The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-01-18
DISCL AMER OF MITCHELL He Refutss xecusations Agaip.,' Him.
 ;-. STATEW$T TO SENATE Oregon Senator Emphatic in
 Ills Denial. Declares That Each of the Charges Brought Against Him is "Atre- ciousIy Falses General and
 Specific Reply.

Washington. Jan. 17.-Senator Mitchell UT oregon. made a Statement Tn the senate today regarding ms in- dlctment in connection with the Ore gon land fraud. At the outset the senator declared that the charges made agalnst him if true. untiltea him to occupy his seat in the senate lie then ueLaIIed the charges ana said: T re- sent most positively and m unquali- ned manner and State positively that each and every one of these cnarges insofar as they relate to or involve me are absolutely. unqualitedly and atrociousiy false and here and now indignantly and defiantly denounce their authors and each and every one of the charges and brand them publicly as maliciou sand atrocious lies"
 Specific Denial.
 Following this general denial with one more specific the Senator spoke substantially as follows:
 But I desire to be more specific and therefore I further deny, in terms the most absolute and unqualified of which l am capable of using, that ever, either in the month of January, 1902, in the State of Oregon. or at any time or place unlawfully or feloniously, or otherwise, conspired with Binger Hermann, then commissioner of the general land office. and s. A D. Puter. Horace G. Mckinley, D. w. Tarpley, Emma l.. Watson, salmon B. ormsby, Clarke E. Loomis and willim H. Davis. or with either or any of them or with any other person or persons to defraud the United States out of any part of it's public lands, located either in town ship II south, of range east, in the State of Oregon or any other public lands either in the State of Oregon or elsewhere.
 | "I assert Furthermore in the most ab- solutely and unqualified manner, that any and all statements by any per- son or persons to the effect that ever, at any time or place, entered into a conspiracy with all or any, of said per- sons. or they, or any of them. with me, [ to defraud the Enieta Stdtes out Of any part Of It's public lands In the State of Oregon or elsewhere either by false or
 forged homestead applications affida- wits. or proofs, are absolutely, unquali- | iedly and atrociously false, and I defy my defamers and challenge them to
 produce any evidence, other than that of condemned thieves. forgers and per l Jurers, to sustain any such charges. Never Took Money.
 l T further deny in the most absolute | and unqualified terms that said S. A D. | Puter did, either in the city of Wash | ington on March g, 1902. or at any other time or place, offer me, or pay
 to or give me-nor did I on March g, | 1909, in Washington, D, C., or at any other time or place accept or receive l from said s. A. D. Puter-the sum of l $2,000 or any other denomination or amount whatever, as an inducement to | use my influence with Binger Hermann, | then Commissioner of the General Land Office, to induce him as such commis- sioner to pass to patent twelve certain | homestead entries, or any homestead entries whatever. or for any purpose. I And here indignantly and with all the force can command, denounce the | public statement of s. A. D., Puter that he, on March g. 1902. at Washington. D. C., paid me $2,O00 In two one thousand dollar bills as wilfuny, maliciously. un- qualifiedl yand atrociously false"
 1 The Senator then said he thought it proper that he should state precisely | what connection he ever had with some of the circumstances connected with the actions of the grand jury and l the publications in the press regard
 ing the charges.
 The Puter Interview.
 | He said that about March 1, or 2. l 1902, Puter called on him in Washing | ton with a letter of introduction from Hon. F. P. Mays, a prominent attorney of Portland, Ore, and for many years distrist attorney of the oregon district | Puter had with him a woman whom he | introduced as Mrs. E. l.. Watson, a
 widow and a citizen of Oregon who had
 invested something over $S.000 in 1 twelve homesteads after the entrymen
 had received their certificates. The
 woman had obtained the greater part
 of this money by mortgaging other
 lands secured by notes coming due. l She could not raise the money to meet
 these notes until she had received | patents for the twelve homesteads she
 had purchased. Puter had acted as
 agent fo rthe woman and she was
 blaming him, Puter said, as he had as- ] sured her when she made the purchase
 the patents to the lands would be is-
 sued. in the regular course of business l Puter asked if the Senator could aid
 him in getting them advanced for early
 consideration. The Senator said he
 told Puter certainly he would help him
 in the event he found the eases in a condition to be taken up
 T had not, of course, the slightest suspicion" said Senator Mitchell, "that
 there was anything wrong about the
 homestead entries or any of them" At the land office, the Senator con-
 tinued, they were told that the field representatives in the cases were all
 in and the eases were ready for exam l ination Tn their regular order. but that
 1t would be some considerable time be-
 fore they would be reached. Senator | Mitchell said he was further told at
 that time, that there had been three
 reports all favorable. made on all the
 twelve entries. The situation was then
 presented to Commissioner Hermann
 The commissioner explained to him (the Senator) that the cases could not
 be made special unless some good req
 son was shown by affidavit why they
 should be advanced. Puter, who was ! present, the Senator continued, told the
 sympathy story about the woman and Hermann suggested that he (Puter) put
 his reasons for making the cases spe-
 cial in the form of an affidavit and he
 would consider If it was proper to ad-
 vance them. Puter and Mrs. Watson then went to the Senator's office at the latter's suggestion where two afidavits
 were prepared without cost to them | Letter to Hermann.
 Relying on these afildavits. the Sem ator. in a letter to Commissioner Her Imam dAtAd March a sslad that thA