The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-07-07
THE DISGRACE OF MITCHELL.
Francis T.. ShOber, OF New York
Writes of His Life. Trial and Con-
yictiOn.


| Former Congressman Francis Sho-
Der! of New York, writes as follows in
the New York American with regard
to the conviction of Senator Mitchell,
of Oregon:
The conviction o! United States Sen
ator John H. Mitchell, at Portland,
IOregon, yesterday, for participation in
public land frauds against the gov
eminent in Oregon, adds another chap
ter to a career without a parallel in
American politics.
For more than forty years Mitchell
and his associates have dominated the
politics of Oregon. He has been elect
ed to the United States Senate at diff
ferent times for four full terms during
that period. Boys have grown to
manhood and their children too, dur
ing Senator Mitchells reign.
n Power Among Men.
Mitchell went to Oregon forty-five
years ago when he was twenty-five
years old. He was agile and vigorous
then in the flush of his young man
hood. He is old and withered now, his
limbs are feeble, his eyes are dim and
the winters of age have whitened his
tpatriarchal beard with their chilling
isnows. But within that shrunken frame
still burn the fires which gave him
quence. nor was it profound learning
it was his responsiveness, which with
the faculty of political perception and
Organization, enabled him to control
men with a handshake, a word or a
look, and win their confidence.
So for almost half a century he has
been the central figure of a great State
dominating its politics and controlling
its offices almost as he wished. Is
there parallel in the Union? Mitch
ell was in control of Oregon when
Tweed owned New York. That was
more than thirty years ago. and until
now Mitchell has been in control with
nearly all the Federal officers in the
State filled by his friends, and many
of the State and county offices as
well.
Deserted His First Family.
Mitchell is originally from Pennsy'
vania having been born in Washing
ton county. His fathers name was
Nipple, and John IL. Nipple he was
until he suddenly went West. There
he took the maiden name of his
mother, and Mitchell he has remained.
| He was a school teacher III Butler,
Pa, and while thus engaged married
fifteen-year-old Sadie Hoon, by whom
he had three children. He left them
all when he went to Oregon and they
never heard from him until 1879.
| when he was elected to the United
States Senate for the first time.
In the meantime he had married
/ Miss Martha Price, of a we'll known
/ Oregon family. A boy and two gir's
resulted from this union. The son is
now a captain of artillery in the
| United States army. one daughter
died in Washington, and the other
married the Due de la ROchefoucauld.
When the first wife learned the
! identity of the new Senator from Ore
| gon she sued him for divorce in 1873
| and was given decree. The second
| marriage was subsequently legalized.
Mitchelrs opportunity for political
| preferment came soon after he arrived
| in Portland. A movement was inaugu-
rated for the establishment of a Pa
cific Coast Republic, which, on &C
| count of the Civil War then raging in
| the East, became a formidable one.
| This far-seeing man espoused the side
of the government and worked heroic
! ally against the secesSonists.
Weighted Down With Offices.
| Honors CAME 20 him in rapid sue 3,
| cession as q consequence. He was
| elected citj Attorney i'urt AL ~ 4
| a year afterwar,. was sent to the state
| senate. Two years later he WAS elect
| ed president of the semitic al in So
| was defeated in the United States
| Senate by only one vote, hl:t, us al
ready stated, he was successful in 1872
| was defeated nV 4 nat - marEln III
| 1878, but was a gain successful in 1SSS.
! and in 1921 Vas chosen for Il thiI d
| term. The gold Republicans defeat
ed him in 1897, but again he triumph
d in 1902.
John H. Mitchell was indicted 10y y
| federal grand jury in four separate
cases. He was charged with having
I IL L.. Of Ia
| United States to PUSH claims through
| the land office at Washington which
he knew to be frauds on the govern
ment, and with having a~Itpsa'i hribes
| in the Sha 20 of money tt tii' SERVED.
| Several specific instances were sho"h
were money had been pai's to bin
/ notably in the case of :. =. ID. Euter
who confessed tnAL hc mad given
! Mitchell $4,000 to have a few OF mis-
claims approved.
Convicted by DIVA Litter.
| The confession or this man Puter
and a letter Writ II by Mitchell 20
| his law partner, former Judge =. II.
| Tanner, to testify that none OF The
money received for pushing through
these land patents had ever bccJ. laid
| to the senator, ut the partner. evil
| IDENTIFY with 3reit reluctance, made
| open confession in court of his own
| ana MlCCnell cOmpticl-y III THESE
| fraudulent dealings.
The land frauds cen ;.irl.e Il r1pre
gigantic swindle thea ali Of the others
| which have ever been committed
against the United States. For years
and years the vast areas of valuable
lands belonging to the government i'll
| the far east have been Systematically
stolen, not by the acre, but by the
thousand and millions of acres
One man. John Miller by name,
owns today in his own right 1883,
900 acres of the richest land in Cali
fornia and Oregon. 1t is an area of
more than 22,5U0 square mics three
times as large as the State of New
Jersey. John Miller landed in this
country in 1850 a poor German
butcher boy.
1t is believed that the conviction
of John II. Mitchell will lead the way
to the conviction of other men of
wealth and influence. who are now UNI
der indictment on the Pacific coast
among them members of the house of
representatives.