Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-03-03

4AVDA AAV " AAAaAAA~Dl
LAND FRAUDS ORDERED
GOVERNOR BURKE OFFERS RES
oLuTIoNs At Meeting OF
BOARD.
Story Of the Collins Case Told BY Ex-
Land Commissioner LaxdaI - In
teresti"s Developments Expected
At a meeting of the board Of uni
yersity and school laws, held at the
capftol Yesterday afternoon, at which
were present Governor Burke, Supt.
WI. Stockwell and Attorney General
Andrew Miller, Governor Burke oner-
ed the following resolution and NOV
ed it's adoption:sz,,
Whereas, The Fargo Forum has IN
it's issue of February rs, % and Marcn
1. persistently charged Governor
Burke and Supt. Stockwell with sup
nressfug evidence of fraud In connec-
tion with land sales, and -1" :.
Whereas, the said Fargo Forum
claims to have knowledge and evil
dence of fraud in the sale of lands
belonging to the institutions and COM
mon schools of the state: therefore
be it -.
Resolved, that the S1st day OF
March, A. D., 1910, be fixed as Gay
for hearing evidence of fraud IN con-
nections with the sale OF any puDllc
lands since statehood for the purpose
Of obtaining information upon which
to set aside any fraudulent sales by
actions Of court, this board having
M mower to cancel an approved con-
tract except for default in payment,
according to its terms; that. SAID
hearing be at the Office of the lano
commissioner in the capitol at BIS
marck and notice thereof duly pup,
}ished in the newspapers, and speclal
notice be served upon the Fargo
Forum, and it's editors, H. c. Plum
lev and Charles Brewer, by register
ed letter, to appear before said 'board
and furnish any evidence they may
have Of fraudulent sale Of public lanus
for the purpose of obtaining evidence
tn hase an action for the cancellation
of such sales; and
whereas, my attention has been
called to the sale OF the N. w. n OF
section 36-14S-51, and
whereas, the records of this once
show that said sale was illegally
made by private sale instead OF at
nuhlic a,rction: therefore, be 1t
Resolved, that the attorney general
be and is hereby instructed 10 orins
Immediately an action to cancer me
deed executed by the board OF unt'
versity and school lands on the LIN
dav OF January, A. D., 19O2' ana 10
recover damages from the grantee IA
said deed, viz: The Great Nortnern
Railway company, for gravel taken
from said lands.
Unanimously carried.
II will he seen from the above res
o,nt,on that the board of school ana
university lands has determined TO
omen the transactions of. that body
from the time of statehood, and &C.
cordine to the statements OF certain
narties. there will be some interest
ing developments.
In connection with the above reso-
1ution the following letter, written
~, state Land Commissioner Laxdal
IN the latter part Of 1907, will be IN
terestinR, as it tells the story OF the
sale uoon which the assertions OF
The Forum were evidently based.
The records Of the board show that
+his narticular case was dismissed
when Mr. Collins, the man who MADE
the charge of an illegal sale, appear
cd hefore the meeting and withdre"
his claims and charges, stating at the
time that he had been misinformed
and had no grounds upon which to
hosa his assertions. The letter was
written a few days after the charges
were filed by Mr.. Collins with inc
governor. and was in response 10
request for Mr.. Laxdals recollectlon
Of the events attending the sale. re1err
ed to in Collins complaint. Inc leu
ter follows:
School Lands, State of North Da-
kota.
Gentlemen: At the request of the
land commissioner, / submit the 1ol'
lowing regarding the affidavit OF D.
r. Collins effecting the sale of sec-
ton 1886, Towner county.
So far as / can remember after the
1anse of six and one-half years, the
facts regarding the sale of this LAND
are as follows:
finder the Cashel resolution (Chap.
1876 session laws of 1900, the boaro
of university and school lands ordereo
large tracts of land to be sold in the
varin,s counties Of the state during
the fall of 1901. the Towner county
sale being one of this number.
Tho land department was unable
tn find sufficient land not covered by
term lease to satisfy said resolution
and ACCORDINGLY advertised in the
various counties through the county
auditors. that those holding leases OF
state lands and wishing them sold