Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1903-01-08
COMPLAINTS That Purchasers Are Making
Bargains With Heirs Of De-
ceased Indians.
POOR 10" IS BECOMING QUITE POXY
Appeal to Courts to Compel Interior
Department to Issue Deeds Of
REIMBURSEMENT.

OmClAl6 OF the inferior depart
ment are annoyed by advices that
purchasers Of lands belonging to
heirs of deceased Indians are pre-
pairing to appeal to the courts to
compel the department to issue
deeds of REIMBURSEMENT. Man
damus proceedings are looked for.
Nearly every Indian agency in
the west is affected in these cases.
Under an act Of congress the adult
heirs of deceased Indians may sell
their lands on Indian reservations
at their will, each transaction,
however, being subject to the ap-
proval Of the secretary Of the in
terror.
Early in the year the interior
department issued rules governing
such sales pursuant to which many
sales were effected and certified by
Indian agents in Utah, Wyoming,
Idaho, Nebraska and other western
states. This certifcation was to
the effect that the would-be pur-
chaser had offered a fair price for
the land in each case. The would
be purchaser was required to send
a certified check to the department
as evidence of good faith. A few
weeks after many complaints were
filed with the department. of al
legged fraud in the making of bar
gains with the Indian heirs. Men
who had certain tracts of land in
view, expecting to buy them, and
being defeated by some other pur-
chaser, rushed to the department
with complaints that in some in
stances the land had been sold for
only half it's value and protested
against approval OF the deed of re-
by the interior de-
partment.
The result OF these complaints
was an order suspending all sales
until revised rules could be issued
for advertisement, appraise-
ment and competitive bidding in
each transaction, and the matter
has rested in this shape ever since.
The purchasers who deposited earn
est money have become very rest
i've, and it seems that there is a
action among them the
purpose of which is to appeal to the
courts for an order to compel the
secretary of the interior to pass
upon the merits of each case. These
buyers contend that they were sub
jected to heavy expense, first in
ascertaining the validity of heir
ship and title of pretended owners
of the land in question, and that
the work necessary to the compile
ton Of the papers for filing with
the department. was considerable
and, under the order, lost without
security.
Moreover, it is stated on good
authority that the purchaser in
nearly every case was compelled tc
R0y CAO AAoioA q Ctsou UOuuo Ill
order to induce him to sign the
contract of sale; that the Indians
will not make bargain without
some cash paid down, and know.
ing that the white man is anxious
to buy these heirship lands poor
''Lo" is foxy enough to demand
his pound of flesh. This, of course
is the shady side of the question
and must be concealed from the
department if possible. Thus i,
may be seen that every purchaser
of the heirship lands has a consid
cradle amount of money invested
of which no record has been taken
and which may or may not vitiatt
the contract in every case.
The result of this proposed ap
peal to the courts will be looked
for with great interest all over thu
west. Hundreds of thousands o
dollars have been invested in these
heirship lands.