Omaha daily bee., 1908-10-07

United States infantry during the civil war.
In his examination in chief he said:
II had u conversation with F. s. Baird,
Patrick ]. King and Lawrence e. King
about two or three weeks previous to going
out to Nebraska to make a filing. Several
of us went out in the party with Lawrence
E.. King and w, r. Coleman. My first talk
was with Patrick ]. King-Baird was not
present at this first conversation. We
talked about filing on some land in Ne
braska. We started to go out on the trip
about October 10 or 20 from Chicago. A
number Of men comprised the party, but in
my direct party there were Lawrence e.
King, a man named Tenant. another
named Scott and myself. We left from the
Northwestern depot. A short while before
leaving Patrick ]. King came up and hal
a conversation with Baird. We then got
our money and went into the train. l did
not pay for any ticket. 1 saw Lawrence E.
King have tickets. We all got onto the
train except p. j. King. On the route out
l talked with Baird. He said the purpose
Of the Chicago ranch was to raise some
mules and other live stock, and It was on
this ranch that we were to make our fill
ings. Afterward the land was to be fenced
in and all that would be necessary for us
" w dltcN 1iiilB WObiu " v 80 Oul every
six months and stay there on the land two
or three days. We tailed about not having
to stay on the land. This conversation was
had mostly with Baird, King, Tenant and
Scott.
King Paid Expenses.
80 far as I know l. E. King paid all
expenses Arriving at Crawford we
stopped at a hotel and Baird, King and
Coleman and another man went out to look
at the land and returned that night. Tho
same night, without our going out to the
land, we went down to Alliance by train,
arriving there about noon. Baird and King
described the country to us and accompa-
MED us to Alliance. The next morning we
went to the land office and signed the
papers. ] called attention to that clause
in the affidavits about the entrymen being
required to go and live on the land and
refused to sign the affidavit. Baird said IL
would be all right, as we did not have to
live on the land.
II do not know who furnished the de-
s~cription of the land. When we got into
the land office a tall mar stood there with
a bunch OF money in his hand as we
filed by. He asked me Il that was my
signature. 1 acknowledged that It was and
he said, All right l then passed on. We
went back to Crawford. l paid no bills of
any klnO myself. NHen we SlOOQ on the
platform at the station the tall man
punched us together and gave us a red
ticket, and when the conductor came
along he said, All right and we got
aboard the train.
Property to Go TO King.
A Crawford Baird, King and one or
two others went into an office, a very lit
tie affair, and made out papers purporting
to be a lease, leasing our claims to Pat
rick ]. King. 1 was asked to sign the
lease and did. 1t was understood that the
property was to go to King for an indefl-
mite period and for all time TO the heirs
of p. ]. King. We were then handed an
other paper to sign, which was a will. 1
asked:
"Do we have TO make our Wills, too?'
Baird said: Yes. The Wills are made
in case anything should happen to you
al of the others signed the same char
acter of papers that I did. We then came
back to Chicago. Baird did not accom-
pany us on the return trip.
"In my first conversation with p, ]. King
he asked me IL l would be willing to take a
little piece Of money and file on some
land in Nebraska. He said he wanted six
men to file and that he already had three
and wanted three more. We were to get
500 when we went out and made the filing
and would then get S25i and expenses when
we went out every six months, and then
when the final papers were made out We
were to get another 500. We were to clear
up about $500 In the deal each. l told Of
this arrangement to a man named Bennett,
an old soldier. and he told another man
named Scott. This was in the early part
Of October, 1904.
Legal Advice on the Deal.
King told me to take legal advice on
the matter and that everything would be
all right In 1905 King told me that
there was some trouble about the land
and that he wanted TO get out OF 1T, as
It was becoming too expensive. He then
asked me to give my power of attorney
! to Baird to protect my interests in my
claim. / never came out to Nebraska
after the first trip. l gave the rover OF
I attorney to Baird. ! never made any
Improvement on the land nor never in
E tended TO. told them at the time /
wouldn't give is cents for the whole bust
e ness
I Senator William Mason Of Chicago con-
Quoted the cross-eXamination OF the wit
4 ness. Nothing material was disclosed I'm
e the cross-examination other than that the
a witness aid not know +. S. Baird prior
Z to these transactions, What the witness
T did In the matter was as a kindness TO
/ u I KEnu xub,ua ha hal Lpnuvp for 49,.