Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1905-03-16
CRIME is ALLEGED
Col. Royal B. stearns, of Fort
Pierre, Arrested for Public Land
Frauds.
An Accompliee in ST. Paul is Also
Put Under the Ban of the
Law.

Ever sisse last Summer there have
bern runners asd reports that land a
fra uds were being perpetrated in Stan
ley county, and these things seemed to H
focus on prominent real estste man at /
Fort Pierre, Col Royal B. Stearns.
Tuesday the matter eliminated by
Deputy United States Marshal j. w.
Laughlin going to Fort Pierre and
placing Col Stearns under arrest, upon
a warrant sent to him by the proper
government authority. Nothwith
standing some people had been looking
for this it caused Il sensation in this
city and Fort Pierre where the accused I
| is we'll known
The "modus operandii' of Col Stearns
CLEANED, was i'll the filing OF fictitious
| parties to homesteads Oh the govern
ment land west Of the river, and in get
ting persons to enter land and prove |
that they should be paid the expenses
OF the trips TO the land, the cost of
shanties, and be given a hundred dol
| lars OF some other amount to deed the
/ land over after final proof. There
may be other allegations IN the com
plaint but it appears to be a case of
fraud against the land laws. A certain
county official OF stanley count. seems
/ - hou cd ba Ia
yception, perhaps unknowingly on his
part. The local land office had no
knowledge of The fraud as the papers
came up to it in every case through
regular channels.
Col. Stearns came to Pierre some
fifteen years ago, and became promi
nent i'll politics, receiving an appoint
ment as colonel on Governor Sheldon's
:. staff, whence his title as "coonei" He
afterwards removed to Fort Pierre,
where he has practiced law, having
been elected states attorney, and en-
gagged in the land business. Last year
he was nominated by the republicans
for state senator, but owing to suspic-
:, ious against him, a rather bad record
public and private, and his close at1ilia-
! tions with a very unpopular news.
! paper min in Fort Pierre he was
}, showed under by a big vote, in a strong
e republican county. his democratic OPP
,ponent, Warren Young, receiving the
e election Col. Stearns has been con
b sidered a bright man. and H lie pres
L cut charges are true 4 Viii be wonder
, ed how he could have laid himself so
/. wide open as to cause the present ar
o rest.
The following from the st, Paul
@ Globe relates TIC the partner OF Col.
d Stearns III the crimes alleged, it being
d stated that discriminating letters from
Stearns We're found IN his desk when
!, he was arrested:
! Charged with irregular and fraudu
% lent entries upon public land, William
re T. Horsnell, a real estate and employ
" ment agent with offices at 80 East
"a Seventh street, was, at the conclusion
OF his preliminary examination before
United States Commissioner Spencer
hetd to the federal grand jury under
81 $50 bail.
es One hundred claims, OF about 1900
acres of government land, are under
ST stood to be involved in the transaction
The extensive manner in which Ties,
~ frauds We're alleged to have been per
Up petrated before the suspicious OF tn
vo federal authorities were aroused is sal,
e. to have been mainly due to the fac
L. that all applications for filing on home
! stead lands bore the bonaIide signatur
he OF some person who had never used hi
IFS or herhomestead right, and consequent
Is was entitled to homestead entry
The frauds alleged is that the pei
ais sons signing these application blank
OF We're not actual or prospective settler
but simply, signed away their HON,
=, stead right for considerations OF $i(
- or thereabouts, and these application
W were forwarded by HorsneI to h
on agent or partner at Pierre, 5. d., al
entries made. and the claims proved Il
fon without the further knowledge
. the person signing the applications
j. NJ. Lucas, a st. Paul piano sale
Igs, man, testified that he had signed IA blar
mr. application at Mr. iIorsnell's rogue
- upon the promise that he would recei'
70 Sl00 when he proved up, and that h
1at. expenses going out TO his claim Woul
be Laid. He never received any mon'
from HorsneH, neither did he ever S
any further papers.
oso The connection between Mr. Hol
nell and his agent at Pierre was SHOW
9" by letter which was introduced
DIRK |9evideslce, and which was written
ion. IIorslell by his agent regarding t
I'D. filing on claim by Miss GoodKind
-, st Paul
ano This letter stated that "rhis claim
afe, within Pierre and is worth 81 600. Y
TITS viii keepi it ourselves. Keep track
the girl as she will make a nice bun
of money for u.s. We will live close
no the law III this.
y. ~ Miss Goodkind testified that she b
w met Mr.. Horsneli through Mr. Lut
red and that she had signed certain pape