Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1905-09-06

reasoned two ways: First, with so much
of the land along the line of sur
vey in his control and available
through crooked methods, Lindsay cal
culated Oh developing the district by
building the railroad; and, second, to
advertise the construction of the road
in the near future would greatly en-
hance the market price of the lands
he was unloading on the suckers"
This price had ranged from so cents
to five dollars an acre. It was clear
that the lands along the proposed road
would Immediately jump to much
higher figure if the gullible public
could be convinced such road was
to be built, and I formed the opinion
that the Missouri & Arkansas" railroad
would never go beyond the paper
stage Of construction. To the stock
certificates of the company, however,
were signed two names, those of Rob-
ert L. Lindsay, president, and Orlando
Van Rise, secretary.
While there remained much detail
work to be done, | believed we had a
pretty good line on the activities of
Lindsay. In addition to the points I
have mentioned, had learned from a
Col Gfayson, banker, that James
Lindsay had a large number Of old
land patents concealed in the safe of
an Ironton lawyer. There was no
doubt of the elder Lindsays having
connived at the removal from the land
office of thousands Of patents by his
son while Lindsay, Sr, was registrar,
and it is still question in my mind
whether the father had not been the
actual originator Of the steal and
turned the execution of it over to his
son. But even had this been true,
the statute Of limitations had run
against his Offense and there was no
use in wasting time securing evil
dence against the father, except such
as might be of benefit in convicting the
son.
But, clear as these conditions were
there remained two important facts
confronting us. One of these was
that while Robert Lindsay was the
head and front Of the great conspiracy
there were conspirators almost as
important. The other was that sound
legal cases against all of them were
yet to be made. l, had abstracts OF
title made to "a parcels of land, and
by following these and others through
the records of the Washington land
office had clearly established the forg-
cries of signatures to applications and
deeds. This record searching was te-
dious Snd surrounded with many tech
nicalities-so many in fact that at one
stage of the investigation I suggested
that another man more familiar with
them be assigned to the work. but Sec
rotary Schurz declined to relieve me.
From the appearance Of the name
Of Orlando Van Hise as secretary of
the Missouri & Arkansas" railroad it
was naturally to be inferred that this
person either stood nigh in the conf
dence and operations Of Lindsay. or
was dummy who was allowing him
self to be used. The former was
found to be the correct theory, and
here | wish to introduce in his real
Identity the visitor who had gone over
Lindsay's scheme with him in the St.
Louis Office in 1872, Orlando Van
Hise, Cleveland real estate dealer
of good standing. After having had
the beauties of the plot expounded to
him by Lindsay, Van Hise had become
one of the chief eastern agents for
the Lindsay syndicate, and the mem
Der Of the ring second in Importance
only to the Missourian. l found Van
Hise had made frequent trips to south
western Missouri and thoroughly IA
miliarized himself with the clay Of the
land" The base of his operations was
Cleveland, where there were associated
with him George Linn; John K. Cor
win, a notary pubic, and John F.
Gardiner, a banker.
During the investigation there had
fallen into my hands the letterheads
and advertising matter of the ring.
The Real Estate Loan and Trust COM
pany, of st. LouGs, was operated from
the Olive street offices of Lindsay:
while the International Land Agency
was directed from Lindsay's private
office in Market street. The letterhead
of the latter concern named George w.
Nelson as the eastern agent at Pitts
burg and Baltimore; Robert J.. Lind
say, the western agent; W. A. Brown,
the selling representative in London,
and John Gensler, the agent at Kissin-
gen, Germany.
After some work had been done at
Ironton and st. Louis | went east In
Pittsburg | found the four principal
members Of the ring to be Addison F.
Burns, his father, William Burns;
George w. Nelson, and H. r. Nc
Clellan, notary. A large and profit
able business in the sale of these lands
had been carried on there for years.
Nelson had been a particularly active
sales agent. He was partially par
alyzed and went among his friends
representing himself as ''land poor"
the owner Of vast, unproductive tracts.
part of which he had to dispose of in
order to support himself in his failing