Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-11-09
LeGrand Preacher Given Hear
ing For Using Mails For
Fraudulent Purposes
TELLS OF THE GAME
Well Known LeGrand Farmer Relates
Before Commissioner Macarthur
Thompson's Alleged Methods Of
Dealing With Him in Selling Me-
braska Land.

Rev.. ID. w. Thompson, for many
years a resident of LeGrand, "'ho re-
Gently became pastor of the '-f:is; ian
churches If Truro and East Peru, was
held to the federal grand jury at pes
Moines Friday afternoon by Commits
sioner Macarthur. David Inman, q
well-knoWn LeGrand farmer, who
claims to have been victimized by
Thompson's methods in selling l1ebras-
ka land, told of the alleged "bunko''
game as practiced by the man of the
cloth.
This mornings Register and Leader
outlines Inman's evidence before Com
missioner Macarthur as follows:
David 1nman, a big hearted but UNI
sophisticated old farmer of .I.eGrand,
Iowa, related before United States
Commissioner Macarthur yesterday aft
ernoon how he had been bunkoed by
the Rev. D. w. Thompson, pastor of
the Christian church at Truro and
East Peru.
He told his story in q simple.
straightforward manner, but with evil
dent reluctance. His kind heslrt made
the task an unpleasant one for him,
and he seemed to feel the affair more
keenly even than the man he was ac-
cusing. AT the conclusion of the story
Commissioner Macarthur bound
Thompson over to the grand jury Ia
der $1,000 bond. which he gave. He has
retained Attorney Charles u. Brad
shaw to defend him.
ut was while Thompson was preach
ing at LeGrand that he preached the
proposition to trade Inman n quarter
section Of land in Wheeler county, Ne
braska, for house and lot and three
vacant lots in Gas City. Ind. Thomp-
son, he said, represented the Nebraska
property to be worth more than $10,-
600 and 1nman wanted $3.50 difference.
1t was not long afterwards that In
man received letter postmnrked Des
Moines and signed Thomas Milberg.
The writer said he had met Thompson
on the train and had learned that In
man was about to secure q tract OF
land in Wheeler county, Nebraska. He
said he was anxicHs to secure some
Wheeler county land and would like to
correspond with Mr.. Inman with a
view to purchasing the Thompson
property II the deal went thru.
"Inman paid no attention ia the let
ter but the latter received another
which had been mailed on the train
between Marshalltown and Des
Moines. In the meantime lnman and
his wife had been discussing the prop
osition. Mrs. Inman suggested that
the natural gas of Indiana was fast
disappearing and their property was
not worth as much as formerly. They
decided they would only ask Thomp-
son to pay them $3.50 difference. The
deal was made and Thompson con-
Quoted an informal prayer meeting in
the Imam home. Shortly afterwards
Mr.. Inman learned the Nebraska prop
erty for which he had traded was
worth about $3.50
"Milberg had offered him $1,400 for
it, He addressed letter to Milberg
at Des Moines. but 1t was returned
unopened. Milberg is no other than
Rev. d. w. Thompson, Sc the postal
authorities claim. ,g
CDR. M M. Evans of LeGrand also
testified at the hearing In regard to q
similar transaction in which he re-
ceived letters from Milbery."