Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-10-26
Special Agent Conrad Shown Up in His
True COlOTS.
4 SNEAK AND sLANDERER.
Private Secretary Halford's Resig-
nation-Executive Sessions of
the Cabinet-Etc.
IsrBonL DISPATCHES TO THE szOoRD-unron.l
CONRAD DENOUNCED.
Secretary Noble Gives Some Facts Abou
the Special Agents Doings.


whose field of operation has been in Cali
fornia, largely connected with an investiga-
tion into the alleged frauds in the SURVEYS
in that and other States, familiarly known
as the " Benson cases" is out to. day in a
five-column article in the New York World,
in which be practically charges that his
dismissal by Secretary Noble is due entirely
to efforts on the part of ex.Senators and
Representatives in California and other
Western States to prevent his becoming a
witness in the Benson fraud cases. He
further charges that the Secretary of the
Interior shows entire Willingness to yield
to the pressure, and defends the parties in
Yolved in these frauds, and dismissed him
without cause.
1t has already been stated in these dis
patches that Conrad's final dismissal was
due entirely to his own actions in Califor-
MIA, and that members of his own party
were among the strongest petitioners for
his removal. The reasons for removal,
however, are best told in the words of Sec
retary Noble, who this afternoon produced
documents in the case and told story
somewhat as follows: 1T is decidedly en-
barrassing to me to have to step forward
and defend my action against dismissed
subordinate. But know of the deep in
terest the people on the coast take in the
survey frauds, and / do not want anybody
to think that | have in any way attempted
to stand in the way of the prosecution of
the defendants in these cases. Conrad was
first appointed a special agent to
examine surveys in the field and
continued thus, having in charge investi-
cations into frauds alleged to have been
committed in California. The investigation
and prosecution of these cases was begun
long before Mr.. Conrad appeared on the
scene, and they in all likelihood will con-
tinue TO struggle along without Conrad's
valuable aid, now that he is out of service.
Complaints of many characters reached
me concerning Mr.. Conrad soon after |
came into office, but continued him until
March 90 1889, when the appropriation
under which he had been paid S5 per day
gave out and l was forced to notify him of
his dismissal. Conrad came here and i'm
pressed upon me strongly the idea that he
was an invaluable witness for the Govern
ment in prosecuting these Benson cases,
and the Land Office Endorsed him highly.
/ then determined to retain his services and
on April 10th following | appointed him
special agent to examine fraudulent entries
and detailed him to an examination of the
surveys, as the appropriation for the latter
service had expired. Complaints against
Conrad continued to come in, and charges
of various kinds were made against him.
Ele was called a sneak and spy and it
was charged interfered in other offices be-
side that of the General Land Office by
making attempts to secure the removal of
Democratic office-holders. Among those
asking for his removal were several Dem
ocrats. Members of Congress wrote to me,
repeatedly, asking for his removal, but l
declined saying that | could not allow a
member of Congress to direct the workings
of this Office. l adhered to this principle
in the face of repeated requests from my
old comrade, General William Van
deVer, who fought at my side at
Pea Ridge. In the meantime
some facts regarding Conrads career
came to light. have here an affidavit
showing that on August l, 1888, Conrad
came to him and gave him copy of his
(Conrad's) report upon the surveys which
he was about to send to this Department,
and asked him to print it. He consented,
and Conrad himself wrote the headlines for
the article This in itself was an official
ofense. Ny attention was then drawn to
the following extract from letter written
by Conrad to the General Land office, uu-
der the date of December 26, 1887: These
frauds were committed with the direct COM
plicity and full knowledge OF Teller (Sec-
retary), Schurz Secretary, Williamson
Commissioner of the General Land office,
Mcfarland (same), and Al. Harrison Act
ing Commissioner. Active field partners
were the Surveyor-Gen erals of Arizona,
California, Dakota, Oregon, Idaho,
Nevada Wyoming, New Mexico and Col
orado. The same opinion was expressed
in my letter to the President of July 80,
1887, and was stated verbally to Lamar and
Sparks in July. The main object in my
mind is to keep plainly in view the facts to
of oil ha Wi QrS n
salaries and the completely of the General
Land Office, to be confined to Benson and
Others This language was too much for
me, and on August 1st | ordered his dis
missal. But as | understood he would be
q necessary witness | continued him in
office he having been out but day or two.
On August 9th received 9 strong telegram
asking for Conrads dismissal, signed by
Senators Stewart and Jones of Nevada and
Senator Stanford and the whole California
delegation with the exception of Vandever.
/ had letter from the latter.
"Soon after this l received from General
Vandever a letter addressed to him by d.
II. Budlong, reputable attorney of Tulare,
showing that Conrad had sought his pro-
fessional advice several times in the dis
coyery of evidence in relation to fraudu-
lent land entries, and had afterwards used
his knowledge to draw Budlong's client
away from him for the benefit of the tirm
of Bell & Jefferds, Bell being son of Gen.
eral Bell, Receiver of the Visalia Land
Office. General Vandeyer indorsed upon
the letter the following: If you have any
regard for me personally and think me
worthy of confidence, then rebuke the
treachery and double-dealipgs of Conrad.
The wretch is too mean for the contempt
of honest men. ! indorse unreservedly
the writer of the within as man of pro
bity and honor The survey cases In the
Courts were continued and / still retained
Conrad.
sOn September 18th ex-CeIsT sTvsssnan
Horace F. Page wrote TO me, inclcs sing an
editorial from a California paper calling
Conrad to account for having publicly
stated that all women employed in the
Surveyor-G Generals office when General W
H. Brown was Surveyor General were
prostitutes, and demanding that Conrad
produce his proof. In transmitting this
Mr.. Page wrote that Conrad had destroyed
his own usefulness on the coast and shoule
be recalled. Other letters followed in upor
me. and about the lest of September | re
ceiyed one from General Yandever, in re
plv to mine assuring him that l must ruT
NV department without outside inter
reference. In this he says that Conrad !!
going about his district denouncing hin
and stating that be (Conradl had giyeI
Vandever such a scorching to Noble tha
he (Vandever) had lost all prestige in hi
district In conclusion Vandever says
1 have the right to ask that such veri
table sneak as he has proven himself to D.
shall at least be taken out OF my district
where, under cover of your protection, b
is falsely denouneing me to my constit
uents'
" Ny patience gave out and cast abon
to know just what value Conrad was in tn