Omaha daily bee., 1902-12-03
HOYT IN HIS OWN DEFENSE
Land Commissioner at Gordon Appears Be-
fore Federal Grand Jury,
SAYS WIDOWS ALWAYS READ PAPERS
Declares that hidden Enforcement OF
Fence Law VIII Bring Greatest
Hardship 20 the Smaller
Cattle Raisers.

Land Commissioner Fred Hoyt Of Gordon,
Neb., who was accused in a Widows letter
displayed by Colonel Mosby and printed in
The Bee Monday morning Of a gross breach
of duty in the filing Of Widows claims, Is In
the city for the purpose Of telling the grand
jury what he knows about these things.
The letter referred to accuses Hoyt Of re-
fusing to let the widows read the contents
OF the filing papers which they signed and
swore to, and intimates that he was in con-
spiracy with the cattle kings in defrauding
the widows and the government out OF
their lands.
THE idea Of Atty widows being brought
before me like 30 many sheep and signing
and swearing TO documents without read
ing them or knowing their contents is ride
ulous on the face OF Il, said Mr.. Hoyt yes
terday. THE statement that any widow
ever made a filing in my once without first
reading or hearing me read the contents of
the she was to sign is absolutely
untrue. In each case all the legal require
ments have been complied with in my Office,
and all who wished to hold their receipts
were given an opportunity to do so. In
some instances the widows asked me to
keep the receipts for them, as I would be
better able to keep them in a safe place.
This / have done merely as a matter of
accommodation. What l really wrote TO
Mrs. Brenberger OF Blair was that I had
her receipt and that II she wanted It I
would gladly send it at any time and that
the same held true in the case OF the other
women.
Many Widows Lease Land.
MANY Of these widows lease their land,
and they often take it up for no other pur-
pose. According to the law, as prominent
attorneys interpret It, there is nothing ir-
regular in so doing. It would defeat the
object OF the act II the widows were re-
quired TO live on their claims. II that were
the case only those wealthy enough to sup
port 100 acres could take claims"
In unfolding this point Hoyt brought for
ward the following extract from a decision
of the Department of the Interior relating
to public lands:
The statute makes no distinction between
the widow and the guardian of minor or
phan children in regard to requirements.
what reasonable legal ground then could the
department base a rule requiring the resi-
dence from the widow and not from the
quire the widow to reside on the land
would be to, deprive the statute OF much Of
It's beneficial effects. Such a rule would fall
hardest upon the most deserving classes
those who are encountered with small chill
dTen, or who through poverty or weakness
or inexperience or womanly fear are unable
TO cope single-handed with the hardships of
frontier life.
THE tearing down OF the fences" con-
tinued Commissioner Hoyt, will defeat
Its very object, because it will work a
greater injury to the small than to the
large cattleman. The big cattle combines
have enough men and horses to control
their herds, but with the fences down the
herds Of the smaller man would wander
away and be hopelessly lost. The fence
law has been permitted to become a dead
letter now Tor fifteen years and as a result
many small cattlemen have moved into
that country and gone into the cattle bust
ness who would be completely ruined II
the law is now to be suddenly enforced"