Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1886-11-23


the testtmeny taken Ia sixteen 80
eorfooorate0 TIE special agents. reporl
~ every particular, and neithsr the
elAimants nor their gEAnfasa attemutei
% eoatR0VsEt the evidence q the Gov
ernme11 II was provun that the lan1r
were nos subject 20 entry under fhr
timber land aet, being vainahse fer A.
rlcnlfaFal purposes; that the claimanfs
bad 1ever aeen sha tracts and knew n.
thing Of their character. that fheV ahaa.
donea their inaensiun of raakinc nroof
ana ~ most Gases oonTeFsd the fanda.
before entry, 10 the agent az tha oova.
Qanyi that the c0npany'B agent hired
men anaeq1ainaed with ths lanlls n
maka The proofs, and thaa he r.aia ths
expensea In many Of thess eases ehe
entrymen themselves testified - ~
frand and gave the names Of the uartie-
VINO mAae the entries and detailed AL
the facts and oiruumstances oonneo,ed
with the transaction.
A gigantic scheme 10 acunira title A
p1bllo lands b. means of fraudulhnl
sntfaas nn0er the timber land ace ol
June le1e, e shove In the case Of !
large timber IRA IN California, the the
aaef o. operations being the ohaicesl
t.aoes q valuable redwood lands n the
humboldt district. This uasa shows
that the ramihoations Of the fraud ex.
tended into the 6eneral Land Ofiee a
Washington, and also shows some Of
the oameaitle9 encountered b. special
agents when their discoveries impiioate
wealthy and influential persons. IN
1883 q special agent OF this once Fo-
ported that this company had proaurod
large number Of fraudulent entries,
Amounting according to hia estimates.
% ms less than 10000 acres. Tue
aRent's Fes ert disclosed the scheme Of
ffaad u AL its detAila, and Was sup.
ported by specific evidences IN many
casea. he also informed this ofics that
be had been offered q bribo Of 5000 10
sappFaas The facts and abandon the IN
vestiRation, which be deolinea. This
agent was subsequently suspended from
duty and aftorWaFd dismissed from the
services e the instance, as understood
IN thia once, Of great inanenee bronQhs
against him from the Pacific coast and
IN Washington. In The fall OF 1884 pa.
tents we're issued on lb7 cases that had
bees reported b. the agent as frauda-
lent. IL appears from the EeooFds Of
this ofiice that an ofLicial Of the General
Land Once having charge Of these cases
addressed q lester % the Commissioner
recommending the entKies for approval.
although at that time the report Of the
sEoiAl agent was on Ole, containing,
among other proofs. the afIidavit OF 4
former agent Of the timber oompang N
Who6a interest the entries were made
disclosing the methods emploved ana
giving the names Of IS Of the ontrymen
IN these particular Gases whom be had
hired at the instance Of said company,
and stating the sums paid 10 them for
making the entFits. Upon this letter.
thua snppresainQ the faOfs and mislead.
ing she Comniasionef, my predecessors
directed patents 10 be issued, ami she
title Of the Govornment 20 1900
acres Of land, valued at $40, ,000, vas
thus passed TO the oFiginAsors Of she
fraud.
Diner agents we're sent out to inveasi.
gate the same class Of entries. bus their
erorts do not appear TO have produced
results.
A new agent was appointed, whe
reached bis field Of operations about
the iirst Of January last and entered
apon the discharge OF his duties. The
agents OK the company saOn discovered
his presence and business and attempted
10 defeat the investigation. Some Of
The Witnesses we're spirited out OF the
country; Others we're threatened and
inttmldatea; spies we're employed 70
watch and follow the agent and report
the names OF ali personeWho conveEs0d
with oE called apon him; and on one
occasion two persons Who we're about 50
enter the agents room % hia hotel for
the parpose Of eonferrinQ with htm In
reference 20 the entries we're knocked
down and dragged away. NotWith-
standing this the az mt proceeded with
his investigation and succeeded in OBJ
tanning q large amoant Of evidence.
He found ninety Of the entrymen and
procured their afidaVits aa 70 the frauds
and the manner IN which they were in
ddoed 90 make the applications aud afa
davita. This testimony embraced AZ OF
the patented cases. several employees
Of the company gave sworn statements
Of their ooRnection with the illegal
transactions and Of facts within theii
knowledge. Afidavits were also mads
By citizens Of Eureka and other raliabll
persons, among which are the afiidavitl
OF sixteen business men, wh0 were asked
esg0f the company and offered $50 cash
but who declined 70 do 90. ID appear
that the peFsoas composing this oOm.
pany went 20 york systematically ans
on an extensive scale, and % enable
they took into their association sosera
aaFy nioana. Expert surveyors and mer
well informed IN regard 10 the ohaKae
Z and value Of timber we're employet
10 lecate and survey the lands. Othen
we're then hired 20 90 upon the streefl
OF Eureka and elsewhere and find per
sons Who o0uld Be induced 20 sign as
pliOations for land and tEanafeE thei
interests 70 The eompany; q oonsidera
ton Of so being paid for each tract oi
l60 acres 30 se0arad. Tue company
agent Feeeivsd Is for each appiioan
obtained. No effort seems 70 have beeE
made 70 kosp ths matter secret, and al
classes OF people were approached b
agents and principals Of The oompanI
and asked 10 sign Applications. Sailors
we're caught while IA port and hurried
inc saloon % 70 certain notary pub
lies 0fiios and induasd 70 aign appliea
tons and convey the lands 70 msmbel
OF Tn nrms Farmers were slopped ou
their WAy 70 their homes. ana merchants
were called from thsif coanfsrs and per
Baadod % ali0W theiE names % b usst
% obtain tide % she landA The com
pany's agent DfeseBled tue applications
70 the register and receiver 10 blocks o.
- many ~ Is at o1a time; paid lhe fees
had tne proper notiees puhliahed; hire
men 20 maks the proofs; pEid for 90
lands and reosiVed the duplicate ~
oaipta; Jet the register and roceivei
and sonae Of the special agents ap
pear 10 have besn the only persons n
ths vicinity who were ignorant Of %.
frauds.
UNHORTUskTK.-We regret 20 bear thal
Mr.. Stokes. formerly Of the o. Il. 4 n