Sec. 6, Twp 142, R 42.
On this 6th day of September, A.D. 1909, before me, W. K. Moorehead, Spec. U. S. Indian Agent, personally came Margaret Colburne, who being first duly sworn by me according to law, deposes and says:
That about two years ago, in August, 1907, a man named Ephraim Budrow came to my house at Cloquet, Minn., and finding me there alone and observing my crippled condition, said, “I am surprised to see you in this condition. Why don’t you sell some of your land?” He asked me how much land I had. This man seemed to know about my land. He asked for the two trust patents of my deceased husband, Joe Colburne, No. 2950 for SW|4 of SW|4, Sec. 32 & SE|4 of SE|4, Sec. 31, T 143—42, for my own trust patent, as above, and for that of my child Joseph, No. 2953 for Lots 4 and 12, Sec. 30, Twp 143, R 42. Said Budrow walked back and forth in the room in an excited and nervous manner, and presently he went out before I could stop him, taking the three trust patents with him. Because of my crippled condition I could not run after him but managed to crawl to the window and called to him to stop. He paid no attention to me.
My son-in-law came home about noon. His name is Frank Houle. He asked me what I was crying about and I told him that said Budrow had run off with the three trust patents belonging to my husband (dec’d), myself and the boy. My son-in-law started at once for town to hunt for Budrow but could not find him. That same evening, however, my son-in-law caught hold of this Ephraim Budrow as Budrow was boarding the train and told Budrow to give up the trust patents he had taken from me. Budrow reached into a pocket and handed out some papers to my son-in-law, which my son-in-law thought were the three trust patents but which proved to be only the trust patent of my child Joseph. Three days after, when we managed to get enough money, my son-in-law went to Ephraim Budrow’s house at Fish Lake, White Earth reservation and said Budrow promised to give up the other two trust patents the next morning, but during the night Budrow went away. My son-in-law waited for Budrow two days but Budrow failed to turn up.
About two months ago, when I was in Waubun, I was taken sick and needing some money, the lawyers were very insistent that I touch a pen, and after I did so I received $400 for myself and $100 for my son. They asked me if I was a mixed-blood and I told them no, that I was a full-blood. I was not sworn to these papers. There was no interpreter and I did not understand the papers.
Her mark
MARGARET COLBURNE.
Witness to mark
C. E. Dennis.
Subscribed and sworn to before me this 6th day of September, A.D. 1909, at White Earth, Minn.