La Junta tribune., 1916-05-13
DRY LAND BOOMER IN HOOK.
\ rrcstcd for Obtaining Money Under
False Prctcnse>-Out ON Bond
An Interesting Letter.

J. 4. Tracy. an attorney and real
estate man OF Fort Morgan. arrived
in La Junta last Sunday night In
charge OF Sheriff Yant and was Civ
en- quarters at the Otero county bas-
tile. He is charged with obtaining
money under false pretenses in CON
nection with locating homesteaders.
having misrepresented the land and
charged eXorbitant prices.
Tillie A. and Minnie a Thiede. OF
North Platte. Neb.. filed the infor-
nation, and the latter appeared as
the prosecuting witness at the pre-
liminary examination which took
place last Monday before Judge Te-
ters. They charge that Tracy induc-
ed them to come to Colorado to To-
cate on a homestead near Fort Nor
gan. He described the land IN glow
ing terms in a letter which is here
with reproduced, and it is not much
wonder that the young ladies sue
cumbed to the Establishments Of this
willy dry land locator. even II one
tenth part OF what he wrote them
had been true
Minnie Thiede paid the prelimin-
airy filing fee" OF s25 some time in
April. and last week came out to
view the land. when she arrived in
Fort Morgan she was informed by
Tracy that the land he had picked
out for her had been taken up and
that he would locate her on claim
situated about fifty miles south OF
Fort Morgan. On account OF the
desert waste" between Fort Nor
gan and the claim he proposed to To-
cate her on. he advised going to Den
Yer and taking an automobile from
that city. Tracy. accompanied by
his victim. made the journey from
Denver TO Rocky Ford by automobile
one day last week. and after spend
ing the night there left the following
morning for point about five miles
southwest OF Bloom. which probably
has more dry land" around Il than
any other point in Colorado
Tracy showed her piece OF land
that looked very promising, but It
was found out later az the land office
that III" land really filed on was
worth a little less than nothing. and
would be more OF a liability than an
asset. After viewing" the land
Tracy and Miss Thiede came to La
Junta and filed on the claim In the
office Of the district clerk. Miss
Thiede paying Tracy SIS In cash, and
giving him check for the balance
OF the $500 which she and her sister
had agreed to pay for 320 acres
This WAS in April and on May sth.
accompanied by her brother. Miss
Thiede arrived in Bloom for the pur-
pose OF taking up their residence on
the claim. There was no way Of To-
eating the land as Tracy failed TO
have the land surveyed and to drive
stakes on which was inscribed her
name as he had promised to do.
when Miss Thiede visited Bloom and
made some inquiries she very soon
found out that she had been the vic
tim OF a swindler. and proceeded at
once to file complaint charging
Tracy with securing money under
false pret"nses.
At the preliminary. Monday. be-
fore Judge Teters. Tracy was repre-
sented by his attorney. Arlington
Taylor. OF Fort Morgan. The only
testimony taken was that OF Miss
Thiede, and Tracy was held TO answer
In the district court. bonds being fix
ed at $500 In each OF the two cases.
which he furnished through tn
First National Bank OF this city m
advice from Fort Morgan bank ,ha,
they would be responsible for that
amount
'AAA'HA Ah AAN' - fNfA'h'' hhhAhHA
Tracy was letter written by him to
Miss Thiede on March Cd, In which
he grows rapturous over the possi-
bilities Of the claim near Bloom on
which he proposed to locate her
with no knowledge whatever OF the
country In which she expected to To-
cate. II II not much wonder that she
succumhed to the Establishments Of
this ,hiriy-second degree land boom
or. The letter IL ms follows;
Fort Morgan, Colo, March 2, 1916,
TillIe Thlede. North Platte Neb
Dear Madam: Answering your
letter would say that the $50 acres !
advertised at 5000 Is abou, twenty
miles from town and railroad, There
IL a country store and postoffice
about three or four miles away. A
mas, school district IL being formed