prevent the agents from
cooperating with the land grabbers
big firm in Nebraska, in which a number
of prominent and public men are interested.
made an attempt TO secure from the agent at
the reservation near Omaha the description of
about seventy thousand acres of land and the
names Of the heirs of the dead allottees The
agent knew that these lands were worth about
S3ooOoO0 and the syndicate wanted to pur
chase them without competition for about one
tenth that sum- Being an honest agent. he re-
fused to furnish the descriptions, also the names
of the heirs. and communicated with the Com
missioner in Washington. The letter startled
the department officials which has resulted IN
Commissioner Jones issuing order that
deeds for of these lands shall be issued
until after it has been proved to the satisfaction
of the department that they have been sold for
their full value.
This syndicate referred to contemplated pur-
chasing the land for about one-terth of Its
value, and then selling il to settlers on the
mortgage plan for about 500 an acre In Min
nesota and the Dakotas only a small portion or
these lands have been allotted. and the Work or
the land grabbers has just begun. but they Will
find poor picking now. as agents will soon start
out from Washington to make a complete IN
veStigation
1T would have been terrible scandal. said
the Commissioner to-day. Every year rom
now on there will be thousands and thousands
Of acres of these lands placed on the market as
the Indians are dying fast. and we would nave
been in a pretty mess had these big sy indicates
succeeded in getting a start on US Every ap
plication will be investigated so far as posslDie
and If there is to he any stealing II VIII ne pe-
cause there are not enough honest men 10 De
found to fill the offices of agents and inspec-
tors"