The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1902-11-24
TIMBER
LAND
FRAUDS
Are Protected by Sham
Court Proceedings
Important Witnesses We're
Sent Out of State
Are Timber Thieves and High
Officials in Partnership?

c. Thayer banker of Tillamook, the
principal party of the notorious Tnla.
nook timber fraud, was helped. pro
tected and white-washed by the prose.
cutting attorney, J. II. Hail. United
States attorney for Oregon.
Moral and public pressure brought
the case before the United States
grand jury, but J. H. Hall, the prose.
cutting attorney in spite of his oath
and Office became an active partner
of the timber thief in the course of the
investigation. There was q case of
one hundred fraudulent timber claims
with many witnesses, and with vol
umes of evidence. The investigation
/ lasted but four hours The two main
witnesses, a typewriter and the timber
locator were sent out of the state.
The witnesses called by j. u. Hall
to testify against Thaycr were those
who were favorable to Thaycr Others
were not allowed to testify at all, or
only what was favorable 90 Thayer. A
partner of Thaycr in the fraud had
confessed in affidavit to Special In
sp2ctor A. II. Greene his guilt and that
he had put money in the pool to steal
timber. This man wac sent off by J.
II. Hall the day before the invcstigat-
ion before the grand jury Reports
from iurymen say that they wanted to
indict Thaycr, but }. H. Hall instructed
! that the statutes OF Limitation bad run
against the case, and that there could
be no prosecution. This was the time
for the thieves to receive Halls shel.
ter. This | have foro,old the depart.
mont, and hence It rs cortcin that the
officers from the top TO the bottom of
the ladder and the timber thieves are
in partnership to swindlc the public.
What was j. II. Hall doing during
the three yecrs before the statutes of
limitations ran against the cases? lie
simply has refused at ell times TO hear
anything about the swindle. He want.
ed TO protect and save the timber
thief; such werc his orders from his
political superiors, c. H. Carey. J. II.
Mitchell d Co., and j. II. Hall had
simply to save the thlcrs scalp at any
risk o" to lose his own.
j. II. Mitchell, c. II. Carey, J. II. Hall
and others were openly challenged in
Oregon as being aciyc par.ners-the
protection Of the timber thief and were
mum.
A. R Greene, special inspector Of
the department, is fully aware of all
the details Of the frauds and Of the
whitewashiig farce, but since his evo-
lutions are all governed by the fly.
wheel and the governor he cannot
wholly be blamed
The statutes of limitation did not
cover the cases and will not until three
years hence because the timber thieves
prior to the investigation before the
grand jury had confessed their guilt
on afiidayits in the presence OF officers
Of the department, and their aGidaylts
are on record.
Notwithstanding all the evidence
which was direct, immediate, self.evi |
dent, undcniable and solf-confessed, J |
II. Hall whitewHshed tho thief. not. |
withstanding all evidence and the bare |
'acts 10 the contrary J. II. Hall in.
itructed the jury that the statutes of
Imitation had covered the case on
recount Of which the jury relinquished
he case, but did not absoye the