The Washington times., 1903-12-14
Secretary Hitchcock Points
Out How Public and Pri-
vate Interests Have Been
Made to Suffer Thereby.
RECOMMENDS TRANSFER
OF FORESTRY SERVICE
No Recommendation Made
as to Admission of Terri
Observation-Disclosures Re-
suit of Unlawful Fencing.

suit of Unlawful Fencing.
Secretary of the Interior Hitchcock. in
his annual report devotes a great deal
OF space TO the subject of the establish
ment Of a system of irrigation in the
West. and TO the land fraud inquiries
now IN progress. Other matters dis
cussed relate to public lands, the forest
reserves, The national parks Indian af-
fairs, pensions. the Patent Office. the
Twelfth Census, which was practically
completed when the Census once was
put under the Jurisdiction of the De-
partment of Commerce and Labor: the
Territories, and the Government Hos
pital for the Insane, and the other in.
situations in the District under the con-
troll of the Interior Department.
Regarding the land frauds, the report
says:
Indian Land Frauds.
I'm january, 1903 the department was
informed that a large number of war
rants on the treasures OF the counties
of Kiowa. Caddo. and Comanche had
been issued. said counties. at the time
such warrants were alleged to have been
issued. were prohibited by the act of
March 8. 1901. from contracting or in
curing Indebtedness OF any character
excepting where the same shall have
been authorized by the Secretary of the
Interior
The attention of the department
about this time was also called to what
were alleged to be grave irregularities
in the procedure of the local authori-
ties in Kiowa county in the matter of
contracts for public improvements pay
able out of the town lot fund Imme-
date investigation was ordered, which
resulted in the matter being placed in
the hands of the United States attorney
for Oklahoma. the outcome of which
was the indictment and arrest of a con
tractor and two OF the county commits
sioners. charged with conspiracy to de-
fraud the Government
Unlawful Fencing.
Secretary Hitchcock saws that the Wig
orous policy OF his department toward
unlawful feRcers of public lands has re-
suited in the diminution Of the number
OF cases reported during the year. which
are shown by the records to have been
lbs cases. embracing $50, S9O acres. Sew
enty-nine Of these fences. incIosing
1,975,45O acres. have been reported re-
moved in compliance with notices given
by special. agents. Proceedings are pend
ing to compel the removal Of So, inclos-
ing 629 $40 acres
One Of the most celebrated cases Of
this character brought 10 the attention
of the department during the year was
that OF the West End Ranch. in Chey-
eEne county. Kan, owned by the Dewey
Cattle Company, the head of which be-
ing son of c. P. Dewey. who is said
TO be the principal stakeholder i'm the
Dewey Cattle Company, and one OF the
wealthiest men in western Kansas. The
case eliminated in the famous Berry
Dewey feud. which resulted in the kill.
ing OF three Of the Berrys on the Dewey
ranch and created such excitement
among the people that troops were
called out by the State. The trial will
take place this month
1T appears TO have been the policy
OF Dewey and his agents and employees
TO gain complete and exclusive control
OF all the lands inclosed by their fences.
and TO adopt whatever measures were
found necessary TO accomplish that pur-
pose, sparing neither life nor property.
Their attitude toward settlers and
hOmesteaders without as well as within
their Enclosure is shown by reports OF
agents OF this department and by in
dividuai complaints TO have been ex-
tromeiy hostile and oppressive.
Indictment Of Offenders.
Not only have the crops Of these
bona fide homesteaders and settlers
been destroyed by this company's cat
tie. but the people themselves harassed
and intimidated by threats of violence
made by It's agents and employees. their
fences cut and dwellings deliberately
moved or their homesteads and a num-
Der Of them have been compelled by
this Outlawry 10 abandon their entries
and seek residence elsewhere.
promptly upon hearing Of these un-
lawful acts the department instituted
an investigation. as n result OF which
proceedings were begun. through the
Department Of Justice. under the act of
February >. 1885, To cause the removal
Of these Illegal fences and TO punish
those guilty OF erecting and maintain
ing them At the October. 1909. torn,
Of the United States district court at
Leavenworth. Kan. the grand Jury.
then and there in session. indicted &. p
Dewey Chauncy Dewey. w. J. Rat
cline. William J. Mcbride. and Louis
Mcbride for consDiring TO threaten. in
umidate. and injure Alpheus Berry. a
unlawfully inclosed by their fences and
for taking the life Of said Berry. Six
other counts were found against the
defendants for their molestation of
other settlers An Indictment was also
found against Chauncy Dewey. as the
agent OF G. p. Dewey, for erecting and
maintaining an unlawful Enclosure OF
public lands"
Timber Land Frauds.
As TO the alleged frauds and irregu-
larities under the public land laws. the
report. after describing several other
cases. says:
Nearly year ago information reach
ed the department which strongly in
dicated that frauds Of a serious nature
had been and were being perpetrated
against the Government under what IS
known as the forest reserve lieu land
act OF June Z. 1851. by a combination OF
land spectators on the Pacific Coast
The information and indicated frauds
were or so grave character that / at