The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-08-22

| NO
WHY
Il went to the hotel where MounDay
was staying and he slammed the door
in my face and refused to talk to me-"
In the MounDay literature is the pic
ture of a structure under which is the
caption, -four generations have been
educated here"
About That Schoolhouse.
is that a school house?" was asked
! of Sena who was shown the picture.
Not that know Of" said the Next
can.
How long have you known the
placer"
About 30 years.
Public schools ever held there?"
Never knew of it,"
Nv hat do you say about the land be-
ing nice and level?" asked d. r. Hite
in cross-examination.
We'll, 1 wouldn't say the land was
so very level replied Sena.
Beets Didn't Amount to Anything.
How about sugar beets growing
there?''
why. this year I raised few, but
they didn't amount to anything"
The sugar beet industry was the one
big project for the New Mexican land
as exploited in the MounDay literature.
1t fact witnesses went to the stanu
and testified that they were led to be-
lieve that big sugar beet crops could
be raised ON the land and that con-
tracts had already been closed for the
annual sale of 5000 tons of beets at 30
ton.
Couldn't Get a Deed.
A. A. Chess, a RosSville man, was
one of the persons who swallowed the
sugar beet story when he heard it from
an agent named Burns. Chess thought
the land was a wonderful opportunity
for a young man to invest his savings
aft he had al wifi
read tine company's advertising matter
But whe he had paid for his lands
and wanted a deed or his money back
he was advised that he would not get
a -- cent. Then the Rossville man
hunted up a lawyer and later told his
story to the United States district at
torney.
CIess was an important witness for
the government. He established the
fact that circulars and advertising
pamphlets containing alleged fraudu-
lent statements had been sent through
the mails and he produced envelopes
bearing Topeka postmarks and the
printed heading of the American Su-
gar Manufacturing & Refining COM
pany TO show that he was telling the
truth.
Did you believe these circulars?"
was asked.
Yes. I did, responded the witness.
What especially appealed to you?"
1.-The fact that there was 100000 in
securities on deposit to insure the car
rying out the contracts seemed to
make the proposition especially strong
said Chess.
What did Burns tell you when he |
sold you the land"
The Burns Representatives.
He said that the opening would be
held as soon as $4,000 acres of the |
land was sold and that it would be !
hot I
would get my deed at that time Burns !
said they owned the land and had |
water rights and contracts for the sale |
of 5000 tons of sugar beets a year at |
So tom
Later Cless went to the offices of |
the MounDays in Topeka and inquired |
about his deed. He repeated the state |
ments that Burns had made and Noun |
Day repudiated these statements and |
said that the agent had misrepresented !
the facts and that he did not know
when he could get his deed.
Il told him L wanted my deed or my
said the witness
What did MounDay say?"
The MounDay FuIfilIment.
HE said, You won't get -
cent"
w. N Elliott of St. Marys said he
and his wife had bought three land
at a cost of $780, that they
that these documents influenced them
to buy the land He also read paid
in the State Journal,
which the witness said he believed to
be a complimentary news story, and
that this item further influenced him
to believe that this proposition was a.
good one. Elliott did not know, he
said. that the newspaper article was
paid for by MounDay and he took the
pains to write the sugar company Of
ficials letter about the item.
Robertson then produced a letter
which Elliott identified. 1t was COM
from Mrs. MounDay thank
ing Elliott for calling her attention to
the story and advising him that it was
written by a Newspaper friend who was
about the New Mexican
land which was being offered for sale
and that the reporter himself expected
to go down there soon.
Preacher Bought Land.
Rev. G. o. Heide, of Alta Vista, told
of his sad experience with the sugar
and it's officers. An ambi-
tious sugar company agent came to
Alta Vista. He attended the Baptist
of which the minister was pas !,
tor, and was such a pleasant and like T.
able man that the preached decided to
buy a five-acre tract at cost of $500.
Later when the agent was gone to
some other fields. Rev. Heide began to
ponder about his investment. /
He went to Topeka, he told Commits
sioner Bond and asked MounDay
about the day of the mysterious
opening" He was advised that the
sugar company was encountering diff
faculties in regard to its water rights
and that the horse plague and short /
crops had added other and new COM
plications. Then the preacher pressed
his question and persisted in a definite
date being set for the distribution of
warranty deeds to the land Mrs.
MounDay then informed the minister