The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1904-12-28
MITCHELL & HERMANN
DENY REPORTS THAT THEY
ARE CONNECTED WITH
@ LAND FRAUDS.

Expect to Appear Before Grand
Jury Tuesday-Mitchell Calls
the Report That He Got
Pay for Promoting
Patents can In
fernal Lie"
Portland, Dec. Ex-senator John
Fl. Mitchell and Congressman Bing.
er Herman, who arrived last night
from Washington, will not have an
opportunity to appear before the
federal grand jury until next weak,
as the jury adjourned at noon to-
day until next Tuesday morning.
When interviewed this morning
both Senator Mitchell and Binger
Hermann emphatically asserted
their innocence of any completely
in the land frauds. Rumors that
Senator Mitchell had received large
sums of money in consideration of
his services in expediting the pat
lenting or fraudulent claims were
denounced by him as San infamous
lie." Congressman Hermann de-
clined to make any detailed sstate-S
ment until he had an opportunity
to learn the nature of the charges
against him.
No further indictments were re-
ported before the Adjournment of
the grand jury, but is said that the
| jury has practically agreed to in
dict S.yB. Ormsby, former sursrin-
tendent Of the Cascade forest re-
serve, and G. E. Loomis, former
special agent Of ssthe land depart.
ment, both of whom are charged
with having aided the Puter ring
by sending in false reports upon
the fraudulent entries In township
I'LL.
/ DR.. W. H. Davis, mayor of AL
bany, was a witness before the
grand jury this morning, and it is
rumored that the purpose in call
ing him was to inquire into his al.
| legged eonasetia1 with the land
frauds In Linn county. At the time
when those frauds were committed
4 Davis was chairman of the republi.
can county central committee ot
Linn county and his relations with
Binger Hermann were close. He
had correspondence with Hermann
on the subject of the pretended en-
tries in township III, and this cor
/ respondepee is an important ele'
ment of the evidence in the govern
| ment's hands.
In March, 1901, Davis wrote tt
/ Hermann, who was then United
States land com missioner, saying
3 that about 40 citizens of Linn ane
| adjoining counties had established
, squatters' rights in township III
? lin the year 1892, and that wher
l the township was included in tn
[ Cascade forest reserve they suppos
! ed that thei, claims had been for
[ feited, and they made no furthe
improvements until the fall of 1900
r In that year, Davis wrote, "the.
were informed on what they con
sidered legal advice, that the year
intervening would be credited t
: them as that of bona fde residence,
g and they thereupon proceeded t
( make final proof.
f "They have since ascertained,
d Davis further informed Hermann
f "that they had not complied wit
r the law, and that all this was don
i under a m;sapprehension Of tn
law" In behalf of the alleged sci
: tiers Davis requested permissiol
t for them to Withdraw their fna
: proof in order to enable them t
e take the necessary steps to complet
title.
: At the same time that this lette
t was written G. e. Loonais, then spe
j cial agent of the land department
r also wrote to Hermann endorsing
8 what Davis had said in reference t.
!. the claims in township Ill. Loom
9 is referred to the persons interested
/. in the claims as "some very goo'
!. friends of yours" and it was afte
9 the receipt of these two letters tha
a Herman made the claims special
and patents were issued.
Davis is said to have become sub
E seouently the owner of some of tn
claims in township III.
1t is believed that the cases c
: Davis, Loomis and OrmsbY will b
disposed of by the grand jury be
fore Senator Mitchell and Congr RESI-
It man Hermann are given hearing
George G. Brownelps alleged cor
IL Il L T.. 1 =