Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1905-01-02

ey in connection with land matters, or
anything else, he is a id liar"
This statement was made by Senator
John II. Mitchell, of Oregon, who
passed through Spokane on his way to
Washington tonight.
81 never saw Puter in my life" said
Senator Mitchell, "until he called on
me in Washington with a letter of in
PRODUCTION from T. p. Mays, a friend of
mine in Portland. In helping him be-
fore the land office, I did what I have
done for a thousand other citizens of
Oregon. lie told me that he had been
employed by Mrs. Watson, as I recall
it now, to look into her matters for
her. Never in the slightest degree was
the matter Of compensation mentioned
between Puter and myself"
Senator Mitchell then gave out the
following interview to the Oregoniar
correspondent:
81 am as innocent as a babe unborn
of any completely in any land frauds in
Oregon or elsewhere, and if it is true
that an Indictment has been returned
against me, | assert in the most posi-
tive terms that it must be based upon
the testimony of self-confessed and
convicted land thieves and ~perjurers,
who have been offered immunity in ease
they, to meet the vindictive desire of
Secretary Hitchcock and his agents,
will, by their testimony, involve me
and others in the frauds.
"The prosecuting officer, Francis j.
Heney, filed the newspapers of the
United States with press dispatches
from Portland ten days before the
grand jury met, to the effect that l was
involved in the land frauds. I imme-
diately left Washington for Portland to
answer any charges made against me
before the grand jury, and I wired
Heney that ! desired the privilege of
going before the grand jury to answer
any charges against me. On my arriv-
al in Portland ] made a similar request
of the foreman of the grand jury.
Z ! was told by Mr.. Heney that |
could go before the grand jury. On my
appearance there ! was told by Heney
that no evidence had been submitted to
the jury against me. ! then said that
if there was no charge against me to
answer, ] was still ready and willing to
submit to an examination. This | did
for two hours and a half, and answered
promptly all questions. / was not ad-
vised as to what the charge against me
was, and assured the jury hat | was
ready and willing to answer any other
questions, which either Heney or any
member of the jury might wish to ask
me, and especially did l desire the priv
ilege of answering any charges that
might be made against me by any wit
ness.
"Having been assured that no such
evidence, up TO that date, had been
/ then remained in Portland
for four days after that, and, receiving
word, either from Heney or the
grand jury, the latter being in session
all the time, | left Portland last even
ing for my post of duty in Washing
ton.
off an indictment has been returned
against me, ] am prepared to meet it,
before a trial jury Immediately, and,
in this connection, / defy the prosecut-
ing officer to produce against me one
particle of evidence worthy of n mo-
belief which in any manner i'm
properly connects me with any land
or with any confessed criminals.
81 demand a trial at the earliest
possible moment, and ! will return to
Portland whenever / can be assured by
the prosecuting officer Of an immediate
~ denomce this prosecution against
me as the result of a most |damnable
and cowardly conspiracy, in which Sec
rotary Hitchcock and this man Heney
are the chief conspirators, their mo-
i've being partly revenge and partly
"'This man Heney is a California
Democrat, who is trying to blacken and
the character of leading Ore
,on Republicans. That there have been
and frauds in Oregon 1 do not deny,
1ht, speaking for myself, 1 do deny in
he most positive and unqualified man
Ter that / have been in any wise, either
or indirectly, connected there