The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1905-12-15
HOW MITCHELL WAS CAUGHT
THE DEAD OREGON SENATOR
USED WATER-AIARK PAPER.
The Story Of the Ruse That Failed in
Trying to Throw the Govern
ment on the Track.

Topeka, Dec. s.-sThe detection
and conviction OF Senator Mitchell,
who died in Portland last week while
under sentence to the penitentiary for
defrauding the government out Of
timber lands, reads like a romance, or
rather a lurfd novel" This was said
tonight by A r. Greene, special agent
for the United States general land Of
fee, who is in Topeka assisting in
the unearthing OF land frauds in west
ern Kansas, concerning which the
federal grand jury is now making in
vestigatiOns- 1t vas Colonel Greene
who assisted IN securing the evidence
which brought about the conviction
Of Senator Mitchell
cit seems odd" continued Mr..
Green, but the guilt OF Senator
Mitchell was discovered by means Of
a simple water line in a piece OF lin
en- paper which was brought before
the grand jury by Judge Tanner,
MitchelPs law partner. The govern
ment thought it best to investigate the
affairs OF the ROseburg land Office.
Enough crOOkedness was discovered
there to cause the dismissal OF the
register and receiver and the appoint
ment by the secretary Of the interior
Of a special agent to take charge Of
the Office.
Found Letters From Mitchell
In going through the miscellan-
eoUs letters on file in that Office the
inspectors found a few letters on the
letter head Of Tanner 6. Mitchell and
signed by Judge Tanner. These letters
requested that the claim Of a certain
supposed settler be attended to. This
led the inspectors to suspect that
Mitchell and Tanner were appearing
and practicing in the government de-
partments. On investigation they
found letters to Mr.. Herman, then
commissioner Of the general land Of
fee at Washington. By the commits
siOners' aid, claims Of Tanner and
Mitchell were rushed through and the
government was defrauded out Of
thousands Of acres Of timber land.
But up to this time the depart
ment OF justice had been unable to
connect Senator Mitchell with these
frauds. Then Tanner was subpoe-
naed before the grand jury. Mitchell,
in Washington, heard Of this and
wrote a letter to Tanner which in
stTucted him how to testify. This let
ter was in the meantime sent from
Washington to Portland by Henry
Robertson, stenOgrapher and secre-
tary for Mitchell.
Gave Up the Letter.
In the meantime, however, Tanner
had testified and produced a contract
which showed that Senator Mitchell
had nothing to do with the practice
Of the firm so far as its practice be-
fore the department was concerned.
The secret service department was in
formed that Robertson was on his way
to Oregon with a letter from Mitchell
to Tanner. A detective met Robertson
some distance out Of Portland on the
train Robertson, to the establishment
Of the detective, was a willing witness
and gave up the letter When he ar
rived in Portland he was taken before
the grand jury and testified that he
was the bearer Of a letter from
Mitchell to Tanner Tanner was i'm
mediately summoned and ordered to
produce the letter, which he had new
er seen When he appeared Francis
J. Heney, assistast attorney general,
read the letter from Mitchell and then
said Judge Tanner, you have falsi-
fed about that contract between you
and Senator Mitchell, which you
showed here the other day
''Heney held the paper upon which
the contract was written to the light
How long he asked a papermaker
on the grand jury, has the Portland
paper mill been making paper with
that water line in ft?'"
Then the Facts Came Out.
One year was the answer The
contract bore the date Of two years
before that particular paper was
made Tanner then confessed, and
told OF how the contract by which
Mitchell was not to practice before
the federal department. had been
drawn after the disclosures were
started, but it was dated two years
back
''AitchelPs name was really John
Mitchell Ripple, which he changed 70
John Ripple Mitchell in 1860, when
he went west from Pennsylvania He
had the most absolutely complete pO-
litical machine on the Pacific coast
He was as dictatOriaI as a car. He
made and unmade men by the scratch
OF a pen and appointed men to office
regardless OF their fitness or merit
Furthermore, the protests Of an indig-
nant public amounted to nothing with
him He stood by the men he made
70 the last