Omaha daily bee., 1902-12-12
BOUND TO PREVENT FRAUDS
Indian Bureau OsnnOt Change Ruling On
Sale Of Heirship Lands.
SOME INNOCENT SUFFER WITH GUILTY
John l.. webster Seeks n Position ON
the Isthmian Canal Commission
and Has Interview with
the President.
CFrom a stafr Correspondent

gram before leaving for Nebraska today
Representatives. elect Mccarthy had a con-
ference with Indian Commissioner Jones
regarding the new rule which the Interior
department promulgated in lieu Of former
rules having relation to the conveyance Of
inherited Indian lands. This matter has
been the subject Of great embarrassment
to the Indian Office by reason OF the Chi
canery which has been practiced upon the
Indians in securing the conveyance Of in
herited allotments OF Indians. The Indian
office, after numberless complaints had
been filed by the Indians, asserting that
they were wholly in the hands Of land
| spectators, set aside the former rules gov
erning the transfer OF these lands and
! issued new rules providing that the sale
of lands should be made in the most public
way possible. rule was passed down that
! the Indian agent OF official in charge should
post in a conspicuous place in his office for
period of ninety days list of lands de-
sired to be sold, with description OF the
| land, dates when listed and date when bids
would be opened. and that on each Monday
| the Indian agent or official in charge should
| forward to the commissioner of Indian af-
! fairs a complete list Of all lands posted in
| his Office for sale. This rule, it was thought,
would give every intending purchaser a
!
chase particular pieces of land. The Indian
office, however owing to the great and
universal complaint that was made against
the transfer OF title to these allotted lands.
decided to annul all transfers and conse-
quently many innocent purchasers for value
are now protesting against the action OF
the department in depriving them of their
titles.
Cannot Separate Good from Bad.
Mr. Mccarthy, in whose district the
Omaha and Winnebago reservation is To-
Gated urged the commissioner to approve
deeds secured from heirs OF deceased al
lottees, providing It could be shown that
adequate sums had been paid to the Indians
for the lands purchased. He said that in
many cases honest purchasers had paid the
amounts which the Indians themselves had
placed upon the lands and these persons
should be protected. He said he did not
stand for trickery or chicanery, but wanted
an honest man to get his honest rights.
Commissioner Jones, in reply, said this
! could not possibly be done, because of the
multiplicity Of cases pending in the Indian
office. The commissioner told Mr.. Mccarthy
that great fraud had been committed in the
purchase of inherited Indian lands and the
Idepartment.waa well aeonainted- the
methods pursued by land spectators on
Indian reservations That he regretted that
he could not separate the good from the
bad in view of the interminable number of
, propositions. owing to difficulties in search
ing for few honest claims in the vast mass
, of known fraudulent ones. The department
, was forced to throw out all and begin with
, clean slate and commence work along
lines laid down in amended rules issued
October 2. 1902. through which 1t is believed
fraud is impossible.
= VIII Take Care of Meade.
Representative Martin talked today witt
the secretary of war in relation to perma.
nent improvements at Fort Meade, S. D
The army board convened for the purpose
of recommending permanent posts included
in its list Fort Meade and recommended
: the permanent establishment there of thu
headquarters and eight troops OF cavalry
Immediately after this recommendation
from the board organized to report upoI
the permanency of forts and garrlson
throughout the United States Mr.. MartiI
requested Quartermaster General Luding
= ! ton to give him an estimate as to tn
\ amount which would be required to carr,
:, out the recommendations. General Lud
= ington replied that his best information
a was that It would take in the neighbor
hood OF $565 900 to establish permanen
buildings at Fort Meade. AS a result o
. this information Representative Marti
n asked for 100000 to commence permanen
a improvements at Meade and secured thi
n appropriation in the sundry civil bill.
,e Today Mr.. Martin called on the secre
tary for the purpose OF ascertainin
whether an annual appropriation was nee
n essary 70 carry out the estimate OF tn
quartermaster general or whether a con
RI tinuing amount could not be set aside froI
the lump sum given the secretary for per
manent improvements at posts and gar
rlsons Secretary Root informed Mr.. Mar
tin that Fort Meade was among the perma
te nent posts and It would not be necessar
w for the South Dakota delegation to con
ed Germ themselves at all in a distinctive itei
a. in the appropriation bill, but to see to
4 that the War department was provide
he with money enough TO carry on improve
,d ments recommended by the army board H
said II was the settled policy of the dc
IN partment to improve Fort Meade up to th
r standard outlined.
Leasing Forest Reserves.
Secretary Hitchcock today sent to cor
gress the draft of a proposed bill providin
n for the sale Of timber on reserves and 4
& the leasing or renting OF reserve land
The Dill authorizes the secretary OF II
nu interior to sell timber, grass, plants ar
seeds on timber reserves, including ston
ne earth and all other inorganic material. pr
ry viding such sales shall not interfere vii
es the mining law now applying. 1t autho
sc ICES the secretary TO rent or lease at prize
ny he may determine, lands for maintainii
th summer resorts, hotels. stores. mills al
IN other establishments, or for grazing If
py stock. The bill provides that moneys d
ue rived from the sales and leases shall
made a special fund for the care and pr
10 lection of the reserves. Any excess
10 funds derived from any reserve over Il
cost Of protection shall be turned into q
school fund OF the state or territory
which the reserve may be situated. Chat
man Lacey of the public lands committt
e Is expected, will introduce a bill
lines recommended by the secretary.
ia No Compromise at FRirbury.
ie- Representative-eleet Hinshaw. who h
ct been IN Washington for the past ten da
srn familiarizing himself with his duties. W
Ar. leave for Newcastle, Ind. tomorrow, |
led boyhood home, where he win remain
st Week, expecting to arrive in FairbuTy D
|. camhar pI Mr. HinshaW feels cOnhda