The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-12-19
FIRST ARREST.
Business of Cleaning Up Interior
Department Begins.
Wealthy Real Estate Owner
Charged With Bribery.
FOUND IN WASHINGTON
Was Plying His Business Right
Under HitchcOck's Nose.
Said to Have Been Trapped by
DecOy Letters.

Washington, Dec. 1s.-John A Ben
son, a wealthy San Francisco real es-
tate operator charged by the interior
department with being the head of the
alleged land frauds extending over a
dozen western states and territories to
which Secretary Hitchcock referred
vigorously and at length in his annual
report, has been arrested at the Will
lard hotel by Secret Service Officer John
A. Burns just as he was preparing to
leave the city for New York.
The charge on which the arrest was
made was bribery, it being alleged in
the affidavit of Mr.. Burns and in the
warrant that Benson had paid $500 to
Woodford D. Harlan, formerly chief of
the special service division of the gem
eral land office and now a clerk in that
office March Is of this year, for the
purpose of extracting from him infor-
nation regarding the investigation of
his operations at that time being made
by the land office.
The warrant was issued by United
States Commissioner Anson S. Taylor
and as soon as Benson had been appre-
hended by Officer Burns he was taken
before Commissioner Taylor. He wished
to have a preliminary hearing of his
case postponed and the date for such
hearing was fixed at Monday, Decem-
Der so. He gave bail for his appearance
on that date, when the government at
torneys will ask to have him held for
the grand jury.
The statement was made by an officer
of the government that the information
| obtained regarding the alleged eOnSpir-
acy duplicates a number of persons at
present employed in the interior de-
partment at Washington and elsewhere.
Numerous arrests are expected to fol-
low that of Benson in short order, and
some employees who may not be arrest
ed will be dismissed from the service.
1t is said that Secretary Hitchcock
| and the special attorneys in the case
have considered it absolutely necessary
to the successful working out OF the
case that no action be taken with ref
erence to any of the other alleged Of
tenders until the principals in the case
had been apprehended.
The government attorneys, Mr. Ar
/ thur B. Pugh who has been the spe-
cial attorney for the interior depart
ment on the land frauds, and Mr..
Oliver Pagin, assistant attorney of the
department of justice, who has also
been employed on the case, stated in
| asking for a large bail bond for Ben
son that he had been guilty of bribery
during his present visit to Washing
ton, since last Monday. and in the in
terror department itself, notwithstand-
connection with the alleged frauds was
known by the department. The state
ment was made later that Secretary
Hitchcock was so incenSed at the fla
grancy of this alleged offense that he
| told the officers to have Benson arrest
ed at once. although it had not been
planned to aDprehend him at present.
Another assertion of the government
officers is that Benson came to Wash
ington in answer to decoy letters. and
with the intention of bribing people in
the land office who were in reality act
ing for the secret service.
The warrant on which Benson was
arrested charged that on March Is last
he unlawfully gave "a sum of money,
to wit, $500, to one Woodford D. Har-
Ian, who was then and there an officer
of the said United States, to wit chief
of the special service division of the
general land office of the United States,
with intent to induce the said Wood
ford D. Harlan to do an act in viola
tion of his lawful duty as such officer;
that is to say. reveal to him, the said
John A. Benson, the contents of the
reports of certain of the subordina tes
IN the office under him, the said Wood
ford D. Harlan. concerning an investi-
cation of the. conduct of the said John
A Benson and his associates in MAX
ing fraudulent selections and entries
of public lands of the said United
States N lieu of lands owned by them
within the limits of forest reserves
! heretofore established under the laws
VI liIG l. nlleu states IN the states or
California and Oregon, and in commit
ting trespass upon the said public
lands -
The information on which the war
rant was issued stated in brief that Mr..
Harlan, in his capacity as chief of the
special service division of the general
land office, had charge of the investiga-
tion of the land frauds, sending out
fraud and receiving the reports of such
agents on the cases, and that Benson
had paid to him the sum Of $500 in re-
turn for being allowed to examine the
reports of the special agents in his own
case The specific offense alleged is that
Benson unlawfully gave money to an
officer of the United States acting in
behalf of the United States in an Off
cial function with intent to induce him
i to do an act in violation of his lawful
duty contrary to section 5451 of the re-
vised statutes.
Attorneys Pugh and Pagin were yes
States attorneys for !, the purpose of
prosecuting the case against Benson
Mr.. Benson is said to have been taken
entirely by surprise in his arrest, al
though he has known that the govern
ment has been investigating the alleged
land frauds. He had no lawyer in
Washington and when. he was taken
Immediately after his arrest before
United States Commissioner Taylor
delay of an hour or more occurred while
a lawyer was sought for him. Mr.. Ben
son made a formal plea of~not guilty
and then his attorney asked that he be
released on bail. The accused offered
bail in 81, 900 in cash while the govern
ment attorneys demanded bond in the
sum of So 600. Attorney Pagin, for the
government, saying:
ssThis man was at the head of a great
land fraud conspiracy extending over
several western states He has bribed
officers of the United States in the west
and in the District. Since he came to
this city a few days ago, he has con-
tinued his bribery And what is more,