Albuquerque evening citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1905-1907, 1905-12-23
LAND FRAUD CASES
OF PECOS VALLEY
The Taimages are Denied
Change Of Venue by
Judge Mann.
NINE DEVELOPMENTS EXPECTED

A Roswell dispatch, under date of
Dec. %, says: The applications for
a change of n by f. l.. Talnage,
e. r Talmage and B. H. Talmage,
all of Chicago, operating under the
Rrm name of the Southwestern Land
company at Roswell and in Chaves
county, and against whom twelve in
dictments are pending in the United
States district court for the Fifth ju-
dicial district, charging them with
conspiracy to defraud the United
States in land cases, perjury and SUI
formation of perjury, and which ap-
plications were heard before Associ-
ate Justice Edward A. Mann, in the
United States district court.
After-eXhaustive arguments the petit
ton was denied and the defendants
will have to stand trial in the Fifth
judicial district.
Cause of Trouble.
United States Attorney w. II. II.
IIewellyn, and f. c. Dezendorf, spe-
ciaI agent of the general land Office,
in charge of New Mexico and Arizona,
appeared for the United States. The
indictments were found upon the tes-
timony of witnesses who admitted
before the United States grand jury
that they had been induced by de-
PENDANTS to go to the Pecos valley and
to make desert land entries in the
United States land office at Clayton
upon public lands and therein to
make statements which were not
borne ont by facts and which we're,
therefore, untrue. Under existing
United States laws, this constitutes
subornation of perjury.
b. II. Talmage, n of the indicted
persons, acted as a witness in several
of these cases. In his case the par
ticular counts in the Indictments
charge him with swearing that he had
no interest in the land entries, when,
in reality, he did so have.
Why Wanted Change.
The allegations by defendants and
upon which their applications for
changes of venue were based that on
account of the excitement and the
great interest taken by the commun-
ity in these land cases and the pre-
judice existing, the defendants could
not obtain a fair trial.
Judge Mann heard the arguments
and the evidence submitted very pa.
tiently and thoroughly and then made
an adverse decision. The amount OF
land, at present involved in these
cases, is not great, but, at this inves-
tigatiOn, the land officials and those
OF the department of justice are of the
opinion that attempted frauds of mag
nitude will be discovered and shown
up. Owing TO this investigation, all
the desert land entries in three town
ships, namely, 13, IA and 10 south,
range 25 east, nave been suspended
mi are nov being carefully investi-
gated by special agents of the gem
eral land office.
In Artesian Belt.
The land being in the artesian belt
and in one of the finest food and GER
cal raising sections Of the territory,
are very valuable and after govern
ment titles to them have been obtain
ed, would sell all the way at from $50
ito $50 per acre. The cases against
the Talmages and the other persons
indicted will come up for trial in the
April term of the Fifth judicial dis
trict court before Judge w. H. Pope,
and will no doubt attract a great deal
Of attention n will be watched with
much interest by the people of the
Pecos valley mi of New Mexico.
The defendants are represented by
the Law firm of Richardson, Reid and
Hcrvey, and u. s. Bateman.