Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-05-28
TULSA LOCATING
SYNDICATE IN BAD
Four Members Arrested in
Cincinnati for Obtaining
Money in Land Deal.

Cincinnati detectives and postal
authorities i'm that city yesterday
placed under arrest members of a
syndicate which for many months has
been the object Of suspicion by sew
eral Of the directors Of the Tulsa
Chamber of Commerce, according 70
dispatch to The World last night
The men were placed under arrest
I'm fashionable hotel and the arrest
followed a conference between the
detectives and business men of Gin.
cinnati who had been swindled out OF
sums ranging from few hundreds
to thousands Of dollars.
1t Is charged that the members OF
the syndicate. which was represented
to be operating with the recommen-
dation Of the Tulsa Chamber Of Com
merce, obtained money by selling
Oklahoma lands. the deeds for which
were alleged by tho self-stvlcd gov
ernmont land agents" TO be In and
adjacent to this city.
Had Own Car.
Operating in special car, In which
they were touring the east, and main
tanning Headquarters In the Iowa
building in this city, the Tulsa Lo-
eating syndicate officers and operat-
ors were using letters and other
means Of attracting the attention OF
those seeking TO secure property in
Tulsa.
The complaint under which the
men were arrested claims that from
Dr. l.. Grcar Of Cincinnati the men
secured S135 hy inviting him into
their private car in the Baltimore Il
Ohio railway yards and displayed u
him charts Of oklahoma lands. They
l.. J., hn IN -
tion filed against the members of the
syndicate. that the lands he had Sc
lectej and for which he had paid the
S135 was a part of Indian lands".
It is declared that more than sixty
Cincinnatians are said to have paid
s135 each for the chance to file on
this "Indian land. making n total
collected IN that city alone OF more
than sS 900.
Several weeks ago tho name OF the
Tulsa Locating syndicate was pre-
sented at n meeting of the board OF
directors Of the Chamber Of Com
merce for admission as members OF
the organization. At that time Di-
rector J. II. McEwen entered a vigor-
Gus protest to the admission of the
company, and the membership card
was never issued. Director McEwen
based his objection on the grounds
that on previous occasion, while
president of the Chamber of Com
merce he had been forced to revoke
n letter OF recommendation given a
like syndicate by a former secretary.
McEwcn Fought Them.
In this case, the syndicate, armed
with n letter bearing the names of
the officers and directors of the Tulsa
Chamber Of Commerce including that
of President McEwen, was presented
i'm the east and, as a coincidence. In
the former home town of Mr. Nc
Even. Several friends of the presi-
dent of the club We're victims of the
government land agents" and on be-
Ing informed of the scheme, Mr.. Nc
Even revoked the letters.
OF the four men arrested I'm Gin
cinnat two gave their addresses as
Tulsa but search of the city di-
rectory fails to find them among the
names listed The men arrested by
the Cincinnati authorities gave their
names as follows: William r. Torppy
Bedford. Pa: John w. Gavagan, AL
pena, Mich. John Il. Balm, Tulsa, and
Herbert S Almont, Tulsa.