The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1905-02-10
DU(KD IN THE LAKE.
Alleged Land Thieves Deal
Unkindly with Y. S. Witness.
LAND FRAUDS BEING AIRED,
Honest Men Solicit Official In
vestigations.

WIN ~ - ALLAN ~: ANdhOs CN' ~
In spirit of revenge and 10 scare
the victim into leaving the country;
q party Of men took aged Jonathan
Frakes to the lake shore one night
last week and gave him ducking in.
the icy water. Frakes was accused
OF giving information in land fraud
cases.
The recent disclosure of fraud In
public land matters In Oregon and
the frequent reports that certain
Idaho land Offices were under the
cloud of suspicion has excited con
siderable interest in this section, es-
pecially in view Of the receut investi-
cations of special agents Of the
department Of the interior. There
seems to be no doubt in the minds of
the best informed that land frauds in
Idaho would, il properly Investigated,
equal those of Oregon. 1t is believed
that these frauds are not confined to
timber cutting, but extend to fr3udu.
lent homestead, scrip and timber and
stone entries.
A special agent Of the United
States land Office, actidg under
special authority, has Investigated a
number of cases in the upper end of
Idaho, me of which has attracted
more than usual attention. A man
who had formerly made homestead
entry in Washington under his true
name also made a homestead
entry in Idaho under an assumed
name, and on this latter entry cut
and sold about q million feet of tim
Der to buyers at Post Falls, Harrison,
Spokane and other places. Later he
sought to make final proof on his
homestead, but his career was cut
short by the Investigations of the
land agent referred to. His case was
Investigated, and it was alleged that
he had committed perjury in making
his second homestead entry. and the
purchasers Of the timber were forced
to make settlement with the United
States for the timber secured.
This man, it seems, resented the
action OF the special agent, took the
law In his own hands, and one night
during the last week marched at the
head Of half dozen men to the cab
in of one OF the principal witnesses of
the United States, dragged him from
his bed, forced his. unwilling steps to
the edge of Occur d'Alenc lake and
then plunged him beneath its icy
waters. The victim Of this hign
banded procedure was Jonathan II.
Frakes, a reputable old gentleman
residing on the shore Of Half Round
bay. 1t is said that it ~as the in--
| tention of these men to force Frakes
to leave the country in order TO save
their own scalps.. Frakes. It is under
stood, has reported the matter to the
county attorney at Rathdrum fol
! actlon.
The case cited is but an illustration
of many others which might be quot
I'd to the authorities to incite them
to further investigation and action.
1t is understood that the specla
agent also found bad order Of thing.
along the western shores of Coeur d.
Alene lake, where he is reputed Il
have seized several million feet o
timbe unlawfully cut from public
| lands 1t is alleged that IN thi
vicinity one man has made severa
different settlement claims IN orde
to secure the timber thereon for {;
Spokane lumber company The in
ycstigating of such cases is an en-
couragement-to the honest settlers
who are outsroken ~ their indorse
ment.of such action on the part Q
the authorities. .--Spokesmdn-Resiew
7 q VI