Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1908-07-18
LAND FRAUD
NEATLY NIFfED
Promoter in Oregon With
"LOCaterS.


New York, July 17-(SpeciaD-By
the arrest of Henry E. G. Cooke at
Baker City Ore, on Saturday and
the subsequent unfolding before the
United States Grand Jury of the oper-
ations of the Oregon Ranching and
Timber Company, of 154 Nassau St.
the United States District Attorney S
Office here has broken up one OF the
most extensive land frauds that ever
came to the attention of the Federal
authorities.
Cookies scheme-for he was the
head and front of the concern-ran to
the acquisition by the Oregon Ranch
ing and Timber Company of many
thousand acres of valuable timber
land by having dummy entrants, UNI
der contract with himself, go out to
Burns County, Oregon, and take out
the papers necessary to obtain 100
acres at $3.50 an acre Already a
party of thirty-eight men and women
have been taken from dozen points
in this State and Pennsylvania to
Baker City, and were in process OF
being distributed or located" as ii
is in the official parlance, when the
arrest of Cooke put an end to the
enterprise.
The New York office of the Oregon
Ranching and Timber Company was
in constant communication with APP
plicants right up to the time that the
action Of the Federal authorities end
ed the game and the force of canvass
ers Cooke employed out of town
on commission basis was busy
rounding up still others.
The arrangement between Cooke
and the entrants was simplicity it.
self. The entrant paid Cooke S1OO
and his own car fare to Baker City
Cooke UNDERSTOOD to transport him to
the scene of the timber fraud and to
board him at a ranch during the
three months necessary to take out
the papers. AT the end of this time the
entrant got his land and Cooke guar
anteed that it would be worth $4,000
to him Meantime the entrant was
obliged to commit perjury in making
oath that no one other than himself
was interested, directly or indirectly
in taking out the land. So Cooke
has been indicted for conspiracy to
defraud the Government, conspiracy
to violate the Timber Lands act, and
for subornation of perjury.
Under the statutes the smallest SEN
tence he can receive is two years in
prison and fine of $500 Cookies
dupes, although they are themselves
technically parties to the conspiracy,
will probably be treated lightly by
the Federal authorities provided they
give evidence against him at the pro-
per time. Their names and address
ses are all known to Mr.. Stimson.
Company Organized
The Oregon Ranching and Timber
Company came into existence last
January in an incorporated form,
Cooke, having associated with him,
Lillian, Ida, and Julia Mayer of
Jamaica, L. l., who put up 800 for
some of the preliminary expenses.
The Mayer sisters got suspicious af-
ter a short time and demanded their
money back, at last reports being in
negotiation with Cooke to get it.
Then Cooke found new prey in
the person of Mrs Annette Ehrgood
of this city. whom he persuaded to
advance $500 Mrs Ehrgood stayed
by to the end. and was one of the
party of thirty-eight that Cooke led
forth to Baker City in June. The
others were recruited by interesting
methods
Although, as the manager of the
Office said. no active advertising cam
paign was carried on, means were
taken to attract the attention of those
who are constantly watching the
newspapers for alleged chances to
make something on a capital of moth
ing. From the office at 220 Broad
way, before Cooke moved into 154
Nassau street-for the preliminary
campaign was nearly all of it carried
on from the offices.
Advertisements such as there were
inserted in several New York papers:
Here's Your CHANGE