Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1920-04-07

caused him 70 be taken into custody q
protect saiemites from further Losses
Official Court Record
The record Of Byr0n's operations fol
which he Is now serving time. is gigeT
in the rs Federal Reporter, contain
ing the record Of the case in the fei
eraI circuit court. It IS practically the
same scheme and the same land used
later in ~defrauding S~eattleites and Ia
ter upon Salemites. Extracts from this
official record read as follows:
The defendants, for tn purpose of
defraudiRg victims would fraudulently
represent that they could procure for
them patents and titles to certain londs
called selected lands and patented
lands II the victims would pay to tire
defendants certain moneys as location
fees and expenses. Defendants h. I
been successfully engaged in procrr-
ing. for applicants title to such pat
ented' and selected lands having
great value for timber thereon by
means Of a procedure substantially rs
follows:
1T would be represented that the
lands designated as selected had pre-
yiously been selected by HYDE & Co..
and other tranferees under the Forest
Lien selection act; that the n by
which the title to the base lands Of
fered to the seiector had been acquired.
was unlawful and adverse proceedings
were pending in the land department
seeking to cancel the selection on the
ground Of fraud: that the result of
such proceedings would be the cancel.
lation Of all selections: that there were
large tracts Of other lands. designated
as patented which were lands to
which patents from the United States
had previously been fraudulently o5.
tanned; that the lands had been restcr-
ed to the public domain by reason -. Il
decision of the supreme court in cor
tain equity suits.
Victims Are Mulcted.
1T was misrepresented that the So
lected' and patented lands, were oDen
to patent and sale under the tim1eI
and one act; that those who filed
through Byron would receive patAn:
and title within two years from apali-
cation; that persons who made such
application through Byron would, ~
such applications and services to he
rendered by defendants, obtain prefer
anee rights to purchase from said gov
eminent at $3.50 per acre: that person
al examination Of the applican. of
lands applied for was not necessary
and that upon payment Of $3.50 per
acre the government would issue pa.
ent within two years from date Of aD
plicatiOn. The victims were mulcteG
from 500 to $1,000 each for pretended
services in locating them and WORLD
then defraud the victims out of all If
their money so received and give them
nothing in return therefor, though re-
fund of money in case of failure was
promised.
Never Delivered Title.
THE Indictment negatives the sew.
eral alleged false representations and
pretenses by setting up that the de-
PENDANTS never had succeeded in secur
ing title for anyone for either said Sc
or patented lands, by means of
their procedure or otherwise; that the
procedure was worthless; that it was
impossible to initiate or secure prefer.
ances for the lands; that neither the
selected nor patented lands were
open TO sale. selection or entry under
any Of the public land laws Of the Uni
ted States and applications for the
same would be rejected; that the lands
could not be purchased under the tim
Der an stone act for S2.50 an acre,
and If open to entry, could only be pro-
cured by payment of the appraised
value thereof; that the patent could
not be secured for any lands under the
timber and stone act unless the appli-
can't personally examined the land NO.
piled for within 80 days prior to films
the application; that every application
filed would be rejected by the land of
flee; that upon various tracts upon
which the victims might file there
had already been similar applications
o purchase said lands, filed by others
whose filing were prior that the de
iendants never intended to repay the
moneys paid by the victims, and that
any agreements for the return of mon
sys were made to induce the victims to
that their money would be re
and 10 prevent them from dis