The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1902-11-25
INDICTMENTS FOR PERJURY
RANGE WIDOWS" TO BE PROSE.
cUTED FOR ILLEGAL ENTRY
OF Public Lands In Nebrasks-Hun-
dreds Of the Women Paid TO Take
Claims and Transfer Them TO
cattlemen Afterward.

Omaha, Neb., Nov. 24-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 Wild
ows Of Union soldiers in a dozen states
who have been persuaded into making
entries on Nebraska lands owned by
the government, their claims then be-
ing transferred to cattlemen 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
indicted, and the cattlemen who in
duced them will be indicted for con-
spiracy to defraud the government.
Land-grabbing through range
widows has been in progress for
years. The practice has been for
large cattle owners to pay some widow
to settle on claim, live there for FIVE
years and then sell the land to the
cattlemen. But the widows are apt
to marry and the lands would be given
to their husbands at the last minute
Some smart cattlemen evolved the
idea of getting widows 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 were made, the land would
be decided to the occupants. For this
the widow was well paid They were
asked to come TO Nebraska at the ex-
pense of the cattlemen and take up
claims. They would be paid SIS cash,
given nice trip and, when the final
proofs Of the filings were made, re-
ceive SIS. They were to sign certain
papers which would make the trans
action entirely legal
In making her filings each widow
makes oath that the land is for her
benefit alone Knowing that she
would never live on the property, and
that It was "for the land syndicate"
each woman in making the entry com
mitted perjury, and the person or
agent who carried the deal through
conspired to defraud the land depart
ment.
Entries of soldiers widows claims
became the principal business at the
fiye land Offices in Nebraska. They
came in by hundreds. Nebraska.
Kansas and Missouri were good fields.
but Iowa was the most fruitful recruit
ing ground. Illinois, Minnesota,
Michigan, Indiana. Ohio and Pennsyl-
yania each furnished its quota. There
were scattering entries from many
other states also.
Forty-three widows made entry at
the Rushville land office on Nov. Is.
1902. Some of these have been bona
fide entries but coming in such mum.
bers. they are under suspicion. Dur
Ing the first half of November. Il is
said, there were 500 fraudulent entries
in the state.
Colonel John S. Mosby, agent of the
public land department, was sent TO
Nebraska TO tear down Illegally con.
structed fences. He saw the condi.
tion OF affairs and wrote 10 the depart-
ment, and was given orders to secretly
Investigate the matter. He was call
ed 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 mat.
ter before the grand jury here. and to
prosecute all cases to the end.
In certain quarters. it is said. sew.
eral officials and employees of the land
department have been paid to wink
at the frauds.
New crop Of ribbon cane syrup at