The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1904-01-08
DIRTY WORK.
Methods Employ I by Timber
Cruisers to Get Land.

Startling disclosures as to the me-
thods employed by timber cruisers
and their patrons in Northern Min
nesota have just been brought to
light through the release, by habeas
corpus proceedings brought at
Grand Rapids, of W. F. Freestone,
a young homesteader who had been
remanded to the county Jail after re-
peated attempts had been made to
disp0ssess him OF i valuable tract
of land In the vicinity of Inter
national Falls. Further official in
quiry is to be made into the case and
it is expected that a sufficient amount
/ of evidence will be obtained to war
rant wholesale prosecutions. Free
stone according to the evidence which
is at hand although nothing more
than the defendant ia civil action
was arrested on a warrant issued by
the justice of the peace at Inter-
national Falls, and persuaded under
a misapprehension to plead guilty
after lie had steadfastly refused to
give relinquishment to his land on
promise of immunity from punish
meLt and was finally railrOaded to
the county Jail Under a sixty days
sentence. The discovery of the al
| legged plot was accidental and came
only after lie had served a portion of
the illegal sentence. Several months
ago Freestone made trip to the
Canadian border and located tim
Der and stone claim short dis
tance from International Falls, on
which was pine estimated to be worth
| $4,000. lie built a shack and
''squatted" on the Stand. in view of
the fact that it hadsnot been surveyed
and was not yet available for entry.
| His purpose was to establish re-
sidence in order to obtain prior rights
/ when the land was thrown open.
After living on the land for some
| time. FreeStOne went TO Black Duck,
where he obtained employment and
earned sufficient amount of money
to pay his expenses for the winner.
Returning to his cabin. he found that
another man had taken possession.
moved In some f,.fffs1ure and had
| placed a heavy paddock on the door.
Subsequent investig CATION, it is said,
proved that the new claimant for the
land was William Dumine, an ac-
quaintance of Frees tone.
Dumine was hunted up and Free
stone informed him that he was tres
passing on the land. He was met
with a fiat refusal to vacate and was
further assured that any attempt to
regain possession would be met with
vigorous opposition. Freestone noti-
fed him that unless he removed his
goods from the shack within three
days, it would be taken out and then
he went away. At the expiration of
that period FreeStone appeared on the
land and finding that no move had
been made to vacate, broke open the
door and taking Dummies belongings,
carried them to an adjoining tract of
land.
When Dumine heard of this lie
appeared before Justice D. G. Glen
denning, at International Falls and
brought a civil action against Free
stone for forcible entry and unlawful
detainer. He followed this up by ap-
plying for a warrant, and although
there were no grounds for criminal
action. it is said, the authority for
arrest was given. Freestone was taken
into custody and confined In the lock-
up at International Falls.
He told the authorities at Grand
Rapids that soon after he was put in
prison that several people came TO see
HIM. all endeavoring to impress him
with the seriousness Of his alleged Of
sense, but promising immunity in the
event he signed REIMBURSEMENT of
his rights TO the land. lie asserts
that his last caller came on the day
preceding the trial and that it was
Dumine himself who promised in the
event he signed Il REIMBURSEMENT, to
see to it that any fine which might be
imposed. was paid and that lie would
be permitted to leave town without
further trial.
TO all of this FreeStone made fiat
refusal and when his case came up for
trial lie asked for continuance of if
teen days in order TO go to Black Duck
to get an attorney. lie says that one
of the lawyers in the town was already
interested in the case on the opposite
side and he had we'll founded reasons
for not employing the other The
justice is alleged to have refused Il
continuance on the ground that the
case was one Of so great Importance
and that there should not be any
further delay. 1t was finally con-
sented that a continuance Of four
days be given if heavy bonds were put
up but this FreestOne was unable To