The sun., 1903-11-23
LAND FRAUDS IN LOUISIANA.
FEDERAL GRAND JURY RETURNS
eco INDICTMENTS.

Organized system for RObbing the Public
DOmain-ThOusands OF Acres OF the
Best Pine Lands In the state Stolen
Seven Indictments for PeOnage.
NEW ORLEANS, Nov 22.--The United
States Grand Jury Of the North. IN District
OF Louisiana, which has been investigating
the charges Of peonage and land frauds'
in submitting it's final report. presents
seven indictments for peonage, reputed 70
include some OF the leading planters in the
northern part of the State, and 22O are
indicted for fraudulent entries Of land under
the Homestead act The arrests will not
be made until Monday, and for that reason
the names of the men indicted are kept
secret
The Grand Jury in its report on the peon-
age cases attribute them to Act NO. oo'
passed by the Louisiana Legislature IN
1892, prescribing penalties for the violation
of labor contracts. The act was intended
to cover cases in which the laborer had
fraudulently and with deliberate design
obtained advance. either in money or sup
plies. from the farmer with the intention
OF abandoning him without discharelns
the obligation.
"A proper enforcement of the law, DIS
passionately and fairly applied, might
have resulted in good says the Grand
Jury, but unfortunately 1t was made the
pretext by shrewd. INSCRIPTIONS ana oe.
signing men, and became the tool OF UNJUST
and illegal oppression
The Grand Jury reports that there hase
been many violations OF the statutes pro-
hibiting the involuntary servitude OF ciu-
zens BY forceful detention to service 10
discharge an actual or pretended deo''
It was unable, however, to find many IN
dictments because of the difficulty IN secur-
ing sufficient evidence, and the eNldehce
secured was turned over to the Dlstric.
Attorney to be submitted to the next Graho
Jury
The report of the Grand Jury in the case
Of the land frauds declares that the les'i
| mony obtained was startling in the extrenle
and almost beyond the bounds OF peLei,
For years past. it declares. an ORGANIZED
system of plundering the public DOMAIN
had existed. which had s"cceeded IN steai-
ing thousands Of acres OF the best pine
lands in Louisiana. A similar stea' was
| practised some years aGo, but was broken
up by the vigorous prosecution OF the TIM
Der thieves.
The frauds. it is shown. were operated
| by the big companies which induced the
| small farmers to make entries OF timber
| lands for homesteads, the companies ad.
vancing the money and receiving me hnd
| as soon as the homestead titles had been
completed The advance in the prices OF
| pine timber had made these frauds very
profitable, and they had grown steadily,
Corporations and combinations with
| plenty of means" says the report. and
Utterly without scruple, have sent their
agents out among the Inhabitants OF the
! pine woods and whenever they could find
| suitable tracts have furnished the means
| to any one whom they could induce 10 lend
stead, and, after the expiration Of four
| teen months, again furnishing the money
| to commute his entry; and then in pur-
| suance of preexsting agreement, have
| the homesteader, Immediately after making
| his final proof, convey to him, the spoiler.
| the land. This method has been pursued.
as disclosed il disputably to us by witnesses
| of unouestioned character. to such an ex-
| tent that whole families, father and son.
mother and daughter, have been m debauched
| has not only stolen an infinitely larger per
oenta pe of these valuable lands from the
United States, but 1t has made perjurers
out of thousands OF men and women OF
this State.
so great and seductive has this method
proven in the hands of these designing,
rich and unscrupulous men, that 1t has
found victims in almost every walk OF llie.
The daily laborer, the FARMER, the mercnan''
the lawyer and doctor, and even the minis
ters have not been able to escape it. There
is but one remedy The remedy is the
strict swift and uncompromising enforce
ment Of the law. 1t may be: and necessarily
will be, that many cases will arise in which
the ignorant and misled will have to bear
the punishment and the really guilty escape,
but this course must inevitably bring about
proper results. The ignorant and mis-
guided sufferer will bring to light the real
transgressor.
an closing this report we earnestly recon-
mend that the Department of the Interior
OF immediate and strenuous action in this
matter, not only criminally to punish the
wrongdoers, but civilly to restore by legal
methods the lands stolen from the United
States and its citizens.
The Grand July found 220 bills for viola
tion Of the Homestead laws and declares
| that it left many cases without indictment
not being able to complete the evidence