The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1903-12-24
BRIBERY CHARGE
JOHN A. BENSON, OF SAN FRAN
CISCO, UNDER ARREST.
Charged by the Interior Depart
ment With Beiug Head of the
Land Frauds Extending Over n
Dozen States--Many Others Are
Implicated.

Washington, Dec. 19.-John A. Ben
son, a wealthy San Francisco real es-
tate operator, charged by the interior
department with being the head of the
alleged frauds extending over a dozen
states and territories of the West, to
which Secretary Hitchcock referred Wig.
rously and at length in his annual re.
port, was ARE sted at the Willard hotel
Yesterday by Secret Service Officer
Burns, just as BENSON was preparing to
leave the city for New York. The
charge on which the arrest was made
was bribery alleged in the affidavit of
Mr.. Burns in the warrant that BENSON
had paid $500 ito Woodford D. Harlan.
formerly chief of the special service di.
vision of the general land office and
now clerk in that Office, on March Is
OF this year, Tor the purpose of extract
ing from him information regarding the
investigation of his operations at that
time being made by United States Com
missioner Arson s. Taylor, and as soon
as Benson had been apprehended BY
officer Burns he was taken before Com
m issioner Taylor.
Benson wished to have the prelimi-
nary hearing of his case postponed, and
the date for such hearing was fixed at
Wednesday, Dec. 80. He gave bail for
his appearance on that date in the sum
of S., 1000. At that time the govern.
ment attorneys will ask to have him
held for the grand jury.
Many Are Implicated.
The statemnel was made by an Off
Ger of the government that the inform
alton obtained regarding the alleged
conspiracy implicated a number of
persons at present employed in the in
terror department at Washington and
elsewhere. Numerous arrests are ex-
pected to follow that of Benson in short
order, and that some employees who
may not be arrested will he dismissed
from the service. 1t is said that Secre-
tary Hitchcock and the special attor.
neys in the case have considered it alb
solutely necessary to the successful
working out of the case that no action
be taken with reference to any other
alleged offenders until the principals
in the case had been apprehended.
The government attorneys, Arthur B.
Pugh, who has been special attorney
for the interior department in the land
frauds. and Oliver Pagin, assistant at
torney of the department of justice,
who has also been employed in thu
case, stated in asking for a large bail
bond for Benson, that he had been
guilty Of bribery during his present
visit to Washington since last Monday
and in the interior department itself,
Notwithstanding he was fully aware
that his connection with the alleged
frauds was fully known by the govern
ment.
The statement was made later that
Secretary Hitchcock was 80 incensed at
the fagrancy of this alleged offense
that he told the officers to have Benson
arrested at once, although it had not
been planned to appreLend him at
present. Another assertion OF the gov
eminent officers is that Benson came to
Washington in answer to decoy letters
and with the intention of bribing PEG.
pie in the land Office who were in real
ity acting for the secret service.
Mr.. Benson is said to have been tax
en- completely by surprise in his arrest
although he has known that the gov
eminent has been investigating the al
legged land frauds. He had no lawyer
in Washington, and when he was tax
en-, Immediately after his arrest, before
United States Commissioner Taylor,
delay OF an hour or more occurred while
a lawyer was sought for him. .
Mr.. Benson made a formal plea OF
not guilty, after which his bail was hx'
ed at IS, 200.