The Billings herald. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1882-1885, 1882-10-26

that did not deprive sorne one else Of IT,
use either at the time Or subsequently,.
Had Marshal Botkin adopted the ricU. n
, the law entertained by every citizen ri
{ Montana and in fact by almost eycryonr
else except Secretary Schurz and his mar
shals and deputies, he wonld have returned
the letter to Mr.: Crane with the statoYnen,
that he had no authority to interfere PIT
the marshal was bent upon business. 10
stop the manufacture Of lumber was part
OF his scheme, as well as tho cutting of
wood, Hence he forwarded Mr.. Crane's
letter. to Commissioner Mcfarland, with
his own views thereon taking position
against the lumber men in advance ofsnv
expression from his supe.iors At Washing
The letter OF Mr.. Eotkin, togatha- yitT,
that of Mr.. Crane, were transmitted by Sec
retary Teller to the Atto-ney-Ceneraf, ard
also full report subsequently made bv
Crane to the department ct its renuest. T.
will be observed from this official letter of
Secretary Teller that the people of Montana
had been tried and condemned in these
secret proceedings inaugurated by Marsha
Botkln and that Secretary Teller Instructed
OF the lumber on the ground of Messrs,
Hart q Taylor, the mill men complained of:
and also in the discretion of the e, S. At.
| tOrney, to institute civil as well as criminal
proceedings against them on account ofthe
| timber already manufactured into lumber
and sold. The following is copy of the
official letter of Secretary Teller as the same
appears on file in the department at Wash
ington:
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,
WASHINGTON, May 4, 1882.
Hon. Benjamin Harris Brewster, Attorney
General.
SIR have the honor to transmit here
with copy of letter, dated Helena, Mon
tana Territory, February 27th last from a,
c. Botkin, q. S. Marshal, and enclosing a
copy Of letter addressed to Mr.. Botkin bv
Francis Crane, in which complaint is made
OF wholesale cutting of the timber upon
the government lands on the Wisconsin and
Nugget Creeks, near Sheridan, in said terri
tory, by certain saw mill proprietors: also
report of the investigation Of the alleged
trespass, submitted by Francis Crane, in
compliance with the request made of him
by this department..
The facts as reported are, that J. ]. Hartt
and Thos. Taylor, residing about three
miles from Sheridan, on Wisconsin Creek,
are the proprietors of saw mill and en-
ploy from ten to twenty men to cut and re-
move timber, both large and small, to be
sawed into lumber, which, they sell o.,
speculation, frequently shipping it to pc.
SOILS at great distance.
Mr.. Crane estimates that between one and
two million feet Of timber tboard :aeasure)
has been cut within the last six months and
states that Mr.. HART admitted the cutting
Of 800, GOO or 100000 feet to one witness,
on April Z, 1882.
The names and residences Of the witnesses
and the facts to which they will testify, are
stated in the report herewith.
MIR. Crane estimates the value Of the logs
On the ground at from S. to $40 per thouS-
and feet and at $i2 per thousand feet de-
Evered at the mill.
lie states that Messrs. Eartt &, TayIo- are
Canadians, and have never become natura,-
ICED citizens Of the United States; snd that
they unlaTful!y SO aprro rotrieted the t;,,ber
70 their own use as to prevent tie sctCsL
settlers and citizens from obts;..:ns the tin
kar necessary for their own domestic use.
In view of these facts, ard others SET
forth in the accompanying papers, have
the honor, IL accordance with the -eoon,-
General Land Office. to request that yo,.
will direct the u. S. Attorney fo- Montsna
to take the necessary measures to sacrre to
the government whatever public tiialbe-
moved therefrom, may be found on the
ground. or at the mill, or in possession OF
the said Hartt e. Taylor; and that he vii
also, If in his judgment upon examination
he shall deem it for the interest Of the
government, institute civil suit against said
HART e Taylor, for the recovery Of the
value of the public timber they have cut OF
caused to be cut and removed, and cii,2.-
nal suit for the unlawful cutting Thereof.
Very respectfully,
Signed, II. NJ. Teller, Sec'y,
Thus it will be seen that Marshal Botkin
had accomplished his purpose Timber
seizures and prosecutions were once more
ordered at his suggestion. He had secretly
secured trial and conviction of all the
people of Montana WHO cut wood or manu-
actured lumber from the timber on the
Public domain. Visions of prosecutions,
seizures and fees without limit, doubtless
illed him with exultation
But fortunately for Montana she had
vIGILAST DELEGATE
It the helm.
Among other timber men threatened with
prosecution was Mr.. Geo. Z. White, of
Jlahcy, He wrote q letter invoking the
of Delegate Maginnis. who had
'een watching and standing off the schemes
u the officers to inaugurate another wood
var: lc appealed to Commissioner Nc
Garland, who took Mr.. Botkin's view of
he law of 1873 He then appealed from
Commissioner Mcfarland to the Secretary
u the Interior. the full proceedings OF
which have been heretofore published by
Is. Secretary Teller was induced upon
his appeal to overrule the commissioner
md revoke the order he had made, all of
which We have heretofore published
Thus was Mr. Botkin defeated and the
'eople Of Montana saved by the prompt
ction OF our delegate from further timber
eizures aod prosecutions.
1t is marvellous how Marshal Botkin can
ave the check in the face of these disclos-
Tres to ask the people to support him
gainst the man who protected them frou.
lis rapacity.