The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1905-11-12
Land Pirates FQtten
In Indian Territory
CoIored Holders Wholesale by
Sneaking in Deeds as Leases and Sewing
Machine Gane-Whte Victims, Too.

OKMCLGEE /. r, Nov. 1.-THE
national council of the Creek Nation
has J-st adopted a petition TO Congress.
asking relief from the epidemic of graft
in Niger lands. In slang phrase. 1T
is putting the Territory TO the bad"
The Territory Is the present-day para
disc of the CRATER and real estate
swindler.
Within the last TWO years more than
10,O0o ignorant colored men have been
given a quarter-sectiou apiece, of the
finest OF farming lands. and have the
unrestricted right to sell all but a
forty-acre homestead This seems to
have operated as IL magnet TO draw to
the Territory all the expert crooks and
graftcrs in the land business from
everywhere else in the United States
Flirnham With Deed.
In many cases the CRATER WORKS
the following scheme TO get the land
from the colored man He bargains for
certain part of the land. say forty
acres for certain sum of money. TAX
ing advantage of the ignorance Of the
colored owner. he makes out the papers
for the entire tract Of a hundred acres
or more.
OF course. the seller makes q kick
when he finds out what has been done
to him. but that does him no good. II IS
simply his word against the grafters
and nobody win believe him
Besides. there Is a general disposition
TO take the view that, as he got pay
for forty acres and still has his home
stead Of forty acres left tDecause nome
steads cannot be sold inside or twenty
one years.. he got enough.
This form of graft is simple and gen.
orally safe. but from the grafter's steno-
point it is open to the serious obJec-
ton that II calls for the payment OF
at least a part of the price in actuai
money. In order to escape this hard
ship. the CRATER has invented a cheap
er way of getting the Iand-
The Government regulations permit
an owner of land to lease it to another
party for agricultural purposes Tor a
period cf five years. The CRATER taxes
advantage of this provision ana con-
tracts with the colored man Tor nve-
yea: lease.
Since the cOlored victim does not know
the difference between a lease form ana
form for a warranty deed. 1t Is an
easy matter 10 get him to sign deed
under the impression that he is simply
giving a lease for five years.
White Men Aroused.
Tt is only when the grarter tries &c
cheat the white man who buys the land
from him after he has acquired it from
the coIored man, that the public con-
science takes alarm and the lana PR
ates become the target of public indIg-
nation.
A grand jury at Muskogee, the other
day, indicted seventeen notar1es puDnC
for ahixing their Jurats 10 Forged war
ranty deeds.
When a CRATER gets possession of 3
piece of land he makes out a lease foI
it for FIVE years in favor OF a confeder-
ate. This lease is not put on record un-
til after the land has been sold.
An intending buyer generally examines
the records before closing the deal. and
| II he finds no REMEMBRANCE. feels safe II
taking the land. He IS closely watched
and as soon as ne has the papers made
out and paid his money, and before hs
gets around TO put his deed on file. tn,
| confederate files the fye-year lease OF
the same land. ahead Of him. IN a re
] cent case of this kind, the purchaser
had paid 1000 for 10 acres. and wher