The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1904-07-08
RICHARDS CONFIRMS
EXPOSE OF FRAUDS
Officer in Charge OF Opening
Says The Tribune Was JUS
tilted in Publication.
WILL. DEFEAT eRAFTERs
eonesteel is Disappointed Because Only
1000 Are There-crowd at Yank-
ton Is Reported at About
Same Numbers

Especial STAFF Correspondence of Sioux
City Tribune
Sonesteel, S. d, July limited
States Commissioner C. *. Richards,
who arrived last night to take charge
of the opening of the Rosebud reserva-
ton. no only confirms h pos of q
scheme to defraui homesteaders. first
published in The Tribune. hut an
nounced a plan that he has prepared
for the special purpose of protecting
homesteaders against this fraud.
Commissioner Richards granted the
representative of The Tribune the only
Interview he Las given concerning the
Rosebud opening. denying an audience
to all Others. He stated that he had
read the report, first published In The
tribune, that a number of swindlers
who operated In the Oklahoma opening
had arrived at Bonesteel and Yankton,
for the purpose of ~instituting. through
dupes, fake contests against home
steads. and thus forcing the settlers to
pay to have the contests withdrawn.
Commissioners Richards said he did not
doubt the truth of the report and stated
that he had already taken steps to cir
cumvent these grafters.
On board his special car yesterday
afternoon, Commissioner Richards gave
The Tribune a positive statement con-
corning the contest graft likely to
break out when the filing begins in Au-
gust. Mr.. Richards said:
Papers Were Justified.
The, papers were justified in printing
the report that - clans of grafters
We're assembling.
People of Yankton and Bonesteel
would nave been justified i'm forming
vigilance committees. There will be a
great many fraudulent contests.
II read the reports in the Chicago
papers on my way in from Denver yes
terday and I determined on a course of
action.
"A circular has been prepared and
Will be out before filing time. This
will lay down the law which will shut
OF the grafters.
When a man has filed on n piece Of
land the registrar and receiver will
make out the papers at One and send
them to Washington within a few
hours after they have filed. Contests
will no be considered after the papers
are gone.
Has Another Coup.
"1f there is a great dea, of trouble.
We will rule that a person contesting
the right of an entryman to file will
have to show grounds for the contest
before the registrar and receiver at
once He will decide then and there
Whether there is ground for a contest
or not. The decision of the registrar
n receiver may be made final. Usual
ly we would allow an appeal to the
general LAND office. h1t if the grafters
commence filing COY fsts against en-
trymen by the wholey lie no appeal will
be allowed
Mr.. Richards savsH VIE will be com
Tiete master of ceremonies, though la
expects no rouble He has the powe,
to close up any of the registration of
firac and n,nX-a thar1 10 ~ otLar ,,o;,+
he chooses. When asked about the
proclamation of the president, he said:
We'll, I wrote the thing and Mr..
Roosevelt signed 1T. He would be will
ing TO sign an amendment if I wired it
TO him and a few hours later I would
have the signed amendment"
Richards Strengthened Things.
Many things We're speedily settled
when General LAND Commissioner C.
K. Richards arrived in Bonesteel from
Denver last evening. The %notaries re-
cetved a set back. anyone guilty of
charging eXhorbitant prices and those
who are here to get the lay of the
ground before filing contests in August.
We're warned by the commissioners i'm
a very simple statement.
Notaries will be allowed to charge
20 cents and no more. More than that,
Mr.. Richards say he will shut UP the
first registration Office he hears of To-
Gated In q city where exorbitant prices
are charged. Prices for everything are
all right in Bonesteel.
Granted an Interview.
Commissioner Richards arrived in
Bonesteel last evening at Z o'clock,
coming from Oman in Captain Bid
wells private car in which were Jacob
II. Gable. travelling agent Of the Chi
cago & Northwestern railroad and a
representative of The Tribune. Mr..
Ia! I'D r. 81 r-r @sn~
McPhall, h with a company of clerks
came here Sunday in the first Pullman
ever seen in this country. The seven
clerks are S. NJ. Williams. S. w. Nor
ton. Jno. o'Connell, j. w. Murphy, j. d.
Sheehan, ]. w. Harbough and Z. Sphinx.
When Inspector McPhall Informed
Commissioner Richards that the 200
notaries here wanted to charge 81 for
making out the registration papers and
placing their seal on them. Mr.. Rich
ards said:
Gave an UItimatum.
They can't charge 81 under n cir
cumstances. I Won't stand for such n
charge. Twenty-Five cents is a limit
fixed by a rule of the general land office
and they can make money enough at
that.
six notaries can do all the work
there is to dc, and If any six of the 200
i am told are here agree on the % cent
cnarSe Inat VIII be enough. We will
put the other fellows out of business
by not issuing any papers to them. No
aflidavits will be taken by the clerks
which are not printed on the regular
form, printed by the government.
IF this does not stop the notary
trouble, 1 shall wire for some of the
clerks to come over from Chamberlain
or up from Fairfax, and they will swear
those who wish to register and no
notal'ies will be allowed to do business
at any of the registration cities who
will not make the a%fidavits for %
cents.
Will Make Money Anyway.
In Oklahoma we We're compelled to
make such a ruling, for notaries We're
charging from $3.50 to 81. After the
ruling a large number of them coined
money, making $50 and $40 per day
and only charged 10 cents for signing
n papers and attaching the seal
Speasing of the way the crowd will
pc handled at Bonesteel, Commissioner
Richardson SAID this morning:
Our force can register all who have
accumulated here in two days-after
mat It will be comparatively easy, as
nll the trains coming in cannot bring
the people as fast as we can register
them.
NO orc need fear being unable 10
register at Bonesteel, came here TO