The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1904-02-15

furnished the most valuable evidence to
the grand jury. The government en-
ployes are Benjamin +. Allen, forest su-
perintendent at Los Angeles; William Il.
Walk. formerly in the division of forestry
and now in the division OF contests, and
Woodford ~ Harlan. formerly chief OF a
division in the interior department and
now clerk there. The former employees
OF r. A. Hyde and j. II. Schneider and
Miss Bryan. a stenographer
DREW UP THE ACT.
John A. Benson IS an engineer and real
estate speculator. T. A. Hyde Is an at
torney at law. Both have offices on
Montgomery street, San Francisco. Hyde
was the prime mover In the conspiracy;
HYDE was. In fact, the inspiration and
reputed author OF the Forest Reserve Lien
Land act. passed by congress in 1897, fur
nished a basis for the operations OF the
ring.
Tbe witness before the grand jury told
I'm substance the following story: by
means OF corrupted notares, two OF them
I'm San Francisco and one In Portland Or
bv the bribing og Forest superintendent
Allen and others In the west lnciuoihs
ree4sters and receivers OF land offices ana
state officials, and the bribing, In addl-
tion OF employees OF the General Land Of
Ace I'm Washington, the plans OF the land
grabbers were accomplished and kept run
ming smoothly for several years.
Their method was as follows: Through
their spies i'm the Central Land ONCE the
ring obtained information regarding large
,racts of land suitable for forest reserNa-
tior nurnoses This land was then osten-
sihlv entered upon by dummies, whose
names were obtained by the ring from
ai,ision superintendent Of the southern
pacific company and from land ofticers
and others.
The affidavlts OF entry. proof OF occupa-
tlon OF the land and other requirements
establishing apparent claim 10 the lands
yycre nerfected by the notaries bribed by
tho operators Then one official Interior
Department stationery obtained from AL
len and other corrupted agents In the
Aeld recommendations were written IN
the office OF Hyde, setting forth the lands
that should be withdrawn for forest re-
serves.
PICKED BEST LAND.
Forest Superintendent Allen signed
these letters and they were forwarded 20
Commissioner Herman OF tho General
Land Office Herman approved them and
they went to the secretary OF tho interior,
who accepted Herrman's recommenda-
tions without question and sent the exec
utive order 10 the president for his sigma
ture. Upon the creation OF the forest re-
serve. assignments OF the titles held by
the dummy entry men were made 10 Ben
son and HYDE. the useful notartes being
again called into service Forest reserve
lien and scrip was then taken out by Ben
son and Hyde and their associates. giving
them the right 20 surrender tho worthless
lands IN the forest reserves and locate
upon really valuable forest land outside.
BY means OF Information furnished by
crooked land officers. the ring had It's
pick OF the best lands and thus acquired
forest lands worth $50 per acre in ex-
change for forest reserve lands that had
cost them 81 so per acre. These operations
Mere carried on I'm California, oregon and
Washington. the total amounting to
hundreds OF thousands OF acres.