Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-10-13
WHAT GORDON SAYS ABOUT II
THE OFFICERS HUNTING FOR HIM.
Interesting Notes From the ''GlObe''
Reporter With the Grand Jury.

The congregation of men from the pint
land districts, who have been sUbpnned q!
witnesses, arrested as principals, or accom-
panied these as friends and advisers, who
have been sojourning about the United
States district court for the past week
awaiting the action of the grand jury, were
on the tip toe of excitement all day yes
terday. Il was known that the jury hat
nearly completed its labors and the result
would be known before night. G. B. Sleep
er, OF Brainerd, and Wentworth & MCGUIRE
of Duluth, against whom charges had beer
brought, had been privately notified BY
the authorities that the grand jury haC
found no cause against them, ant
had HE'D themselves homo early IL
the week happy men. R. @. Mitchell. Of
the Duluth Tribune was kept III the hot
iron all the week and nearly ore she side
walk cut between the Merchants hotel and
tfl5 court house trying to ind out how ms
case Was going to result. His name had
originally been included in the report
as drawn up by District Attorney
Searles, but it seems that the jury on after
consideration drew a red line across it,and
that part of the indictment which referred
to him. Mitchell was highly elated and
said Il told 'em so" at the beginning.
The pine land cases have attracted IN
usual interest among the residents Of these
districts where the Numbering interests ere
predominant. These spasmodic attem pts
On the part of the government
to reform the service of the land depart
N ut are Of semi-annual occurrence, and are
noteworthy in that they never resuiE IN
anything but great noise and ciamor
which scare5 away the big fish and few Of
the smaller fry are generally run in,
against whom nothing can be proven aud
they are let go again. It is we'll known
that pine land frauds are common, but the
parties who are directly interested have
such political influence and power that
they are never in5erfered with. The cases
that have been now before the grand jury
are well known to result from political
spite and jealousy.
About five o'clock yesterday evening the
grand jury reported an indictment to Dis
tric5 Attorney Ssarle against II. l.. Cor
don. Il is an enormous document cover
ing about 200 pages of legal cap, and SO
full of legal verDiage that an ordinary man
would be puzzled to make head or tail of
the thing. There are fonr counts com
prised in the indictment with twenty-seven
accessories, which are repeated and repeat
ed until ones head begins to culver.
First count goes on TO say that having
been daily aud lawfully assembled they
find that Hanford L. Gordon resident
of this district, intending to deTraud and
iniure the United States of America, did
to ethsr with Albion K. Lovejoy, Robert
Thompson, Carl Norgren, VIM. F. Hurley,
Lewleyn B. Drew, Proctor Morgan, ,,Gusto
Nordln, VIM. Bedel and other evil disposed
parsons whose names are to the grand
Jury as yet unknown, with force and arms,
did unlawfully and fraudlently, confne,
conspire and agree together to defraud
the said United States of certain of its
lands to-wit: 4,4SO acres to the value of
$50 per acre, situate in township GO north,
in range 16 west, of the fourth principal
meridian. That the said Fl. l.. Gordon, on
the 1st day of June, 1882, and Albion X.
Lovejoy, did hire great number of per-
sons to go upon and into said township
and go to work in the form and manner
necessary by law to pre-empt such lands
in fraudulent and illegal manner.
Second count. The second count indicts
q. L. Gordon for conspiracy, in making
false and fraudulent presumption proofs
by hiring men to entor these lands who
were not eligible according to law, and
that the proofs were made contrary to law,
in false and fraudulent Manner, ~ittLl.oot
complying With tLLle law in regard to the
time specified in which the pre- emptor
should live on his pre-emptioa before they
can rrEQVe up.
Third count: The third cunt indicts
For q conspiracy to defraud the govern
ment in the illegal presumption Of these
public lands for the private and personal
benefit of H. L. Gordon and Albion K.
Lovejoy.
Fourth Count-The fourth count is the
Same as the third with the exception that
in connection with Gordon and Lovejoy,
who are charged with fraud and illegal
proofs, soma person or persons as yet
unknown to the grand jury are guilty of
? the same oFense.
The latter clause in the Indictment is
looked upon with CONSERVATION by the
pine interests. 1t is suspected that Mar
shall is bound to have somebody's blood in
order to sustain the noise he has already
made. Some think that the forthcoming
trial CT Gordon will bring 10 light the
testimony wanted to indict Sleeper, Mitch
ell, Mcclure, Wentworth and others. There
is music ih the air. Both sides are hot and
somebody is going to be hurt.
The CLOSE is informed that an indictment
has also been found against Albion KLove-
joy, Gov. Marshslps chief witness, which
will be brought in to-day. This indict-
ment was found against Loveioy for pro-
posing to accept bride from Gordon to
change his testimony before the grand
jury The story goes that Gordon digged
pit and digged it deep for Loveioy to
walk into. Lovejoy called at
Gordon's room at the hotel to sell
out. His price was $4,000, and Gordon
was supplied with convenient witnesses
who heard his "give away" The deputy
marshal is searching for Loveioy with a
warrant, and he appears to have skipped.
Mr. Gordon Describes the Trap.
After the above version of the affair had
been obtained from unofficial sources Mr..
Gordon was found by GLOBE representa-
tive and asked to give his version of Love-