The San Francisco call., 1904-02-18
v ARRANTS OUT
For LOCAL MEN
United States Grand Jury Finds
Indictments Against Alleged
Participants in Land Frauds
CONSPIRACY Is CHARGED
John A. Benson, f. A. Hyde and
Henry c. Dimond Are Among
Those Implicated i'll the Case

AS a result of the investigation Of
the alleged wholesale public land frauds
in many Western States, the Grand
Jury of the District OF Columbia yes
terday reported joint indictment for
conspiracy against John A. Benson, a
wealthy real estate operator Of this
city; Frederick A. Hyde, a weil-known
resident here and closely identified with
Benson in land affairs: Henry c. Di-
mOnd OF California, an attorney repre-
senting Benson and Hyde; and ]. II.
Schneider Of Tucson, Ariz., an agent Of
Benson and Hyde.
A telegram from Washington was to
the effect that bench warrants were is
sued Immediately and Schneider was
arrested in Washington city late yes
terday afternoon 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 late yesterday after
noon and the latter fixed his bail at
I S200 900. Attorneys Cole and DOnnels-
son, representing the defendants. asked
that bail be fixed at $4,000, 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 in Washington on a
charge of bribery and is now believed
TO be in New York
The Indictment is a voluminous docu-
ment and sets forth a number of trans
actions by which land is alleged to
have been fraudulently acquired from
the Government in this State, Oregon,
Washington, Nevada and elsewhere.
OTHERS ARE INVOLVED.
Most Of these transactions are al
legged to have occurred under the lieu
land law 1t is charged that all of the
indicted parties on December 80, 1901,
in Washington, conspired with other
parties to the Grand Jury unknown, to
defraud the United States of possession
Of and title to numerous tracts of pub
lie lands of the United States and to
be opened TO selection in lieu of lands
included or to be included within forest
reserves in various States. the con-
spiracy being carried out by means of
false and fraudulent practices.
The scheme outlined in the indict-
ment and alleged to have been prac-
ticed in these transactions was to OBJ
tain school or other lands by applica-
tiOns. 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.
Tho fr,dfnsrr oh h,+
were false reports in all these transac-
tiOns. In pursuance of this alleged
conspiracy, thus carried through by
dummy applicants, certain unsurveyed
tracts in the Olympia, Wash, land dis
trict, containing 3400 acres selected in
the name Of c. w. Clarke, Frederick
A. Hyde and John A. Benson, were OBJ
tanned and other lands specifically cited
We're secured, including large tracts in
the Visalia and Vancouver land dis
tricts in Washington. in the Woodward
land district in Oklahoma, the Cascade
Range forest reserve country in Ore
gon. the San Francisco land district
and the Carson City, New, land dis
trict.
MORE ARRESTS TO BE MADE.
The arrest of the other parties in
dicted is expected very soon. The ac-
tion taken dispOses of all the land
fraud cases thus far presented to the
Grand Jury of the District of Column
bia, but others may be submitted at
any time and proceedings are expected
in other jurisdictions.
In speaking of the action of the
Grand Jury at Washington Mr.. Hyde
said last night:
have not the slightest fear Of the ultimate
result and shall be prepared for the issue
when IL comes.
The indictments were brought about by a
trick played on Mr. Benson. which reflects no
credit on the Interior Department. He made
a visit lately 10 Washington and ap-