The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-04-19
REOPEN
FAMOUS
LAND CASE
egre % -------
"HOWE CLAIM" AT OKLA
HOMA CITY AGAIN
IN COURT
GtME'gw ar ----- is.7r
BITTERLY CONTESTED
SINCE DAY OF OPENING
Heirs Of Original Settler ln
Effort to Have Estate De-
CIaed a Trust

Amended declarations on behalf OF
heirs of Henry Howe in the most
famous of all Oklahoma land cases
deal by hundreds and thousands OF
pages with alleged misdeeds OF many
of the people involved in the conten-
ion over quarter section OF land at
Oklahoma City. The contest prac-
tically antedates the territory ana
that particular quarter section staked
off in the wilderness in 1889 Is now
the heart OF Oklahoma City and Is
valued at $l,000000. In the history
Of this case many people, including
"sooners," lawyers, claimants, clerks
in the land office, land commission
ers and secretaries of the interior
have been accused OF gross frauds.
Murder charges enter into the mat
ter.
There are 400 Photographic exhib'
its in the new filings made by Mil
ton Brown, attorney for the Howe
heirs, in an effort 10 have The estate
declared a trust in the hands OF Mil
ton Il. Parker. defendant. This Is IN
the second series OF contests. Henry
Howe won the case at one tlme,
fighting it all the way up to the sec
retary of the interior. After Howe's
death the contestants had the case
reopened. Six contests altogether
have been filed against the original
claim.
Lost records figure largely in the
amended case 1t is claimed by the
plaintiffs that in the last decision the
secretary of the interior did not have
the necessa records before him and
that they were suppressed or destroy
ed through collusion between attof-
news for the contestants and clerks
in the general land Office.
Howe Was Methodist Minister.
Henry. Howe was a Methodist MN
lister who reached Oklahoma CITY
from Purcell on the big train. Ills
son. an alleged sooner" had de-
sc,ibed to him the location OF well
situated qua ter section at the out
skirts OF the town TO be. This son IS
claimed by the plaintiffs not to have
secured his knowledge after March
%. 1889, and that the senior Howe
came To the knowledge in a legitl-
mate way. Immediately after April
%, the day of the opening, contests
were filed Howe employed John
Burton as attorney. He dismissed
Burton, charging him with dupllcity,
and Burton later appeared as claim
ant. Later Howe employed Chester
Howe, who was not related. II is
claimed by the plaintiffs that Ches-
ter Howe was instrumental in sup
pressing records when he subse-
uuently appeared in opposition to the
heirs of Henry Howe. Chester Howe
died suddenly two years ago, and II
is theory of The plaintiffs that he
was poisoned by some OF his asso'
ciaies.
The most pathetic feature of the
case is one discovered by Milton
b. own in the dusty archives OF The
interior department. II is a letter
written by Sarah Howe, eldest daugh-
Ter of The old settler. to President
Roosevelt in 1907. She described
her struggles to hold the land and
the wrongs practiced and assured
him she had made final proof Pres
ident Roosevelt endo. sed the letter
with an order to the interior depart
ment 10 settle the case and secure
the rights OF Miss Howe. Shortly
afterward Miss Howe died and then
Roosevelt went out OF Office. His or
der had been neglected. The en-
dorsed letter is part OF the photo
graphic record. The other heirs did
not know about this episode until in
formed by the attorney.
Final Proof Is Missing.
II Is said record has been found OF
Miss Howe's final proofs, but that the
final proof itself has been removed
from its proper place.
Tons of letters have been written
about this case. The President, sec
retaly and others were bombarded.
Burton wrote many letters. He al
legged fraud all through the interior
department.
Finally a patent was issued to Mil
ton Parker in June last. A. b. Howe
now reopens the case In the Fedora
circuit court.
The land in question borders OF
Thirteenth street, Oklahoma City. i
is a hole in the city. At one corner
Is $4,000 school building. and lots
in that vicinity are selling at tire
mendous values. Various persons
have ''squatted' there and many
have In turn settled there. Henr,
Howe built The arst cabin, but III
contestants have always claimed tina
he secured the land on sooner re
ports and not as bona flde settler II