Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1902-01-18
VICTIMS OF A ScAEM 6
COUNTY LsvD ow NHtss ssssoeWE
BYA.E FRETTs, PROTECTOR.

He Had eighteen op tons which Have
It'd Up Hundreds orAcres of Land in
hts Csunty---The signatures wese
secured Daring excitement Over
Coat In Back Greek valley I'm
1893
1t has come to light that the owners
of eighteen tracts Of land in I'erkelev
county are the victims Of a well laid
plot. as the result of the scheming
of one A. e. Ffetts. Of Westmorlaud
county, Pa. q prospecsor who caus-
e.. great excitement in Eek &. eek
Valley during the year 1899 by his
alleged prospecting for coal aud oil.
AS n result .of his scheminz the own
els Of those tracts af land are for
ever premented. according 10 1nstru-
ments recorded III tine office Of the
Clerk OF the County Court from dis
posing OF their land 10 nny one other
than A. r. fretts and bis colleagues
mentioned in the paper, while they
ret nothing Whatever for the grant
ing of such absolute privileges.
About two years ago tietts visited
this section aud. afser spending some
time in Back Greek Valley, announc-
ed fhst be was going t. interest cap
ltal in the coal deposits which he
said existed in the valley. II will be
remembered chat great excitement
was caused ty the belief that coal
would in short time be mined in
that section of the county.
The prospector succeeded in secur-
ing options on eighteen tifferent
tracts of land in the cou atty. leaving
owners under the impression that If
he did not close the options in sixty
DAYS thew would expire. The price
offered was mach more than the
land was worth to the owners. so
they readily signed their names to
the papers. either without examining
them CLOSELY or they were change d
after they had signed them. The
following portion of one of the
agreements will give an idea of how
they all read:
1.-THE said land to be paid for as
follows, ut the rate of IS 80 per acre !;
One dollar on the signing of this agree
ment and the balance in payments as
the party of the first part elects The
deed to be made for the above descrlb-
ed tract of land by the partv of the
first part, their heirs or assigns, on
thirty days notice by the party of the
second part, their heirs or essigns
A good deed with general ", rranty
10 bv made whenever the unpaId pur-
chase money is secured by bond with
mortgage ON the promises. 1t is here
by asreed that onehalf OF the nur-
chase Is 10 be paid when deed is made
as above stated and the balance in
twelve months thereafter F"
No time is stated for the expiration
of the options, aud the owners are
prevented forever from selling their
land to any one other than Fretts and
his colleagues mentioned i'll the pa
pers. Besides Mr. Fretts there are
nine other strangers mentioned as par
ties of the second part, each being as
signed one eight share. 1t is evident
that these are either partners in the
Scheme or were worked into paw
ma Fretts bounty for securing them
an interest in such valuable options
OH such valuable coal land "
One of the lard owners who granted
Fretts an option on his land recently
sold his land to the Berkeley County
Mining and Orchard Company. When
the titles to the land were being look
ed up preparatory to the Iansfer. it
was found that the owner, Mr.. Hesse,
was prevented from Sc ling it by the
agreement with Fretts and Others.
Fretts released the option for bonus
OF S75.
One of the other options. which was
on limestone land near the Big Spring,
was released by a decree OF the Cir
emit Court entered September 20, 1900,
IN the case of j. @. Holpp and others
VS.. A. f. Fretts and others, which
decree set aside the oprion on the
ground of verbal mis- representation
on the part of Fretts
The other sixteen options viii still
hold good. Since it probably costs
more to carry case INTO court than
10 paw a bonus for the release of the
land. Frett's soneme Is easily seen
through.
MORE LIGHT ON THE SCH EME.
The following letter was received
by Gentleman in this city, from
s. w. Dais. Ehepshurg. Pa, pro-
tonotary NJ Cambria county fl r
Their exhibits the nerve of the man
who has thus tied up hundreds of
acres of land IN this county