Contents
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Early life of Puter in the California Redwoods, showing how he was reared amidst scenes of turmoil and bereft of refining influences—Details the Indian outbreak of forty years ago, wherein his childhood home was reduced to ashes—Gives his experience as a lumberman and practical logger—Also tells the story of his initial connection with Government lands, and how his environs were such as to inspire him with a desire to prey upon the public domain—Describes the first fraud of any consequence under the Timber and Stone Act of June 3, 1878.
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Stephen A. Douglas Puter meets Franklin Pierce Mays, and the pair form a mutual admiration society, which ripens into a business relationship of many years' standing. He also comes in contact with Willard N. Jones, and subsequent events indicate that there was all kinds of pleasure and profit in the association of the Triumvirate. Describes some of their crooked transactions in connection with the public domain, and also tells how Ex-Surveyor-General Meldrum refused to be buncoed. Operations of Puter and Jones result in a criminal proceeding of a "holdup" character, and marks the Land-Fraud King's first appearance as a defendant
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C. A. Smith, a Minneapolis millionaire, engrosses the attention of the Land-Fraud King, and their acquaintance ripens into a clever scheme to bunco Uncle Sam out of a vast tract of Oregon timber. The outwitted Northern Pacific seeks revenge by having McKinley arrested, and is also blamed for reporting the matter to the Government. As a result of subsequent investigations by the Land Department, several special agents fall by the wayside under the mystic spell of Fred. Kribs' tainted money, and the effort to acquire patents on the fraudulent entries marks the first step in the downfall of United States Senator John H. Mitchell.
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History of the Famous Township "11-7" deal, whereby Puter and his associates demonstrate conclusively that there is an actual method of stealing Government land—Desperate efforts of the conspirators to secure the early issuance of patents on the fraudulent claims includes the wholesale bribery of public officials of both high and low degree—Details of the transaction in which United States Senator John H. Mitchell, of Oregon, figures as the taker of tainted money in the shape of two $1000 bills for his services in securing favorable action by the Land Department at Washington.
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Emboldened by their success in the "11-7" deal, Puter and McKinley seek new worlds to conquer, and are rewarded by making a rich haul in Township "24-1"—McKinley plays an interesting hold-up game with Clyde Lloyd in the transaction, his careless methods resulting in laying the foundation for subsequent Governmental prosecutions—The irrepressible Franklin Pierce Mays also takes a hand in the game upon a percentage basis, and poor Hobson is left with his usual choice.
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Details of a well-laid plot to raid the public domain in the Deschutes Country, wherein 108 "dummies" seek to acquire 17,280 acres of fine timber land for speculative purposes—A combination of adverse circumstances operates to Puter's disadvantage, notwithstanding the collossal ideas of "Old Pard" Mays on the subject of evading consequences—A. B. Hammond, a wealthy Pacific Coast lumberman, figures as a bold financier, but is prevented from doing business on account of the general cussedness of inanimate things—Inspector Greene, of the Interior Department, strikes a smoking trail, and a case of mistaken identity leads to an amusing situation.
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Petty controversies between McKinley and young Lloyd over money matters furnishes the basis for the first land fraud indictments in Oregon—Colonel Greene has his suspicions aroused by reason of the "241" transaction, and lifts the lid from the ugly mess—Incidentally, Special Agent Linnen, of the General Land Office, distinguishes himself in the terpsichorean art while in search of evidence against the conspirators—Francis J. Heney, Special Assistant to the United States Attorney-General, makes his initial appearance at the land fraud trials, and his presence causes a general scurrying to shelter by the two female defendants, as well as considerable anxiety on the part of F. P. Mays.
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Wherein Mrs. Emma L. Watson is spirited away under the advice of Attorney F. P. Mays, and an interesting account is given of the frantic efforts made by the Government to discover her hiding-place—Sleuth Gallagher shows up to good advantage in the start, but is finally obliged to let 'er go—Puter relates the ingenious methods resorted to by himself and McKinley in throwing the secret service man off the scent, and altogether, enough queer mix-ups occur to make the affair a "Comedy of Errors."
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