Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-12-19
John A. Benson, of San Fran
cisco, Taken Into Custody
at Washington
ACCUSED OF FRAUDULENT DEAL
He is the Head of Big Western Real
Estate Corporation Whose Opera
tons Extended Over a Dozen West
ern states-Decoyed to the Capital
miscellaneous News.

Washington, Dec. 19.-John A. Ben
son, wealthy real estate operator of
the firm of Benson & Hyde of San
Francisco, was arrested here last night
charged with bribery. He will be held
duplicating him in extensive land
frauds will,be produced.
Benson's arrest is Secretary Hitch
cocks first step in his campaign
against perpetrators of land frauds.
Many more arrests will follow at once.
A number of interior department en-
ployes are involved, and will either be
arrested or dismissed.
Benson has been under investigation
by secret service agents for more than
a year. 1t is asserted he has defraude l
the government out of at least 100000
acres Of land by various schemes since
the passage of the forest reserve act
in 1897. That act provides that th.
owner of land which is wanted by the
government for forest reserve shall
be allowed to select in place of 1t other
public land. 1t is alleged Benson OBJ
tanned advance information as TO the
land that would be wanted by the gov
eminent for forest reserves. and .hat
by means of fraudulent entries or by
purchase immense tracts of such lands
We're obtained and afterward eXchang
ed for valuable public lands.
The information alleges that frauds
We're perpetrated as to lands in Wash
ington. Oregon, California. Montana.
Idaho, Nevada, Utah. Wyoming. Co!-
orado, North Dakota, South Dakota.
Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota Arizona,
and New Mexico.
Decoyed to Washington.
Benson has long known that his
deals We're the subject of investiga-
Monday. He was induced TO come
here. it is asserted by decoy letters
written by members of the govern
ment secret service. At any rate, Ben
son was anxious to discover just what
evidence against him had been secured
by the secret service men. In order
to secure this Information it is assert
ed that he has been using money %
bride interior department employees.
The discovery of this fact so incens ID
Secretary Hitchcock that he ordered
Benson's arrest at once, altho it had
been planned TO delay the arrest un-
IL more evidence could be secured
The warrant on which Benson vas
arrested charged that on March Is las:
ne unlawfully gave sum of money,
$500, to Woodford D. Harlan. who WIS
then chief of the special service dit
vision of the general land Office of the
United States, to induce Harlan TO re
veal TO him the contents of the reports
II certain subordinates concerning an
Investigation of the conduct of Benson
and his associates in making fraudu-
ands in lieu of lands owned by them
within the limits of forest reserves.
The information on which the war
ant was issued stated in brief that
Mr.. Harlan. in his capacity as chief of
he special service division of the
general land Office, had charge of the
investigation of the land frauds, sen l.
ng out special agents in suspected
sases of fraud and receiving the re-
ports of such agents on the cases, and
hat Benson had paid TO him the sum
# $500 in return for being allowed 20
examine the reports of the special
,gents in his own case.
Taken by Surprise.
Benson was taken entirely by sur |
rise in his arrest, altho he has known |
hat the government has been investi- I
sating the alleged land frauds. He
vas arrested just as he was about |
o start for New York. He had no |
awyer in Washington, and when he I
fas taken Immediately after his arrest
efore United States Commissioner
,aylor, a delay of an hour or more oc-
urred while lawyer was sought for
i'm.
Mr.. Benson made formal plea of
OF guilty, and then his attorney asked
hat he be released on bail. The ac-
used offered bail in $4,000 cash, white
ne government attorneys demanded
ond In the sum of $4,000, Attorney
'agin for the government saving:
This man was at the head of a
reat land fraud conspiracy extending
yer several western states. He has
ribbed officers of the United States in
he West and in the district. Since
e came to this city a few days ago h.
as continued his bribery And what
more, in another case some years
go, when he was out on bonds he left
ne country and Went to a foreign