The San Francisco call., 1904-08-04
ITDCE SCORES
FEDERAL CASE
In Freeing Benson Lacombe
Says Indictment Fails to
Establish a Conspiracy
TEXT OF THE OPINION
Government Counsel Henev
Ayers JUrist Has MiSun-
.derst00d the Land Frauds

T. dlcharglng John A Benson of
tbs ely from the Federal Indictment
accusing him. with Frederick A. Hyde.
henry :. Dinon5 and J0ost H. schnei-
c- of consp 20 defraud the Gov
eminent oct az public lands. Judge La
sI5e Il The United States Circuit
Court IN New York handed down a
. lengthy opinion. in which he declared
-hat The Indictment Sound By the Su-
pienae Court II the District of CoIum-
-hls failed % state facts constituting
q crime under national laws Copies OF
this opinion Eere received III san Fran
cisco yesterday They are being read
. with interest by the eminent attorneys
~ lo took part ll the great legal battle
before Comm lssi1-er EeacOck that re-
ea.r=1 in che holding ~ Hyde and Di-
= -0rl frr criaL
:; The Substance of Judge Lacombe's
. cT-nio-- follows
%. .s cs-rr raz recently telE n another re-
g --ler O different indictment
Esa-s- -le saU- petitioner rhar Tie l1sgfn-
c .le Indictment Hll uo- Be inquired
- --r preceding. lur IS = question rC
te -ec- E rle -au-r 1 Wllch -ne Lndlct-
-rrr- -ll a- raclu-lal objections Al
- c-rS uut @ IRE ar--1cial ard
g-ar -a.- srr---il- l-rlzues= % crin1 snsl
-- --- che c-Ueu- ls fou-1 lt such
.rsC- contains q narration u
. t. ulrL re-4 o. establish TIE ex-
.sr-e 70 -re .H-=- --r-ht Z, - etarrs .
ri r-e rFl-Fe-. even -pCl a broad and mart
l - -- - I 80 -. -@ss e 8. -- =
- le prisoner should lc- be he'd fo-
-e wren which The Indictment par-
-crge t,e prisoner is defined in Sec
r- r+-. .- $fEL- II rEo cr more
= eltaer 30 commit any cre1se
s-- re .-- 1---es or q de-ral1 -le
-t
u-rz Cf such parties do any
- che -l-e-- 20 -le conspiracy. all
e7 --- --l-- r-cs sEa- -e -la1-e -1
r 71- more rhal rsc years, CT -o
-- -E--s1-rlel- -l The discretion 0f
- are -hl--y counts ir the Indictment
e7 rle- Erh a separate rransacricu- II
--ce al are z-rsrar-fsIIv sIfke The
r..1s- aas f-loEsd rEe s-c5sic f1rn-s az eE-
r--l ------1-y USED Fl K u .la- practice
c-- involved -a--clogtcsl and verbcse-s
t z--1ee r--s stumbling over several
- Err-e- laEes without a 1eric1- The meaning
discovered l-E tT carefully rewriting
c-rr1r- l. e -he carrns of modern English
-ls --re g uiL b. found r-ar the
--s -7- Vc- ne charge az conspiracy -
30 Ee-e-1-1re the United states. beng Al rhat
r-e -e owner rlerecf. conveyed tc The States
se-r-rs ~ p-tl- -a1d-rle sections SO con-
t- 1rE 1cEn 1s schocl lane These
e zr-E or s1Ue ror-cn e them, rle r7To
Ea-a1 SOLD OF -l1l~ll-al holders Subseg g--e1tly
re ---re1 sra-es -ec-el r7 establish forest
o.: -esees re- ce--a-n local-t-es - those states
.tsrf =.seTtsrel and -lier The authority q
.E-a---s- -aFs we're fled -eslE1a-l1g the hou1-
dz-as tesses iarz sru belcu-.ar 70 he
-e1 S-a-es- rfzre You'd De Included school
---= cra-s-sr-eI -te States and sriu held
t- --s-- also sc-1Cl lands which the sad
r-e- z- rcrTe-e1 -c private owners bT pat
er-s r rrec-csl. a-d also sch1Cl lands as 70
rE reps rad been taken 20 secure patents
i. ls-ss -z.- forest -sss-ves should be under
rr--r-a
- -. - - -.--------= ----[- - -
- r5s-E1 f-- -sr1s within the sane with the
Gz-e- -le owner EreslUahiy since the
. Cf L-c-ease ll value would be
- E-ra'- ---s-e than ln. the owners generally
% Ur .e e-pec-e1 70 accept me o1er- Ehe
. :-Fr-- -s 1-7V---1g for such an exchange are
-: FOR FOREST RESERVE ACTS.
- - -hs z-- -r June =. 1891 80 stat. -. So.
=. s-'I l-s-rs - a-- et March 3. 1891 section -
3: -. s-a- -.1-I- That in cases il which a
-r---z-- ~ a. unprotected bona fde claim
-:-c-- D. r-z-r Il Included Wirh-n the limits
.-c' "a r- --resr reserrarlcn- TIE sc--ler or
-. ..cT--- ----z-r nay re-iuquish the tract to
? --1r --=--e-r ard may select 70 Leu thereof
90 --- ra-a-r land orer tc settlement not
-.sEessl1e area re rrac covered sy MS claim
~ re act ~ Juls g. 1900 g1 stat. e1R
B. --.--s r---z-e5 ~ a. ----a-Secres b,-a s5o
CAIN tT a patent. l1cludeE IN public forest
=e-Ta-l-l. provided ln rhe ac- q June =
p. --1- erar 81 confined - vaca-t su-,evsd
o rerr -- homestead Entry DC- eLcee-ing IN ares
.-'rre --a-- covered bT such cain patent
-r-r r-as0rs ~ puhLe policy these two States
--c-e-ec --eir ecEccl larGs tu- sale WIKI certain
= F-ar--lrT res-r1cC.C-s sales we're 20 Be made
= CrT cl-zers ~ rhe United state. o. % per-
. F-s wlc had declared intention 20 becCr-
C--r-s ard Crlv lrCn af11aVit o. the ap-
can shown rs i-rc1-iCn 20 purchase such
- -;s-ts iu ECod faith ard for his oEn benefit
e-1 -rz- he had made no contract agreement
Once vas
rsrs. hCwerer. a bona 1de Applicant and
. ..--.e rc Eim perfected by the delivery % him
cr .1lre-- -cr r1e saUe the land - sold
.--c ce-aUe hrs tc dispose cf - rleaseE ard
rrere rcrtlrE called 10 the attention of
'raE court lr r1e ieEislario1 % these States
. ~-lc- rrrhlhlrs purchaser from buviuz such
; 1rcs -rcu ar7 resident uatentees who might
= E41sEc --ErT decide 70 sell
Ire 1ar-icular false and fraudulent p-zc-
U1-ch "a CHARGED the r-zva-en q
ire ccrEr-rarv "a this Applications f1- r.ir-
'C1ate were % - mace IN the narres O.
- rrrlri1-E rers0rs. and TIE Names cf perEous
r1- really cesiri-E ard net qualified - r1r-
c-sse ard ~ persons Uhc had already zssfz--z