Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-02
OREGON'S LAND FRAUDS
SENATOR MITCHELL INDICTED by
THE FEDERAL GRAND JURY.
Alleged He Accepted Brides From Land
Dealer-Hermann Charged With
Expediting Cases.

dispatch from Portland, Ore, last night
says: The federal grand jury this after
noon indicted United States Senator John
H. Mitchell for bribery on six counts in
connection with the land frauds inyestiga-
ton.
The indictment against Senator Mitchell
alleges that while senator from this state
to the federal Congress he accepted on
seven different occasions sums of money ag-
gregating 1900 from timber land dealer
named Frederick r. Kribs for services
rendered, it is alleged in inducing Con-
gresham Binger Hermann. then commits
sioner OF the general land office at Wash
ington, to expedite, make special and ap-
prove certain applications for public lands
and recommend the issuing of patents to
the lands. -r.4
The Indictment against Senator Brownell
charges that Mr. Brownell caused Fred
Sievers and John Rowland to swear falsely
that certain field notes in connection with
the survey of public lands In eastern Ore
gon were true. i.r
Alleged Connection With Land Dealer.
Specifically. the Indictment against SEN
ator Mitchell rectes that Kribs was en-
gagged in the business of procuring and aid
ing persons in making applications to pur
chase tracts of lands in the Roseberg dis
secure the lands by means of alleged false
statements, that they were not applying for
them on speculation.
After going on to say that the services of
Congressman Hermann, as commissioner of
the general land office, We're necessary in
having the applications expedited and hav
ing the patents issued. the indictment says
that Frederick r. Kribs contra for the
services of John H. Mitchell and A. Fl.
Tanner, law partners, and agreed to pay
them for services rendered in part by Mr..
Mitchell appearing before and persuading
Binger Hermann, commissioner of the gen.
eral land Office, to make special, expedite
and approve the applicable and claims,
and recommend the issuance of patents on
them as though they We're lawful and bona
fide applications and claims.
Interested While Senator.
The indictment states that the United
States government was directly interested
in these latter. and that the services were
to be performed by Mr.. Mitchell while a
senator of this state The Indictment then
makes the charges that in consideration of
these services Kribs gave Mitchell two
checks for 500 each on a Roseburg, Ore,
bank on February Is, 1862; two checks on
the same bank on June Il, 1902, for 81 900
each: one check on September 20 1892 for
$500; one check on January !, 1904 for $500
and one check ON October s, 1904 for 500
State Senator GeorgesG.: Brownell was
indicted at the same time sn four charges
of Subornation OF perjury.
Einert X Brown and Ne1lie B. Brown are
new persons named in the land fraud in
dictments returned by the grand jury yes
terday. They are, the government asserts
the mysterious Alexander Brown and Nellie
Backus, who figured conspicuously in the
first land trial. Then il was thought the
names were wholly imaginary No specific
charge is made against Representative Her.
mann, as is done in the case of Senator
Mitchell
Object of New Indictment.
The last indictments have the two-foId
object of connecting Brown and his wife
with the case, and removing any illegaIity
that might have occurred when Senator
Mitchell and Representative Hermann We're
nrst indicted. At that time Mr. Heney was
united States district attorney, and for
rear that he might not be vested with
ample authority, of his own volition. to
cause a legal indictment, it was thought
nest to reindict under, the same charges
Inc nrst Indictment, it is believed, will be
quashed kencart and Miller, named in the
second indictment. are said to be agents OF
a lumber company in Michigan.