The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-02-01
MORE PERSONS
ARE INVOLVED
Indictments Returned in Oregon Land
Fraud Gases.
MITCHELL AGAIN FIGURES
HERMANN ALSO INCLUDED IN
THE BILL.

0ORTLAND. Ore, Jan. 31.-A batch
of four indictments, containing
accusations against seventeen per-
sons iH all, was returned today by the
federal grand jury i'm the land fraud
cases. Most of the indicted persons. in
Guiding both Senator John H. Mitchell
and Congressman Binger HERMANN
the only two names who are of more
than local prominence. have been in
dicted before on practically the same
charges. Three of the indictments
were made public, but the fourth was
withheld, pending the arrest of the ac-
cused, for whom bench warrants have
been issued
Charges Conspiracy.
The indictment which mentions
Messrs. Mitchell and Hermann, names
ten others. 1t charges conspiracy to
detraud the government of public land.
Mr.. Mitchell is specifically charged with
having prepared affidaYits at Washing
ton TO be signed by S. A. d. Puter and
mrs watson, also with having abetter
the conspiracy by introducing Puter as
prominent citizen of oregon, and last
~ with having accepted an alleged
bribe of $4,000 from Puter
The others contained in the indict-
ment are >. A. d. Puter, H. G. McKin-
ley and those who are already convict
and Nellie b. Brown. Mr. and Mrs.
Brown are new persons to the cases.
Ihey are, the government asserts, the
mysterious Alexander Brown and Mel
lie BackuS who figured conspicuously
in the first land fraud trial Then it
was thought the names were wholly
imaginary
No specific charge is made against
Mr.. HERMANN, as is done in the case of
Mr.. Mitchell.
Two-FoId Object.
The indictment today has the two
fold object Of connecting Brown and
his wife with the case and removing
any illegality that might have occurred
when Messrs. Mitchell and Hermann
were first indicted. At that time Mr..
Heney was assistant United States dis
trict attorney, and for fear that ne
might not be vested with ample author
ity to of his own VoIition cause a legal
indictment, it was thought best to re-
indict under the same charges. The
first indictment, it is believed, viii be
quashed.
against Mayor w. II. Davis of Albany,
| Ore, which adds perjury TO the accusa-
| ton of attempted fraud now resting
against Davis.
New Persons Involved.
ne NiliU increment Involves WlClil
new persons who are alleged to have
operated in an entirely different dis
trict. These are Henry w Miller.
Frank L. Kincart, Martin G. Hoge and
Charles Nickel Nickel is the United
States land commissioner at Medford,
ore; Hoge is lawyer of the same
town. KincaTt and Miller are timber
locaters whose headquarters were up
10 the time of their apprehension last
fall, at Medford- They are said to be
agents of a lumber company whose
place of business is in Michigan.
The charge against these men is that
they colonized large bodies of men,
whom they caused, it is alleged, to
swear falsely that the colouists We're
bona fide purchasers of timber lands,
when, in fact, the Indictment asserts,
they were under contract to sell to the
timber lOcaters. The indictments and
the accused persons, with the charges
which they will have to answer, follow:
Specific Charges.
The first Indictment is against United
states senator John h Mitchell, Con-
gresham Binger Hermann, S. A. d.
/ Puter, Horace G. Mckinley, Emma l.
/ Watson, Daniel w. Tarpley, Ebert K.
Brown, Nellie Brown, his wife; Henry
| A. Young, Frank II. Walgamot Clark
] T.. LOomis and Salmon b. OTmsby.
They are charged with having con-
| spired on Feb. 1, 1902. TO defraud the
United States government of public
| lands located in township IL south. and
range Z east. by preparing and filing
affidsvits as to the occupation and set
tlement of these lands.
Senator Mitchell is specifically
/ charged with having at Washington,
/ ID. G, on March 3, 1902. having unlaw-
fully prepared an affidavit for Emma
| l. Watson TO sign in which Mrs. Wat
4 son untruthfully swore that she was a
set or m If
/ lands. 1t also charges that Senator
/ Mitchell prepared unlawfully an aft
I davit for s. 4. d. Puter to sign, in
4 which Puter is alleged to have sworn
! that he knew that the contents of the
| Watson affidavit were true.
Bribery Allegation.
The indictment charges that Mitchell
! received as a compensation for his al
/ legged services the sum of 200, paid tC
| him by Puter. The Indictment goes on
J to state that in pursuance of the con-
| spiracy. Senator Mitchell introduced
! Puter to William A. Richards, assist
] ant commissioner in the general land
! Office at Washington. stating that
| Puter was one of the most reliable cit
| liens in Oregon
| The second indictment is against
| Henry w. Miller, Frank L. Kincart
/ Martin G. Hoge and Charles Nickel
, late of Medford, ore. 1t charges that
! these persons on Aug. 81. 1904. unlaw-
! fully cOnspired together and with 9TH
] ers 10 the jury unknown, TO procure 1Ol
/ other persons TO commit the offense OF
! perjury by making false oaths that Ger
! tain lands in the Medford land district
| known as timber and stone lands were
/ being bought i'm good faith and not fol
/ purposes of speculation. Also tina
! these persons falsely swOre that they
! had net contracted to sell these lands
/ when in fact they were buying them, or
/ speculation.
The third indictment charges Mayor
/ William h. Davis OF Albany. ore. witt
| having on Oct. g. 1902. uttered a false
! afidaVit i'm the presence of Salmon 3