The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1909-12-23
.LAAGUISAEO IN FEDERAL
PRISON NINETEEN YEARS
BackW0Ots Lawyer, Planning
Murder to Secure Domain,
Died in Jail

Washington Dec 2S--President
Taft has written fiuis to one OF the
most remarkable cases in the history
Of American criminal Jurisprudence
it the opinion Of Judge ana attorneys
may be taken as criterion. 1t was
case OF conspiracy and murder and
the plotting OF busy brains--a case
IN which a litth backw00ds lawyer
tried to become the ruler of vast
domain Of 100000 acres OF farm and
timber land III Southern Georgia. In
u were crafty men and simple men,
who afterwards became senators ana
representatives in congress, who
came upon the boards and played
their parts and at least one man
made q reputation whic shall last
a long time in the department Of jus
tlce by his connection with It.
The man who suffered most was
just boy when the culminaiinB
crime Of murder caused the house of
cards. which those WHO used him had
built, to tumble in the dust After
nineteen long yea In federal prih-
on he viii Within a few days he once
more free man
The story gees baek almost eighty
years TO the time when SOME North.
erHors attracted by the hill country
OF Georgia, sent three agents 10 in.
Yostigate, and through them pnrchas
ga 3e0VOl acrcg, spread over four Ot
five counties Fifty years later this
land came into the hands of George
j. Dodge, q New YORKER, ana siill lat.
cr n brother Of Mr. Dodge obtained
title aud formed the Dodge Lumber
company
Squstters Take Hand
In the fifty years that had passed
however, sduatiers had settled on the
land. and they were not willing 20
give up A country lawyer by the
namo Of Luther a. Han. who after
ward went 70 the legislature Of Geuf
gia took up the defense 81 tho squat
ters He conceived the idea Of Oh
tanning possession of NE whole tract
through color Of tiilo aud through
hasiug suit for all the heirs Of the
three agents on the ground the title
bad not descended 10 Dodge Though
his purchase but To Tie heirs of ibe
agents Hail, il was shown IN the
papers which were presented te Pres
idenf Taft, believed that be could Oh
tain possession OF all this land and
become immensely wealthy He wenl
SO far as to start a real estate firm
under the name Of Briggs, Hall *
Sleeper, and proceeded 10 offer parts
Of the land for sale.
John G. Fotsythe, local agent for
the Dodge Lumber company, obtain.
ca an Injunction against Hall, re-
straining him from interfering with
the lands When Hall violated this
injunction he was sent 10 Jail for
contempt and had 10 serve out his
sentence.
After he came ont from his CON
ilnement Han ran for the Legislature
and was elected Oh a esquatter plat
form. But he was not satisfied. He
with Wright Lancaster who was shef
III OF Telford county, Lem Burch, a
sQuatter. and man by the name oi
Louis knight. entered into conspir
acy TO murder Forsythe Lancaster
was ~ pay the murderer, or murder
ers, 5000. Hall was 10 give sl00,
Barch $500 and knight 800.
I1Altess Msn Convicted
On the night OF October z. 1890,
Rich" Lowry mullatto with lH-
dan blood Ia his veins, and Charles
Clements, the man pardoned by Pres
iaent Taft, sci OUT 20 KIN Forsyihe.
who lived a ihe little village Of Nor
mandate Clements got frightened 81
repented when SOME distance irOa
Forsytllc's homie and refused lo 81
near It. I.owfy went ahead, stepped
up on the lnmber mans porch aha
omptied a shotgun loaded with buck
shot into the back Of lforayihe'5 hoaa
as he sat reading and smoking IN the
library
A mpnih later ali of The coaspirat
org and Clements were IN the hands
of tbt authorities. Lowry escaped and
was never heard from. The officials
4 have belityed over since that he
probably ifas put ont Of The way -
Y his fellow consplralDrs, although this
4 was ~ ahown
Az the. yfiai Lancaster Hall and
( Clements were convicted u conEpir
aey and murder Lancaster was paf
doned in March 1901. BY President
+ Mckinley aud tlall died IN prison
At the trial. A. O. Bacon. now senator
from geor,iia. aud Charles W Bari
lett. now representative IN con.
zfess frcmA That state. we're COUNSEL
cgnro thaA time tl,a trio were SEN