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Page:Looters of the Public Domain.djvu/478

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Ira Wade, County Clerk of Lincoln County, who bears the distinction of being the only person acquitted of Oregon land frauds in any case prosecuted by Heney Wade was involved with Jones and Potter in the Siletz matter

members of the G. A. R., who were tempted and fell. Scores of this class invaded the forests and staked out what they were pleased to call their homes. I have shown by photographs the general character of these residences so-called, and will state that these pictures are fairly representative of the alleged "settlement" of the group of entrymen controlled by Jones and his associates. They were mere makeshifts, as will be seen at a glance, and in every case it was shown at the trial of Willard N. Jones, Thaddeus S. Potter and Ira Wade, in consequence of their connection with the frauds, that the entrymen transferred their claims to Jones before the ink was yet dry upon their final certificates, and that they had previously entered into an agreement to do so. Practically the entire body confessed upon the witness stand how they had been led astray, and how they had been induced to commit perjury when making the necessary proof of settlement and cultivation, and that their alleged residence was all a delusion and a snare. Herewith is presented a list of those who thus perjured themselves for the sake of a few dishonest dollars, nearly all of whom were old soldiers or their widows:

Entry No. Name. Entry No. Name.
13137 Edward C. Brigham. 14154 Bert Blauvelt.
14233 Daniel Clark. 13116 Oliver T. Conner.
12946 Esther P. Collins. 13113 Richard D. Depue.
14237 Homan K. Finch. 13088 Joseph Gillis.
13087 Anthony Gannon. 12932 Annetta Huston.
13135 Benjamin S. Hunter. 13136 Franklin Hummel.
13089 Thomas Johnson. 14236 James Landfair.
14239 Addison Longenecker. 14235 Granville C. Lawrence
14234 George F. Merrill. 14238 Thad. S. Potter.
13105 Louis Paquet. 13091 George Rilea.
14240 Henry M. Riggs. 13142 Nelson B. Smith.
13396 William Teghtmeier. 13090 John L. Wells.
13406 George West. 13416 William T. Everson.

What lends additional peculiarity to the situation, is the fact that United States Senator Fulton lost no time, after his election, to urge upon the Land Department at Washington the absolute necessity for prompt action in regard Page 472