The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1905-06-14
LAND FRAUDS SPREAD
.HENEY SAYS THAT CALIFOR-
MAS LAND sOFFIGES IS
MORE CORRURlTHAN n
OREGON'S.
Agents and Land Thieves Combine
-Two-Thirds Of the Golden
States Priceless Timber
-. Lands Stolen.

States Priceless Timber
-. Lands Stolen.
>. =.
San francisco. June 10Tnere]
are the best reasons for believing +
that the scandals 10 the land office
Id Oregon will soon b. dwarfed by
the exposure of yet more gigantic|
frauds in connection with the land
Office of California. NotWithstand-l
ing the determined inaction Of the
men whose official position makes
them guardians Of the public do
main and who are IN. honor bound
to checkmate every attempt to de-
#quire state or federal territory byI
illicit means, the explosion cannot
much longer be delayed. The adj
ministration at Washington has
been informed of what is going, and
that big stick is ready to fall upon
guilty heads however high in au-
thority.
Francis J. Heney, who left for
Portland last night to prosecute his
investigations as special government
counsel, deserves the credit of set
ting the wheels of Investigation in
motion. In an interview yesterday
he revealed some startling facts In.
connection with the land grabbing
1 in this state.
"There is no use in pounding
away at private individuals who
have been trying to turn a dishon-
lest psnnysat the states expense,
J. he said. "The center of corruption
| is in the land Offices of the state of
] California itself. As before, it has
been hand and glove with the ring
| and any pretense Of Ignorance in
regard to the scheme of graft which
have been hatched under its nosesis
Iabsnrd. Tbeland ring has recsiY-
ed favorers from this Office ever
/ since the last election until anow
two-thirds of the states priceless
timber lands have been practically
lstoien."
1t is known OH good authority
that Attorney Heney, when in
Washington, D. c., reported to
President Roosevelt that he9 had
uncovered unmistakable evidences
Of fraud in the methods by which
public lands bad been acquired by
large syndicates in California, Ida
ho and Oregon. The president, i
is stateo, requested him to proceed
at once with the probing process
Whether Heney will accept th'
commission and clean every stal
lin the Angean stables, or whethe
the completion of the task will de
volve upon other shoulders, Is a
yet uncertain.
It is stated that some of the sam
men who stole vast quantities O
land in Oregon are also involved il
the California frauds.
F.P. Hyde and II. P. Dimond
charged with conspiracy to defrau
the government of public lands
have given bonds in the sum {
$780, 900 and $4,000 respectivel
for their appearance before the ST
preme court.
4 B. F. Barrettswill be tried Wed
nesoay before. Judge Hanfordin th
1 United States district court on a.
quiringstimber lands in Montan
/ illegally.
A conspiracy is alleged to hap
been entered into in Spokane h
Barrett, who is a asswealthy banker
I Winona, Minnesota, and three otl
er men. Judge Hanford, sometin
v ago, disposed of the preliminar
7 Iquestions of law SO the case is eel
to him for trial.
The government claims that j
seph Placiona signed a contra,
with Barrett whereby he was
furnish the banker with fel.o
countrymens swhoswould file on Ian,
later to,be turned over to Barre
and in return the men were to r
- ceive 81 900 each. All the land Il
volved is In the vicinity of Kali
pell.
Portland, June 12.-Oregonial
Today the mill of the governmel
begins to grind once more. II
material that has been gathers
with such care by the net of the d
partment OF justice is ready to
placed in the hopper for the redu
t tiop, and the engineers of the Uni
ed States are in waiting to turn {
the power and start the wheels.
Judge John De Haven, who b
been detailed by Judge Gilbert
ipreside over the land fraud case