Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-11-27
Former LeGrand Preacher Will
Answer to Federal Charge
ut Des Moines
MISUSE OF MAILS is CHARGED
Well Known Christian Church Preach
err Accused of Defraudine David In
man and Wife, of LeGrand, by Mis-
representing Nebraska Land in a
Trade-Much Interest in Case.

Rev. D. W. Thompson, for many years
well known resident of LeGrand, a
minister of the Christian church, and
more recently pastor at Truro and
East Peru, in Madison county, was
indicted by the federal grand jury at
Des Moines Tuesday afternoon on a
charge Of using the mails to defraud.
The specific instance is the alleged
swindling, by means of a land trade,
of David Inman and wife. prominent
LeGrand people, and life-long friends
of Thompson.
A large number of witnesses from
LeGrand We're subpoenaed before the
grand jury at Des Moines. but only a
few of them gave any testimony. This
was because the grand jury was sat-
isfied, after hearing the testimony of
Mr. and Mrs. Imam and DR.. Mark M.
Evans, that Thompson's alleged acts
constituted q misuse of the mails and
therefore did not deem it necessary to
consume time examining other wit
neSSes.
Thompson's Alleged Methods.
The methods alleged to have been
used by the reverend gentleman in his
land transactions were the same in
many instances that would have been
told to the grand jury had the evil
dence been considered necessary. In
the Inman case, however the only real
financial loss resulted, for the other
deals" did not progress far enough
to bring about any actual loss.
David 1nman and wife owned piece
Of Gas City, Ind, property for which
they paid $1,000. Thompson knew of
it, as did many other people at Lee
Grand. Thompson and the Inmans
were neighbors, living across the street
from one another Inman had known
had befrlended him, and defended him
before others who were wont to init
mate he was not just straight"
Thompson Offers Trade.
One day, about year ago this fall,
Thompson offered a trade to Imam for
his Gas City property. claiming to be
the agent for Wheeler county, Nebras-
ka, land. Inman and his wife talked
it over alone. They realized that In
diana property was not the investment
it once was, owing to the gradual les
SEEMING of the natural gas supply Their
property was in the gas belt, as the
name of the town indicates. They
were both favorable to trade, pro-
viding satisfactory terms could be ar
ranged. Thompson wanted to give IN
exchange a quarter section of Nebras-
ka land, representing 1t as fertile soil
for farming.
Inmans Get Letters.
AS the deal was progressing Mr.. ana
Mrs. Inman received a letter signed by
Tom Wilburg, of Des Moines, claiming
he owned some Wheeler county, Ne
braska, land that adjoined farm
owned by D. w. Thompson. He and
Thompson could not come to terms
and Wilburg wanted to buy the tract
at big figure providing Inman &C
quired it. With a supposed sale In
sight Inman closed the deal with
Thompson. Thompson was to give
some boot money, $3.50, and furnished
his note for the amount Later
Thompson visited Gas City, after the
trade was made, and upon his return
represented the Gas City property to
be greatly deprecated. Rather than to
have Thompson feel that he had got
the worst end of the bargain Mr.. and
Mrs. Inman agreed to cut the obliga-
ton down to 500. which Thompson
paid in lieu of the $3.50 note.
lnman Finds Land Worthless.
After the trade had been con-
summated, and the deal was at an end,
Inman claims to have discovered that
his Wheeler county, Nebraska, farm
was worth about $3.50. At least thai
is the best estimate he could get OH
the value, the land being declared to
be largely sand, rocks, and hills. He
could not find Wilburg, his prospective
purchaser, and no inquiry at Des
Moines resulted in any one knowing
Wilburg or ever hearing Of him. He
had on his hands land perhaps worth
$3.50, and 500 in cash. as against
81, 500 piece of property. The differ
ence, or s1,150, represents what Imam
claims his loss to be.
Much Other Evidence in Store.
Much other evidence, in other trans
actions in which Thompson is alleged
to have figured under either the alias
Of Tom Wilburg, Thomas Hanshaw,
C.. S. Hutton and F.. G. Tanklin. This
evidence will doubtless be used when
the case comes to trial.
Much Interest in Case.
Much interest has been centered in
Thompson's case, owing to the many
different transactions that are claimed
to have taken place, and the large
number of people interested in them
in one way and another. Suspicion has
been directed against Thompson for
over a year, and a systematic method
was adopted in gathering the evidence
to bring the case before the federal