Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1907-03-28
IN HIS Own BEHALF
Governor Crawford Makes Extended
Statement of Land Cases.

In lengthy statement published yes.
terday Governor Crawford smakes a
complete denial of the alleged attempt
to defraud the government in the tax
ing up of land in Walworth tcounty.
Concerning the filing on the land in
good faith, the Governor says:
81 filed a homestead claim upon
quarter section of land in Walworth
county in 1901. 1t was situated near
some land which Iowned in connection
with two brothers Of mine, one Of
whom lived in the neighborhood. It
was a rough tract of pasture land, but
at the time | made the filing intended
in good faith to make settlement upon
and improve it. During the period that
required the making of the settlement
l concluded it would not pay me to
spend the time and money necessary
to make the required settlement and
Improvement, so abandoned it, never
making any attempt whatever to COM
mute or prove up. |, of course, expec t.
ed that in due time the government
would cancel the entry, for failure to
make settlement There were several
other unoccupied tracts of land in the
same neighbdrhood, and one day a
couple of years afterwards, called the
attention Of young single man, nam !
ed Blount, who was a clerk in the
law office Of Crawford & ,Tavlor at HUI &
ron, to the tracts, suggesting that he
and some of his aequaintances who
we're single men might like to make
settlement and prove up on them. My
sole and only object in doing this was
that these tracts might become the
property of neighbors who were friend dly
rather than otherwise, as my brother
had already been troubled by trespas g.
ers who cut his fence and made him
trouble, though his fence was on his
own premises and not across the public
highway. / told Mr.. Blount that I
would assist him and the other young
men financially in doing this as a mere
gratuity, but that they must make the
filings and settlements in good fait h
and | would not under any circumstan-
ces agree to buy the land from them
nor lease, nor take the title nor posses
sion directly or. indirectly from them.
A short time after this conversation,
Mr.. Blount told me that two of his
friends, Mr.. Lampe and Mr.. Valentine,
wanted to take homesteads on part Of
this land.'
The governor states thathe advised
the young men to drop the claim and
is quoted as saying:
81 reported to the young men what
the special agent had said to me and
they seemed reluctant about going OF
with the settlement. then advised
them to give up the whole matter, as
| could not advise them to attempt to
make commutation proof upon the i'm
sufficient settlement already made.
They did give the whole thing up and
relinquished their claims to the govern
ment This was in the spring of 1905.
No proof Of settlement was made; no
Communication occurred; no patent issued
The title has never left the govern
ment.
II do not even know what became Of
them. do not know what Mr. Blount
said to these young men in my absence,
but | do positively know that l never
authorized him to tell them that 1
would pay their expenses and give
them 800 each for deeds to this land.
He tells me that he made no such state
ment, and believe him."