The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1904-10-04

Washington, Oct. 3.-Secretary of
the Interior Hitchcock last night gave
out the following statement in answer
to certain charges regarding the
method Of conducting the investiga-
tion into land frauds on the Pacific
coast and regarding the steps taken by
him to bring the guilty parties to jus
tice:
Charges are being made and freely
circulated by the opponents OF the ad-
ministration to the effect that the in
vestigation Of the land frauds by the
interior department is not being seri-
ously and diligently conducted; that
criminal prosecutions connected with
the investigation are not being
pressed with such vigor as to manifest
a determination to bring the guilty
parties to speedy justice; and that an
air of secrecy pervades the depart
ment, making it difficult to obtain in
formation as to the progress and pres
ent status of the work.
These charges are utterly without
foundation In fact. The investigation
has been in the hands of competent
officers of the government from the
beginning, and has been conducted,
under the direction of the secretary of
the interior, with the utmost possible
speed consistent with thoroughness;
the prosecutions, where indictments
have been found, have been and are
being vigorously pressed; and at no
time has there been any attempt to de-
prive the public of the fullest informa-
ton as to the progress or status OF
- tor
in connection Herewith.
'The leading spirits in the fraudu-
lent transactions brought to light are
mostly men who have occupied posi-
tions Of influence and high standing,
both socially and politically, and many
of them are men of large wealth. They
have thrown many obstacles In the
way, which have required time, pa
thence, constant effort, determination
/ and courage on the part Of those hay-
ing charge of the investigation tc
overcome. They have diligently
sought to thwart the purpose of the in
vestigation and to control its results
favorably to themselves.
"The difficulties have been success
fully met and overcome and the tao
/ tics resorted to by the parties GRIMM
ally involved and by their friends have
been circumvented and defeated at all
points. The determination of the Sec
retary of the interior has been from
+, the beginning that the investigation
should be thorough and complete, and
nothing has been left undone to ac-
complish such result The fraudulent
operations have been carried or
v t. hrr1
have not been confined to those states
In many instances the conspiratort
have reached out into other states
Their schemes were broadly and deep
ly laid.
while only about Is months have
elapsed since the investigation wa:
commenced, the practical results thu!
far attained are both gratifying ant
encouraging. They may be summed
up as follows: The indictment II
February, 1908. in the District of Co
lumbia of Frederick A. Hyde, John A
Benson and Henry p. Diamond, OF SaI
Francisco, and Joost II. Schneider, o
Tucson, Ariz., for conspiracy to de
fraud the United States of large quan
titles of its public lands, and the in
dictment in December, 1908, in tn
District of Columbia of John A. Ben
son for bribery of public officials IL
connection with such conspiracy. Tn
leading spirits in this conspiracy ar
Hyde and Benson, and ther scheme t
defraud the government was of gigan
!. tic proportions. II involved an attemp
TO secure titles to hundreds of thou
sands Of acres of public lands of tn
United States in the various publ
land states and in the territories G
Arizona and New Mexico.
| "As an immediate and very impoI
. tant result of the investigation thi
gigantic combination and conspirac
has been broken up and its power 70
evil doing in the future utterly dc
stroyed. AS further and ultimate re
suits, the fraudulent selections will a
be cancelled and the lands covere
: thereby restored to the public domain
and 1t is the confident belief CT tn
secretary the interior and of the OF
= ficials having charge OF the prosecu
tions growing out of the investigate
= that the guilty parties will be convict
ed and such punishment meted out
them as will not only be commensuI
ate to the magnitude of their crimes
but will serve as a warning to evil dc
ers in the future"