The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-02-22
KNOWS MUCH OF
BENS0N'S RECORD
AUGUST e. CANS TELLS HARD
TALES OF TIMBER OPERATOR.
Says Man Who Was Recently Indicted
by Federal Grand Jury in Cali
fornia Has for Two Decades Been
Engaged in Extensive Operations.

II have been waiting for. this for
twenty-three years." said August e.
Cans, last night, referring to the re-
ported Indictment of John A. Benson,
the Pacific coast timber operator who
has again attracted the attention of
the federal grand jury. II was the
first man to bring charges against Ben
son because Of his work in California,
and [ lost my position and more for
doing it, he added.
Mr.. Cans, whose home is in Chi
cago, altho he is stopping temporarily
at POI Eleventh street S, has had
dealings with Benson since 1873 and
claims to know that the indicted
mans operations have always been
shady, and that he has heretofore es-
capped only thru the use of most ques-
tionable methods.
Benson was indicted in 1884 by the
federal grand jury for about the same
sort of work as that which has got
him into trouble at this time,'' said Mr..
Cans, land he has been what I suspect
he is now, a fugitive from. justice.
But believe that he will be convicted
this time. The former indictments
charged forgery and perjury.
"In 1878 I was chief draughtsman
of the mining section of the United
States surveyor generals office at San
Francisco, and BensOn-JOhn A. Ben
son--was a humble deputy mineral
surveyor in Amador county The very
first survey he sent down to our office
was clearly in error and I wrote to
him, suggesting that he come to San
Francisco, distance of about 200
miles, so that could explain the mis-
takes. Benson wrote that he didn't
have money enough to come. Since
then ne failed for 100000, about
1885, and is now again reputed to be a
millionaire, which proves the value OF
"sticktoitiveness.
LAS United States deputy surveyor
was employed about 1878 to 1nVeSt1-
gate land and timber steals up in the
Truckee country and about that time
I preferred charges against John A
Benson and several of his relatives,
who constituted a gang doing bust
ness in what I was satisfied was
fraudulent surveying. Ny charges
ed accusations of perjury and various
kinds of swindling.
"The gang replied with simple de-
NAL. The papers were forwarded to
Washington, where the matter was
dismissed as malicious and in a
short time I was discharged. Com
missioner Williamson was the man
who did the investigating.
THAT finished me with California
and I transferred my energies to other
states, engaging in the newspaper
business in Milwaukee and Chicago
and eventually stumping Wisconsin fol
Cleveland. But did not forget Johr
A. Benson, for it was John A. Benson
who called me into his office on Mont.
and after locking the door said
- you, Cans, we thought you were
all right; now what in - do yOy
want? And he never got over his
inability to fix me.
$50 in 1884, when I picked up {
paper and found that the fedora
grand jury in San Francisco haG
John A. Benson of San Francisco, ant
against his gang for various sorts O
alleged swindles in California, [ wa
pleased. I followed the case an(
learned later that Benson jumped hi
bail in Frisco, was eventually arrested
in Copenhagen, Denmark, was re
turned to Frisco for trial. Finally h,
was released because all of the state
witnesses had mysteriously disap
peared. All this time I had been ig
nored
"It was at this time that Benson
failed for 100000. Since that he ha
again become a man of great mean
and has made most of it in lieu lane
deals. The government sometime
sets aside forest reserves and allow
private claim holders in the reserved
tracts to select other government land
in lieu of those they hold in reserve
! Benson and his crowd seem to hav
made it a practice to keep so on tn
inside in Washington as to be able t.
/ learn long in advance where thes
reservations were to be made and b,
picking UP pieces of land in the pro
4 posed reserve districts to ~eXchang
them for lieu lands of much create
value.
"The methods of Benson, Hyde
whom I also knew in San Francisco
and others of that crowd set the gov
eminent to watching them, and the
! in turn set about watching the govern
/, ment. AS near as [ can learn, it wa
Benson's offer of $500 for advance ia
formal ton as to the governments pro
. cedure against him, which has gotte
him into this present trouble.
; But from all reports he has nc
been arrested yet, being under bon
: for bribery, and, in my opinion, h
secured enough advance information
to get out of this country again.
Personally, he is a great, heavy
set, ponderous-gaited man of sixt
Years or thereabouts, with rount
Jolly face and a most engaging mar
! ner, and is about the last person 20
would suspect Of being what he ha
r been accused of being