The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-02-18
IN DISTRICT
Of WOODWARD
Investigation of Land Frauds
Results in Indictments.
HOW SCHEME WORKED
Conspirators Secured Okla
hOma Land FraudulentIy.
HOW SCHEME WORKED

Washington, Feb 17.-As result of the
lie land frauds in many western states
thegrand jury in the District of Colum-
bia today reported a joint Indictment for
conspiracy against John A Benson, a
wealthy real estate operator of San
Francisco; Fred a. Hyde of San Fran
cisco, closely identified with Benson in
land affairs; Henry Dimond Of Califor-
mia. an attorney representfna Benson
and Hyde. and John H. Schneider of
Tucson, Ariz., an agent of Benson and
Hyde. Bench warrants were issued and
Schneider was arrested in this city late
this evening by Secret Service Agent VIM.
j. Burns who has been quietly investigat-
rtng ali public land frauds in western
states. Schneider was taken before JUS
tice Bernard late this evening and the
latter fixed his bail at $20,0oo. Attor-
neys Cole and Donaldson representing. the
defendants asked that bail be fixed at
5000. while the government insisted on
q $4,000 bond. Schneider has been wit
ness before the grand jury in the cases
against the other defendants. Benson al
ready had been indicted here on q charge
of bribery and IS now believed to be in
New York while Hyde is thought to be
in San Francisco.
The indictment is a vo,uminous docu-
ment and sets forth ID numoer of trans
actions by which land is alleged to have
been fraudulently acquired from the gov
ernment in California, oregon. Washing
ton. Nevada and elsewhere. Most of these
-v.aF7 aIf 70 Oh
under the lieu land law. 1t is charged
that all the indicted parties on December
80. 1901. in this city conspired with other
parties to the grand jury unknown, to
defraud the United States out of the
possession and title to numerous large
tracts of public lands of the United States
open and to be opened TO selection IN
lieu OF lands included or to he included
within forest reserves in various states,
the conspiracy being carried out by means
Of false and fraudulent practices"
The scheme outlined 7n the indictment
an dalleged to have heen 9racticed in
these Transactions was toobtain school
or other lands by applications, assign
ments and purchases in the names of
1icticuous persons or Of persons not real
~ tLt-oliii4 or tllttilAikl u pun ti-S l-flt
Hyde and Benson paying them small
sums for the lands, The Indictment
charges that thSre were false rc9rcsen-
tationsin al these transactions. In pnr-
suance of this aliege- conspiracy thus
carried through by dummy applicants,
certain unsurveyed tracts in the Olympia
Washington. land district. containing 800
acres, selected in the name Of c. W.
Clarke, Fred y. Hyde and John \ Ben
son were obtained and other lands spe-
officially cited. were securei. including
large tracts in the VisaIia ana Vancouver
land district in Washington, ia the Wood
ward land district in oklahoma. the Cas-
cada range forest reserXe country in
oregon. the San Francisco land district
and the Carson City. New, land district
Tho arrest Of the other parties indicted
Is expected very soon. The action taken
disposos of all the land fraud cases thus
Ter presented To the local grand jury but
others may be submitted at any time and
proceedings are expected in other juris-
t9fcfi.pS