The San Francisco call., 1905-01-18
FIRM DENIAL
BY MITCHELL
On Floor Of the Senate He
Answers Charges Brought
Against Him in Oregon
SCORES HIS ACCUsERs
Makes Deep Impression on
Colleagues as He States
That He Is Without Guilt

WASHINGTON, Jan. 10.-The unus-
ual spectacle of United States Senator
explaining on the floor of the chamber
charges made against himself by a
court OF law in his own State was wit
messed in the Senate to-day when
Mitchell of Oregon spoke of the in
dictment recently returned against
him by an Oregon Grand Jury. The
Senator had not previously appeared
in, the Senate since the indictment was
returned and he was received by his
fellow Senators with many evidences
of good will. He was much affected,
his emotion at times being such that
he read his statement with great diff
Guilty. In part, it was as follows:
1 assert in the most positive and unqualified
manner that each and every one of these
charges, In so far as they relate to or in
volve me- are absolutely, unqualifiedly and
atrociously false, and / here and now indig-
nantly and defiantly denounce their authors
ana each and every one of them. and brand
them pupiicly as malicious and atrocious liars
But ! desire to be more specific. and therei
lore l further deny. in terms the most abso-
using. that ever, either in the month of jan
uary, 1902, In the State OF Oregon at any
otner time or place, unlawfully or feioniously.
or otnerWlse conspired with Binger Herr
mann; then Commissioner of the Land Office.
ana 5. A. ID. Puter. Horace II G.. Mckinley
p W. Farpley. Emma L. Watson Salmon B .
Ormsby. Clark E. Loomis and William H. Da-
Wis. or with either or any of them. or with any
o,nea S. person or persons. to defraud the United
otates OUT OF any part of its public lands To-
Gated either in township IL south. range Z
east, in the State of Oregon. or any other
a,soh pnonG iahds either In the State of Oregon or
! further deny in the most absolute and un-
Suailaeo .h terms that s. A. d. Puter did, either
e give menor did T on March r s 3. 1862 So pin IN
place accept or receive from % said Itn s 'ne Di of
Puter the sum of $1,000 or any other amount
%nsteyer ense w,r, as p;n. an ndgeeent to use nu
sioner OF the General Land Office.
Senator Mitchell then told in detail
how he had assisted Puter and Mrs.
watson in washington to secure the
early consideration of claims in
which they were interested. He con-
tinued:
1 had not the slightest idea in doing what
the entries or any OF them 1 did unde-stand
lhat some one had made some objec.& .&ns to
some some OF the entries at one time, months be-
Tore put the same had been thoroughly ex-
amined and reported favorably by the
register and receiver at Oregon city and by
Two special agents in the field.
For what I did before the Land Office in
connection with these twelve entries. as /
heretofore stated. l was not offered. neither
did / receive at any time, either two thous-
and dollars. or any other amount of money.
Puter or any other person
further state that not until more than
Two years after the consideration of these
cases IN the Land Office, as above mentioned,
had / any knowledge or information to the
erect that there was any claim upon the part
else that any of these twelve homesteads had
been acquired wronsfuliy and frauduientIy.
Then the Senator attacked Francis
j. Heney, the United States ATTORNEY
in the prosecution of the land fraud
casef, accusing him of unprofessional
conduct in the tury-room and assert
ing that subsequent to the convictions
in the land fraud cases early in De-
cember and before sentence had been
imposed, Heney, engaged with
United States District Attorney John
IL. Hall in representing the Govern
ment In prosecution of said case. en-
tered into an agreement with the said
). A. ID. Puter, Emma L. Watson and
others included in said conspiracy, by
which they were offered clemency or
leniency Of some kind or character.
provided they would, by their evi,
dence, involve myself, Mr. Hermann
and others in these frauds
The Senator referred to his long ca
reer in the Senate and said that not
until this time had any charge ever
been made against his integrity, either
as man, member of the bar or mem
Der of the Senate. 1t may be thought.
he said, by some that he had violated
precedent in coming to the Senate at
this time, but he declared. II am an
innocent man and / have at this stage
Of the. proceedings the same right as
any other Senator to come here in de-
fense of my character
He trusted and believed, he said.
the time would come when he could
with propriety demand of the Senate
thorough investigation of every one
OF the charges against him. The SEN
ator said in conclusion:
have been declared by unproven charges
to be unworthy to remain longer as your
associate, and being conscious OF the absolute
reotitude of my actions and of my Innocence
OF an wrong. l have deemed It not only my
right, but my duty to myself and to the
members Of this. Senate, that / should come
mere and thus publicly deny all charges which
l know to be absolutely false. and also to ex-
PLAIN publicly the acts upon my part which
ADMIT ana which are nuw invoked by the
prosecuting officer of the Government and by a
crime.