Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1908-04-02
Thursday, April 2, 1908.


In it's last issue, the Webster
World very foolishly undertakes to
defend Coe. /. Crawford on his
record in connection with the fraud
ulent acquisition OF the lands
included in what is known as the
Crawford ranch in Walworth county.
As matter OF fact there can be no
defense and the pamphlet referred
to as issued by the Crawford press
bureau is as full OF misstatements as
is Mr.. Crawford's speeches. The
World asks "Does any one claim
that Mr.. Crawford ever got an acre
OF government land unlawfullyW
and answers its own query with
"No." 1t then goes on, Does any
one claim that he defrauded the
government or attempted TO defraud
the government out OF dollarY
No. Then what is the charged
That Mr.. Crawford made filing on
a quarter Of land and induced and
helped three other men of his
acquaintance to file on contiguous
quarters with the expectation of hav
ing the use OF the land for the run
of his cattle. After making the FL
ings and paying the fees-all hands,
Mr.. Crawford and his three friends,
gave up their claims on account of
poor soil and allowed the title to
revert to the government"
We desire that you take particular
notice OF the wording of this defense.
1t is a virtual admission of all that
has been charged against Mr. Craw-
ford, as for instance, che made fill
ing and induced and helped others
to file that he might have use Of the
land" and "after making the filings
and paying the fees, the land was
allowed to revert to the government
on account of poor soil" Now the
facts briefly are as follows. In the
early part of 1906, M. d. McEniry,
a special agent of the general land
Office, was directed to investigate a
number of suspicious entries in Wal
worth county, among them the
entries made by Julian w. Blount,
I. Fl. Thompson, III. G. Lampe and
Floyd Valentine. Mr.. Blount is
now stenographer in Governor Craw-
ford's Office. These young men OF
Huron are the acquaintance spoken
of as being induced and helped
by Mr.. Crawford to Gle. AT the
time, the government was investiga-
ting land frauds in all parts of the
country and so many entries of a
similar nature in Walworth county
caused them to be looked upon with
suspicion. There is not a word OF
line anywhere that the investigation
was inspired by Mr.. Crawford's
political enemies as he claims. II
was the work of the general land
Office and every one knows that pol
-itics is not allowed to enter this
department as proven by the convic-
tions secured in Oregon and else
where. Now what does the record
disclose? That Mr.. Crawford was
interested in a cattle ranch In Wal
worth county occupied and in charge
of his brother, Orrin G. Crawford.
That Mr.. Crawford himself fled on
a homestead adjoining the ranch.
That at the time he was general
attorney for the Chicago & North
western railroad at Huron where he
resided with his family, and that he
never at any time established resi-
dence upon his homestead in Wal
worth county, though he made the
sworn affidavit required of an entry
man. Mr.. Crawford's entry was
later cancelled by the land Office upon
the ground that it was fraudulent.
Does any one believe that Mr.. Craw-
ford eyer intended to remove from
Huron 70 this homesteadi Instead
Of allowing this land to revert to the
government, as claimed by the
World, bis entry was cancelled. And
II may here be said that at the pres
ent time, the brothers claim is held
up for Investigation. One Of the
young men induced and helped" by
Mr.. Crawford was under 81 years Of
ago and the testimony elected the
fnct that Mr.. Crawford not only fur.