Small-town paper uncovers big-time scandal

On Nov. 14, 1954, a small-town Texas daily revealed rampant fraud and corruption in a state-sponsored land program. The expose earned a Pulitzer Prize for a courageous newspaperman and sent a high ranking public official to prison. After World War II, thankful Texans wanted to lend a helping hand to returning servicemen and in 1946 approved the Veterans’ Land Program. Voters empowered the state…