The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1905-10-07
AND WHEN SUPPLY THEM
GAVE OUT, HUNTED UP
OLD SOLDIERS.
How Siletz Timber Lands We're
Hornswoggled by Schemers-
Their Trial is now on In
Federal Court in Port
land-Osher News.

lhnd-Other news.
Portland, Ore. O,t. 4-Willard
N. jones, Thaddeus S. Potter and
Ira Wade, charged jointly with
having conspired to defIaud the
government of public land, are
now on trial in the Federal court
before a jury that was selected
with but little difficulty yesterday
morning.
1t is case that was easy of com !.
mencement, though it will be Bit
terly contested by M. L. Pipes and
S. B. Huston, who represent Jones
and Potter, aed by J. R. Wyatt of
Albany. attorney for Wade. Yes
terday afternoon the testimony Of
John L: Wells, the first witness for
the government was repeatedly in
terrupted by Mr.. Pipes and Mr..
Huston, who desired to enter and
argue pleas covering the different
liues of the testimony about to be
offered by the government. Mr..
Pipes said that If be made all his
objections the case, though at first
Glow would proceed more rapidly
once the technic Il points were out
of the way.
The Jones case is remarkable for
one thing, the shortness of the time
taken by the attorneys for present.
ing their cases to the jury. Mr..
Heney occu pied about 20 minutes
in his presentation while Mr.. Hus-
ton for the defense was even more
brief.
In opening his address to the
jury Mr.. Heney said that the gov
erpment would prove that before
toe Siletz Indian reservation had
been opened to entry in 1905, prac-
tically all the agricultural lands
had been allotted to the Indians,
SO that what remained was for the
most part valuable alone for its
heavy timber.
The government would show, Mr.
Heney said, that the defendant
Jones' had conceived the idea of
acquiring this cumberland by pro-
curing a number of soldi-rs' widows
to file and prove up, as under the
law they did nos have to reside
upon land.
In pursuance OF this scheme, ac-
cording to Mr.. Heney, Jones and
Potter, who had also been one Of
the originators of the plan, hired
John- L. Wells, an insurance and
real estate man of the East side,
he himself an ex-soldier, to hunt
up the required number of widows.
For this work Wells was to receive
commission Of S. head.
It would be further proved, Mr..
Heney said, that the defendants
had prepared written contract,
which was given to the women to
sign. By this agreement they were
to pay Jones location fee of $185.
In addition they were to pay 500
for clearing the land and $175 for
cultivating it. They were to be
charged in all $420 for expenses o'
all kinds. This monsy was to b.
furnished by Jones, the claimants
mortgagiug their claims to th
fendant for $500 more than
amounts advanced them,
5000 was the profit made by the
claimants.
Mr.. Jones soon found, SO Mr..
Heney said, that there were moi
enough widows, so Wells was agair
called into requisition and told tc
hunt up ex-soldiers who had cserv
ed two years or longer. These mer
under the law could receive resid
ence credit from the department
for a length of time equivalent te
their service in the army.
The government would show
further, .Mr. Heney announced
that some of the men who had flee
upon the land had never been or
the claims and that none of them
had resided upon the claims as de
manded by law. On the contrary
/ Jones would round up the band
every six months and take them tt
their claims, paying all expenses
of travelling, in order that the claim
i ants might be able to swear tina
they had not been absent from til,
i land for six months. It would al.