The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1902-12-03
DISTRICT
ATTORNEY
HALL
Replies TO Attack of Rev,
Schell
Says All Charges are False
and Everything is all Right

Ed. Journal:-My attention has
been drawn to an article published in
your paper. on Monday the oath in.
stant. entitled Timber land frauds
are protected by sham court pro
. .ceedings. important witnesses are
sent out Of the state" wherein you
charge that / helped and protected
Claud Thayer from being indicted and
prosecuted for timber land frauds
that /. in spite Of my oath and Office
became an active partner Of the
timber thieves in the course Of the
investigation. that two witnesses. a
stenographer and timber locator. were
sent out Of the state: that the wit.
nesses called by me 20 testify were
those favorable 10 Thayer; that
witness and partner o. Thayer's who
made confession 20 Inspector Greene
vas sent away by me the day before
the investigation: that you were in.
formed by one Of the Grand Jurymen
that the Grand Jury wanted TO indict
Thayer. but that instructed that the
statute Of limitations had run against
Thayer's case, and there could be no
prosecution; you also inquire what !
was doing during the three years be.
fore the statute OF limitations ran
against the case. and that I at ali
times have refused 10 hear anything
about the swindle. but wanted to pro.
tect and save the timber thieves.
I confess that was surprised 20 I
read such an article even in your /
paper. while knew you would 60 20 /
great length TO vent a political spleen. |
did not believe that you would carry |
# % the extent Of wilful. malicious 1
and deliberate falsehood as YOU have |
in this instance. and without any I
endeayor whatever 70 ascertain the |
truth or falsity Of the matter pub |
lished by you.
] do not feel called upon 20 defend /
myself against such malicious attacks.
and would have passed the matter
over without notice were IL not a
subject in which the general public
is directly Interested. and have a right |
TO know whether public officers are
violating their oaths. and standing /
IN TO white wash criminals And I /
will repeat that every material state.
ment contained in said article Is vii. j
fully. knowingly and deliberately false !
and known 10 be so by the person |
who wrote IL. In the first place when /
the first contests were filed al ore. ,
gon City In the Tillamook land cases. /
articles began TO appear In the papers I.
in relation thereto called attention
OF theSpecial Agent Of the General /
Land Office at Oregon City 10 the \
matter. and requested him to lnyesti. |
gate the matter carefully and n he /
discovered any fraud or violation OF
the law 10 report the same 20 me for
prosecution. He accordingly reported /
that he had given the matter a Gaze.
full investigation. but could not find
that any United States law had been
violated.
Twice since that time / have called /
the matter 10 the attention OF the
Special Agents OF the General Land
Omce but nothing ever came OF il.
and no evidence has ever been sub.
mitted to me either by the Special
Agents, or any other person. until
about the 2Oth OF last August when
Special Agent A. r. Greene called
at my Office and stated that ne had
been investigating the said cases
since about the 26th OF January pre-.
vious. but he had never at any time
been in my Office. or communicated
with me in reference thereto. As
soon as possible the matter was
brought before the United States
Grand Jury for investigation. Mr.
Greene and Mr.. Edward n Deady. |
who was associated with him as Spec .
ial Agent, undertook the work OF col. .
lecting testimony, and hunting mp the
witnesses for the Grand Jury. / gave
these gentlemen carte blanch tc
subpoena any and all witnesses that
they might deem important 10 testify
before the Grand Jury. something
which had never done with Special \
Agents heretofore in any case. These
gave me the names Of \
l6 witnesses. and no more. who they 4
claimed We're material; they all ap.
peared before the Grand Jury and
testified except two, one was Miss
Kate r. Parker and the other Morris
Leach, who neither the Inspectors
Or the Marshal were able to locate. ,
although diligent search was made. 1 /
lid not suggest nor subpoena on my
Dwn account a single witness. In ad- {
liuon TO the above witnesses all Of
he documentary evidence pertaining
% the contest and other matters were
placed before the Grand Jury, and I
IN Wifnaga who claimed 70 lyno,., .