The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1907-03-28
IN DEFENCE.
Gov Crawford Makes State
ment in Regard to the
Land Cases.

In statement sent out from Huron
Governor Crawford makes complete
denial of the alleged attempt to defraud
the government in the taking up OF
land in Walworth county. Concerning
the fling on the land in good faith,
the overnor SAID:
81 fled homestead claim upon a
quarter section of land in Walworth
county in 1901. 1t was situated ncaI
some land which owned in connection
with two brothers of mine, one OF
whom lived in the neighborhood. 1t
was a rough tract of pasture land but
at the time made the filing intended
in good faith to make settlement upon
and improve 1T. During the period
that required the making of a settle
ment 1 concluded it would not pay me
to spend the time and money necessary
to make the required settlement and
improvement, so 1 abandoned it, never
making any attempt whatever to com
mute or prove up. l, of course, ex-
pected 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 neighborhood and one day, a
couple of years afterward, l called the
attention of young single man, named
Blount, who was clerk in the law
Office of Crawford q Taylor at Huron,
to the tracts, suggesting that he and
some of his acquaintances who Were
single men might like to make settle
ment 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 friendly, rather
than otherwise, as my brother had al
ready been troubled by trespassers who
cut his fence and made him trouble,
though his fence was on his own pre-
misses and not across the public bign'
way. | told Mr. Blount that | would
| assist him and the other young men
financially in doing this as a mere
gratuity, but that they must make the
filings and sediments in good faith and
would not under any circumstances
agree to buy the land from them, nor
lease it nor take the title or possession
directly or indirectly from them. A
short time after this conversation Mr..
Blount told me that two of his friends s
Mr.. Lampe and Mr.. Valentine, wanted
| to take homesteads on part of this land.
Il reported to the young men what
the special agent had said to me and
they seemed reluctant about going on
with the settlement. l then advised
them to give the whole matter up, as
/ could not avdise them to attempt to
make communication proof upon the in
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 is
sued The title has never left the gov
ernment.
81 do not even know what became of
them do net know what Mr.. Blount
said to these young men in my alb
sence, but 1 do positively know that i
never authorized him to tell them that
I would pay their expenss and give
them 800 each for deeds to this land.
He tells me that he made no such state
ment and believe him because l know
him to be truthful and above rcproach.
As to my paying money to these boys,
the facts are that ] did advance them
money at different times during the
period named.
81 never expected to get it back in
any form save and except i'll the gener-
al advantage of having them become
the owners of this land rather than
more Objectionable people. 1t was not
large amount and l kept no account
of it,"