The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1893-04-27
IA GAME OF BLUFF.
Bierman and His Pine-Grabbing
Pals are Quaking in
Their Boots.
A Judicial Investigation is Some.
thing They Do Not
Want.

-: ~ ts51 want.
Auditor Bierman and his associates
had better muzzle some Of their fool
friends. By an almost unanimous vote
both branches of the legislature have
authorized Gov. Nelson to employ
counsel and test the validity of the al
legged sale of the. pine stumpage on sec
ton SO, town A., range 26, to G. A.
Smith & Co. Gov. Nelson is man of
| backbone, as honest as he is fearless,
and the ringsters need not lay the fiat
tering JUNCTION to their soul that he
has not the courage to comply with the
request of the legislature. If Auditor
Bierman has not been guilty of wrong
doing he and his friends should be will
ing to have an impartial court pass
upon his official conduct. Brag, buster
and bluff will not go. The people Of
the State are aroused. They will not
permit the school children of the
State to be robbed. Hireling scrib-
blers cannot hood-winl1 the people.
There are men and newspapers in the
State that cannot be cajoled, bought
or bulldozed. But it does seem pass
ing strange that the Minneapolis IA56-
eme-the newspaper that made such a
gallant fight for the Markham bill
should attempt to misrepresent and
distort facts in connection with> this
Mile Laos pine investigation. The
annexed article, which is the merest
rot and totally destitute of truth, is
from the Tribune of the 22nd inst.
THE PINE LAND FRAUDS
SOME INSIDE HISTORY OF THE CAUSE
: OF THE HUE AND CRY. T.
ST. PAUL, April e. Especial. i
There are some rather imposing de-
velopments regarding the much talked
8 Of Mile Laos pine timber sale, and tn {
. investigation and prosecution &sug:
. gested by the legislature. It is re
garded as certain that there will be NJ
prosecution by the State, for the reason
that the encouragement has already
advised that the auditor in the case
properly exercised his discretionary
power. But, in looking up the matter
the State authorities have made some
: discoveries that go to prove the asser
tion made when the case was up in thu
house, that the whole cry was for thu
! purpose of covering up attempted
i frauds by some of the people who were
: loudest in making complaints. It il
}, charged that Mile Laos and Anok:
parties, knowing that there was pin,
on the land, secured it's appraisal to b,
sold as ''land," and had made all thei
plans to bid it off as ''land," whel
they we'll knew that, being timbered
it could not, under the law, be sold AZ
''land." If, therefore, it had been solo
D at a public sale, the sale would have
S been a fraud. It is said that thest
parties are liable to prosecution as con
spring to have the land so appraised
thereby attempting to gobble the tim
Der, and are in far more danger O
prosecution than the purchaser t.
whom the auditor sold the timber
The attorney-general's Office has alst
4 had it's attention called to the fact tina
l the letter of the complaining witness
e where he demanded certain part O
the timber or he would carry hi
threats into execution, savors of black
mail. The probabilities are, however
that this feature will not be brough
4 up and that the case will never NOR
D be heard Of -.5s... -s.-.- 49,.