Arizona silver belt., 1888-12-22
TE0sE INDICTMENTS FOR TEKBRR CUT.
 T7SG.

% disapproval of the actien of the Unite States grand jury, recently m sessiol
 in Prescott, Tn reference te its actiel in indicting certain persons for cut
 ting timber on government land. Thr Courier says, 1t is common talk tha complaints against some of these mer
 were prompted by spite. If so, thu
 cemplalnants will find te tbeir cosr
 that such acts will bring poor reward
 in Arizona" The entire tRxt of thc
 Courier's article was reproduced IT
 the BELT of the 18th inst. This Is
 what the Journal-Aine of the 12th
 has to say upon the subject:
 "Ths United States grand jury cem-
 pleted its labors and were discharged
 several days since, but up to the pres
 ent writing tho report they made has
 not come to light. It Is now, however,
 an open secret that several prominent
 citizens were indicted by it charged
 with cutting timber on government
 land, and others with perjury in con-
 nection with making final proofs on government land These indictments
 have been secured through the admin istratlon's special agents, and will no doubt be the subject of velumnous reports from them to the department at Washington. While not familiar with all the cases ws are not able to express an opinion in regard to them ln the aggregate, but we ara sufi- ciently familiar with some to charac- terize them as an outrage. While doing so, it may be added that the grand jury and court are not to blame Tn the matter, the testimony intre- duced being ex-parte entirely, of such a nature as to justify the action taken. Should these cases ever come to trial we sincerely believe that It will be demonstrated that the courts of jus tice have been made innocent instru- ments of personal persecution, fsr which the victims can obtain no re- dress
 The following protest has been for warded to Washington and is the ex- pressiOn of some of Gila County's of icialS aEd business men in reference to the indictment against certain di- recters of the Arizona Mineral Belt railroad. It is believed to be fair exposition of the facts concern1ng the acts of said directors. fer which they have been indicted. If it should prove that they were technically in error, it dees not now appear from anything within our knowledge, and, therefore, we have an abiding faith in the hon. orable discharge of the accused:
 GLOBE, Ariz, Dec. F. 1888.
 HoN. NJ. A. SMITH, Washington, D. C.-Dear Sir: It has come to our knowledge that eur internal improve ments are belng materially interfered with, if not greatly retarded, by re- cent indictments by United States grand jury in Yavapai County, in which wholesale presentments have been made against mem bers of the directory of the Arizona Mineral Belt railroad for an alleged lntract1on of the act in reference to the preserya- ton ot timber on United States land.
 Without attempting a criticism, or to indulge in reflections as to what | prompted these indictments, We will | briefly alluds to the law, as we under stand it, in reference to the use of Government timber for the construc- tien of railroads. We are informed, and we believe correctly, that the act in reference thereto glves the right to any railroad company to use timber cut from Government land adjacent to the line of the road, for construc- tion purposes.
 The wood used for fuel for engines, etc, by the Arizona Mineral Belt rail- road was purchased from the Arlzona W Wood Company, which was not deliv- cred nor used pror to October 1st, 1887. Previous to that date coal was the enly fuel used.
 The maps showing the right of way, we are informed. were filed on the irSt and second sections of twenty niles each, (and the only ones com oleted) and were approved by the Interior Department during the sum- ner of 1887-right-of-way 100 feet ,ach way from the center of track. rbe only omission on the part of the 'ailroad directory, however, was the allure to file the aforesaid maps be- ore the work of construction com nenced, winch was not taken cegni- ance of.by the Interior Department, Is shown by its acceptance of the sur rev in summer of 1887.
 Following are the names of the per ans indicted, so far as we are in- ( ormed: J. w. Eddy, A. A. McDonen. {