An Illiterate Man's Ten Acres Stolen for Ten Dollars
A local Indigenous man has sued to reclaim land he says he was swindled out of while intoxicated.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Another case in which an Indian has lost valuable property came to light today when Henry Taylor commenced action in the superior court against W. P. Sundberg to recover ten acres of land which he claims he deeded to Sundberg in January, 1904. Henry Taylor claims that he is the son of James Taylor and Louisa Taylor; that on his father's death, about ten years ago, he fell heir to ten acres of land, to which he claims Sundberg induced him to sign a deed while drunk, disposing of the land for a $10 consideration. Taylor is an illiterate Indian. The land is worth about $500. The plaintiff says that he did not know until long afterwards that what he had signed was a deed.
“Henry Taylor claims that he is the son of James Taylor and Louisa Taylor; that on his father's death, about ten years ago, he fell heir to ten acres of land, to which he claims Sundberg induced him to sign a deed while drunk.”
This case highlights the pervasive dispossession and exploitation of Indigenous people in Tacoma during the early 20th century. While legal systems were often designed to strip land from vulnerable populations, this suit marks an attempt at restitution that resonates with contemporary efforts to address historical land theft.
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