The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-02-18
HITS THEM HARD.
Wealthy Land Operators Indict-
ed for Fraud.
Charged With Defrauding Gov
eminent by Wholesale.
ALL WESTERN MEN.
John A. Benson, Of San Fran
cisco, Is One.
Lands in Question All Located
in the West.

Washington, Feb. 1S.--As a result of.
the investigation of the alleged whole
sale public land frauds in many west
ern states. the grand jury of the Dis
trict of Columbia reported a joint in
dictment for conspiracy against John
A Benson, a wealthy real estate oper-
ator of San Francisco; Frederick A,
Hyde, Of San Francisco closely iden-
titled with Benson; Senator Dimond of
California, an attorney representing
Benson and Hyde; and Joost H.
Schneider, OF Tucson, Ariz, an agent
Of Benson and Hyde.
Bench warrants were issued and
Schneider was arrested in this city by
Secret Service Agent William J. Burns,
who has been quietly investigating
alleged public land frauds in a number
of western states. Schneider was
taken before Justice Barnard, and the
latter fixed his bail at $50, 000. Attor
neys Cole and Donaldson, representing
the defendants, asked that bail be
fixed at $1,000, while the government
insisted on a $4,000 bond
Schneider has been a witness before
the grand jury in the case against the
other defendants. Benson already has
been indicted here on charge of bril-
berry and is now believed to be in New
York, while Hyde is thought to be in
San Francisco. The indictment is a
VOluminOuS document and sets forth a
number of transactions by which land
is alleged to have been fraudulently
acquired from the government in Cali
fornia, Oregon, Washington, Nevada
and elsewhere. Most of these tranSac-
tons are alleged to have occurred I'M
der the lieu land law. 1t is charged
that all Of the indicted parties, on De-
cember 30 1901 in this city, conspired
with parties to the grand jury unknown
, I
possession of title to numerous large
tracts Of public lands to be opened to
selection in lieu of land included or to
be included within forest reserves in
various states, the conspiracy being
carried put by means of false and
fraudulent practices"
The scheme outlined in the indict-
ment and alleged to have been practiced
in these transactions was to obtain
school or other lands by applications,
assignments and purchases in the names
of fictitious persons or of persons not
really desiring, or qualified to purchase
them, Hyde and Benson paying them
small sums for the lands. The indict-
ment charges that there were false rep
resentation in all these transactions
In pursuance of this alleged conspir-
acy thus incurred by applicants GER
tain unsurveyed tracts in the Olympia,
Wash. land district. contained 3,400
acres selected in the name of c. w.
Clarke, Frederick A. Hyde and John
A. Benson were obtained and other lands
specifically cited were secured. includ-
ing large tracts in the Visalia and Van
couver land districts in Washington, in
the Woodward land district in Okla
homa, the Cascade range forest reserve
country in Oregon, the San Francisco
land district and the Carson City. New,
land district. The arrest of the other
parties indicted is expected very soon.
The action taken disposes of all the
land fraud cases thus far presented to
the local grand jury, but others may be
submitted at any time, and proceedings
are expected in other Jurisdictions.