The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1905-04-11
MORE CAUGHT
IN DRACNET
OREGON GRAND JURY FINDS
FURTHER INDICTMENTS.
ALL CLASSES ARE INCLUDED
Land Office Receiver, Minister of Cos.
pei, Wealthy Lumbermen and
Others Charged.

Portland, Ore, April 9.-1n a man |
ner consistent with Its previous rec
ord the federal grand jury, which has
conducted Investigations into the al
legged land frauds perpeSrated in this
state yesterday bade adIeu to the pub
| lie and passed out of existence, after
returning five more indictments i'm
plicating Is men, among whom are
the head of perhaps the largest lum-
bering concern in the state, a state
senator, a receiver of land Office
and minister Of the gospel.
Never in the history OF the north
Pacific coast has similar body OF
men achieved so remarkable a record
ais has this grand jury, which, alto
| gether, has returned 25 indictments III
connection with alleged conspiracies
to defraud the government or part OF
it's public domain.
The indictments prefer charges
against nearly so different persons, all
told, In this number, besides those
enumerated above, are United
States senator, two congressman,
United States district attorney, sew
era1 officials of the government land
department, several state senator's,
several county and municipal officers
and a number of prominent attorneys,
livestock men, timber men and
cashiered officer of the United States
army.
Crimes Charged.
Conspiracy to defraud the govern
ment of public land. conspiracy to de-
fame the character OF a government
official, bribery, perjury and subor-
nation of perjury are the crimes
which the government will attempt TO
fix upon the accused.
The operations of the different per-
sons accused of conspiracy are alleg-
ed to have extended into the Blue
mountains of eastern Oregon; into
the Harney valley in southeastern
Oregon; into the stock raising coun-
try on the east slope OF the Cascade
mountains in central oregon, and in
+ other places along the entire Cascade
range, from the southern boundary OF
the state to the Columbia river on the
north. The only district upon which
the jury has not left it's mark is that
part of the state which lies west OF
| the coast range of mountains and
the Pacific ocean.
= Another Jury May be Called.
The jury which went out of exist
ence yesterday is not believed te
: have concluded the Investigations oi
n alleged fraudulent practices in the Sc
v curing of public lands IN this state
g From the fact that United States Dis
trict Attorney F. J. Heney spent
D considerable portion OF the day II
d consultation with United States jury
4 Commissioner C. J. Reed, it is though
to be Mr.. Heney's intention ito secure
a new grand jury and continue thE
/ work.
Those Indicted.
The five indictments returned yes
y terday are the first to be returned
; since the grand jury reconvened las
Monday In these indictments beside
3 State Senator A. A. Booth, manage
of the Booth-Kelly Lumber company
S one of the largest concerns of its kim
g in Oregon, are numbered his brother
It Henry J. Booth, receiver OF the Rose
burg land office; Frank D. Alley a.
a. Roseburg, abstractor; A. R. and Ed
a. ward R. Downs, Seattle timber men
9 the Reverend Stephen W. Turnell,
L Roseburg minister; Edward Single
lie ton. brother-in-law of the Booths
Willard N Jones, Portland timbe
man; Thaddeus S. Potter, formerl'
clerk in the law office of F. P. Mays
a. H. L. Sissler of Seattle; Daniel Clarl
is an ex-soldier of the rebellion; Cla
in ence B. Zachary, Coed Barnard an
it Charles A. Watson of Fossil. Wheele
IN county
ID. Conspiracy to Defraud Government
ns They will be charged with eonspi
&C. acy to defraud the government OF
portion of dts public lands. The gran