The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-09-25
WORK BIG CRAFT.
Alleged Land Sharks Sell Blue
Sky to Victims.
Have Been Operating in Topeka
and Missouri.
WESTERN KANSAS SKY
Was Transferred by Bogus
Titles for Real Land.
WESTERN KANSAS SKl
Judge Grinstsad of Seward
County Uncovered Sharpers.

Judge v. H. Grinstead. county attor-
ney of Seward county. is in Topeka
exposing a big land graft and expect
ing to fasten the guilt upon real estate
men whom he has traced here from
Kansas City. Operating with fraudulent
abstracts and deeds tracts in all parts
of the country and especially in the
short grass district, have been traded
end sold for tangible property which
an turn has been converted into good
money.
Two alleged sharks, giving the names
of William Flemming and William
Murphy are designated as two certain
guilty parties and others are expected
TO be detected. The two men have
been in Topeka some time, Planning
making his headquarters at the office
of o. L. Sayler. 602 East Fifth street,
end Murphy at the Bert Rucker offices.
at the corner of Sixth and Kansas ave-
nues- Both men are past 80 years of
age and extremely crafty, say those
who have come in contact with them.
Sayler Had Nothing to Do With Deal.
c. L. Sayler, the real estate man
with whom Flemming made headquar-
ters said this morning:
q had nothing to do with their af-
fairs. 1 was suspicious of them at the
drst-they were too shrewd. In fact
I do not trust that sort much. I have
experience and thought what 1 was not
into 1 would not get in. 1 have never
permitte any crooked deals to go
through my Office and have headed
them off where / have found them"
The magnitude of the swindle is only
approximately determined by the dis
coveries OF Judge Grinstead who has
turned detective to protect his fellow
citizens: He said this morning: THE
first detection of the big graft came to
me in Seward when a fraudulent abb
Etract was shown me by a friend.
was trying law suits at the time but
ferret out the graft. That abstract had
been sent out by A. o. st. John of
Kansas City who had traded a real
quarter section of real land in Linn
county for it. The real quarter the
land sharks got they sold to a Chris
tan minister, Rev. J. A. Cornelius, of
Liberal, for $1,000
One of Victims Here,
Mr.. ST. John was in Topeka last night
helping locate the grafters and admit
ted he had lost the $1,000 He came
With Judge Grinstead who had gone to
Kansas City the day before yesterday
tc make his Investigations.
King Working With Grinstead.
Just as Grinstead was leaving
Seward for Kansas City he was given
letter from ]. King, a North Topeka
attorney, who had been asked to in
vestigate an abstract the sharks had
given C. w Oldham of Moth Topeka,
50 when he went to Topeka he went
to see King.
The found the same quarter which
had been sold to St. John in Kansas
City on fake abstract had first been
sold to S. W. Oldham living west of
Topeka and the fake abstract was
identically the same.
Grinstead was exhibiting the fake
abstsact and the real abstract at the
court house this morning. The real
abstract has some fourteen entries.
the fake one has four. but strange
enough the first two are correct.
The abstract was signed J. Wilson,
attorney and abstractor. The Judge
says there is no such man
Fought Fire With Fire.
Oldham. however. was more for
tunate than st. John. He has dealt
some with the land grafters before.
Once before he traded an $4,000 stock
OF merchandise for 1000 acres OF
land in Georgia which he Is not sure