The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-12-19
INTERIOR DEPARTMENT
.REEkS WITH CORRUPTION
Matters Brought to Head Sooner Than Expected
by the Arrest Of John H. Benson
Startling Developments Expected to FoOw-Promnsn Men, ON
Gals end Otherwise Implicated.

lRfASHINGTON, Dec. 1S.-John A.
wv Benson, wealthy SAN Fran
cisco real estate operator.
charged by the interior department
with being the head ~ the alleged land
frauds extending over a dozen west
ern states and territories to- which Sec
rotary Hitchcock referred vigorously
and at length in his annual report
was arrested here today at the Will
lard hotel 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, it being alleged i'm
the affidavit of Mr.. Burns and I'm tie
warrant that Benson paid $500 to
WoodfOrd ID. Harlend formerly chief
of the special service division of the
general land Office and now clerk in
that office. on March Is of this year
for the purpose Of Extracting from him
Information regarding the invesuga-
ton OF his operations AT chat time be-
ing made by United States Commits
sioner Arson =. Taylor, and as soon
as Benson had been apprchended by
Officer Burns he was taken before
Commissioner Taylor He wished TO
nave Lile III eAAiillll.tA1 nearing OF MS
case postponed, and the date for such
hearing was fixed at Wednesday. Dec.
80. He gave bail for his appearance
on that date, when the government at
torneys viii ask to have him held for
the grand jury.
Many Persons Implicated
The statement was made by an Officer
70 the government tonight that the in
formation obtained regarding the alleged
conspiracy indicates q number of DersOas
at present employed in the interior Qp-
partment at Washington and elsewhere.
Numerous arrests are expected TO follow
that of Benson i'm short order and that
some employees who may not be arrested
VIII be- dismissed from the service. III f.
said that Secretary Hitchcock and the
special attorneys in the case have con-
Sloered IL absolutely necessary to Tho
successful working Of the case that no
acuOn oe taken with reference to any ul
the other alleged offenders until tire
principals IN the case have been appre-
hendcd
The government attorneys. Arthur 3.
Pugh, who has been special attorney for
the interior department on the land
frauds. and Oliver Pagln. assistant at
tOrney Of the department Of Justice VINO
has also been employed on the case,
state. i'm asking for large bail bond for
Benson. that he had beer Guilty of brlb-
cry during his present visit TO Washing
ton since iast Monday and in the inter
ior department itself. Notwithstanding ne
was fully aware that his connection with
the alleged frauds was fully known by
the department
Decoyed to Washington
The statement was made later that
( Secretary Hitchcock was so inceused az
the flagrancy OF this alleged Offense that
he told the officers TO have Benson arr
rested at once. although it had not been
planned to apprehend him at present. An
other assertion of the government otti-
I GERS Is that Benson came TO Washingte %
I I'm answer to decOy letters and with the
intention of bribiug people i'm the land
office who were in reality acting for the
/ secret service.
The warrent on which Benson was ar
rested charged that on March 18th last be
uulawfully gave "a sum of money 20 wit
$500 TO one WOOdfOrd ID. Harlan. who was
then and there an officer Of the sal.
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 WOOdfOrd ID. Harlan TO DO ar
act IN violation of his lawful duty as
such officer. that is 20 say. reveal lt
him. the said John A. Benson the con-
tents of the reports certain Of the suoor
diuates i'm the office of him. the sane
/ WoOdfOrd ID. Harlan, concerning an ln
vestigatiOu of the conduct or the sdie
John A Benson and his associates III
king fraudulent selections and entire
. Of public lands of The said United state