The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-08-18
ANOTHER FRAUD
IN BUCHANAN LAND
Victim From Texas Bought Tract
Under Old Bogus George
Wythe Grant.
NEW BOOKS STILL TOO LARG E
Revenue Officers in Buchanan
Continue to Report Land.
Which Does Not Exist.

Another victim OF tho fraudulent sale
of bogus Virginia mineral land has
been heard from. He is S a Bozell.
OF Orange, Texas.
Mr. Bozel tells. In a letter received
yesterday oy Register OF the Land
ONCE John w. Richardson, how ne
and his partner. who mas ji..t died. are
possessors Of a deed TO large ;gac.
OF land in Buchanan County claimed
10 date back to a grant from the Com
monwealth TO George Wythe, or Wyeth.
on May 10, 1885. for 10000 acres lie
even gives The book and page In the
land office IN which the grant is sup
posed TO be on record
The fact has been published time
and again. that no such grant WIS
ever made or recorded by the State.
Sw!ndlers have been selling This lanl
Tor years. and occasionally there comes
UP case when the identity OF the
vistim IS learned. The land simply
does not exist. and Mr.. Bozells deed
is not worth the paper on which I, is
written.
Books sun Show Surplus.
This additional revelation Is OF es-
pecla. Interest just at this time. wAen
the land books for Buchanan County
for tho year 1912. has just been ,e-
csived by the Auditor of Public Ac-
counts These rocks have for years
shown entries OF bogus titles. On
which trading has been done. For
instance, seller operating III Nortn-
ern city VIII deliver q deed referrin..
to his own title. which viii be found
TO have been correctly recorded Yet
the whole transaction !s fraudulent
The land books from Buchanan are
In better shape than was the case d
year ago. Yet they return for tax
alton total OF 100000 acres. where
as the surveys show that there are
but 100000 acres in the county The
Auditor has been attempting to get
the bogus land OF the books. with
but indifferent success. one OF the
commissioners OF the revenue has
again returned the one Item Of as
sessment against Miles Lewis and
others for 100000 acres, although this
is about as much lanI as the com
missioner has ia his entire district
Checking up the books, Clerk w r.
Parr recognizes many OF his old
friends. comprising thousands Of
acres Of land in many times with
which he has been contendng FOR
years.
Auditor Moore seems determined
not TO pay the commissioners Tor re-
turning this land, which is not IN
existence.
WAS Before Legislatures
The Buchanan County situation
claimed no small part OF the atten-
ton OF the last Legislatures COM
mittee OF citizens spent almost the
entire time of the session here try
my one BIZ utter another which
would straighten up the lund s!tua-
tion there and eliminate bogus tracts
~ N.f
Virginia law was spoken OF as We're
othcr measures, having for their oh
iect the voiding OF claims after a
certain number OF years. Blu; all
failed OF passage.
When IL seemed that nothing at all
would be done Judge Martin Williams
secured the passage OF joint rcsolu-
ton, which read IS follows:
Lawyers Asked 10 Act.
Resolved BY the House OF Delegates.
the Senate concurrins. That Marshall
Mccormick. =. s. Higginbotham. and
II. II. Stuart be empowered, authorized
and requested 10 take into consid err
alton the peculiar conditions said TO
exist In the counties OF Buchanan.
Dickinson and other counties OF this
Commonwealth in regard TO the mum
Der OF acres OF land on the commits
s!oners books OF said counties in ex-
'tSS VI lNt dNANf4 dGItttEt OF lana
supposed to be in said counties and
also TO take into consideration ques-
lions In regard 10 the delinquent tax.s
~ q levies due and unpaid upon So
land. and TO report by Bill or othee-
wise to the next session OF the General
Assembly such solution or remedy cor
existing conditions IN said counties
as TO them shall seem right and
proper pr.vded however. that The
State shall not be liable in any case
sor any expenses. compensation or
other charges in connection herewi h. -
The last clause means. or course.
that the counties or citizens will nay
the compensation Or these attorneys
II they act.
The auditor feels some encorra ye-
mert. however, IN the fact that one
OF the commissioners of the revenre
in buchanan County who last year
reported something like 100000 acres
OF land. can find this year only 100000
although he is supposed to really have
alout 100000 in his district