Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-05-23
.0FF|CEH0LDERS
Of MISSOURI
have TROUBLES
Robert NJ. McWade.
Bismarck Tribune WASHINGTON Bureau.


Houts, is in pother OF trouble over hi
alleged connection with a get-ricl
quick firm, and for which one of thu
learned JUICES of that commonwealth
recently raped him over the knuckIeI
somewhat roughly. He lis the individ
ual who tried the case few weeks
ago against Mayor Edward G. Levi:
Of University City and in his fruitles:
attempts to have that gentleman con
victed OF al cffense, OF which there
was but little doubt OF his innocence
in the minds of those who knew the
actual facts, stormed, fumed an
tore a passion into tatters in .his vir
tuous indignation. Mr.. Houts' case
seemed to some folks to be of a
queer sort, in view of the judges re-
marks. Possibly, he will be able to
show that he was every bit as guilt.
| less as was MIR. Lewis, whom he tried
so unsuccessfully to put behid the
bars. He mas plenty OF time and Op.
! portunty for the inspectors have not
yet it is stated, started to hunt him
down. Maybe they are after other
quarry?
Anyhow, according to Congressman
William P. Borland's recent state
ment before the house Judiciary sub
committee, there is another United
States district attorney in trouble.
This man is Leslie j. Lyons, district
attorney for the western district of
Missouri The congressman told his
colleagues On the sub-c committee the
facts about an attempt to dsbar Law
yer Lyons and of the Kansas City
court of appeals dismissing the dis
barment proceedings, but he asserted
that mo adequate investigation was
made, or could have been made, by
the Kansas City court of appeals of
the charge that Lyons was the attor-
ney for parties whose business was
such that it was, or might be in con-
fict with the federal law
Congressman BOrland added that
an investigation, if made, would dis
close that Lyons had ben attorney for
one of the meanest sWindles ever de-
vised or conducted in this country
resulting in the vctimizing of about
5000 poor people. The amount of
each Victims loss was small and the
legal difficulties In the way of redress
We're so great as to leave the victims
without remedy"
He charged that a man named J. R.
Bolles bought large tract of swamp
land in the Florida Everglades, that
had never been surveyed, land that is
entirely covered by water and impcs-
sible to get through with boat on
account of the rank growth of a very
stiff grass, and it is impossible to get
through on account of numerous deep
er places, known as alligator wallows,
which make wading dangerous.
''Bolles placed 10000 acres of this
land with Martin & Borders. land
agents in Kansas City, Mo-, for sale,
upon commission of $500, 900. After
wards, says Borland, THAT amount was
doubled, and 10000 acres sold for "a
commission Of $500, 900. This land cost
Bolles 81 an acre, or $36O,000 1t was
divided into 900 tracts, three-fourths
of which were only 10 acres each in
extent
Some of the tracts were 20 acres,
some 40 acres, some 80 acres, and
some larger. Martin & Borders,
through various channels all over the
country, sold $4,000 contracts for SO
down and SO a month, or total
price of $240. Over 80 per cent Of
these contracts have been paid; $4,000
contracts at $40 each would amount
to $2,880,00O that this scheme pro-
duced, or $2500,00 more than the or
iginal cost of the land. Not a dollar
was spent on the land by Bolles, the
only expense being advertising, CON-
missions and legal expenditures.
"A corporation was formed, of which
Bolles owned all of the shares, except
500. which stood IL the name of his
stenographer, Miss A. w. Cain, and
three or four which were held by the
nominal officers of the company As
fast as the money was received it
was paid out monthly in dividends to
Bolles and Miss Cain, the amount be-
ing between $4,000 and 100000 a
month.
This land was never surveyed, but
the divisions we're made ON paper by
drawing lines across the unsurveyed
land and dividing it into what are as
sumed to be small tracts OF suitable
SIZE None of this land has been
drained, and not road has been built
to any one of the tracts. No person
is living on the land, and no one OF
the contract holders is able to find
the particular piece of land he is sup
posed to have drawn. The contract
OF sale provides no protection what
eyer for the purchaser.
The corporation owning this land,
of which Bolles Is the main owner, Is
known as the Florida Fruit Lands
company, and Lyons has been it's at.
torney from the inception" Borland
says this concern is now under in
vestigation by the postofice depart
ment, but it is greatly to be feared
that the Investigation Is too late
The congressman also charged that
Lyons was the legal representative of
Bolles precisely the same kind Of
scheme under the name of the Ore
gon Valley Land company, which "val.
ley" concern sold q mountainous trac+
Of rocks. etc., in 1900 tracts Of 10
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