The San Francisco call., 1905-02-09
Federal Grand Jury
Accuses Him Of
Perjury.
True Bills Are Also Re-
turned Against Former
Officials.
Tanner Is Accused Of Giving False
Testimony During Recent Examina-
tion by Inquisitorial Body.

PORTLAND, Or, Feb. S.-The Fed
eral Grand Jury which is investigating
the land fraud cases in which the
Government contends that it has been
defrauded of large tracts of public land
in this State, to-day returned three in
dictments.
In one indictment A. II. Tanner, law
partner of United States Senator John
H Mitchell, is alleged to have per-
iured himself in giving testimony be-
fore the Grand Jury January 81, 1905,
during the investigation of charges
against Mitchell Another is against
Hamilton n Hendricks, an officer of
the Butte Creek Land and Livestock
Company, who is indicted for suborna-
ton of perjury in connection with his
testimony before the Grand Jury Janu-
ary 10, 1905.
The third indictment is against
Henry Meldrum, ex-United States Sur
veyor General of oregon; George r.
Waggoner, chief clerk in the Surveyor
Generals office; David w. Kinnaird,
examiner of surveys; Rufus S. Moore,
surveyor. and John w. Hamaker and
Frank j. Van Wrinkle, notaries public.
They are indicted on charge OF con-
spjracy to defraud the United States
Government of public lands in Central
Oregon.
CHARGES AGAINST TANNER.
The Indictment of Judge Tanner
brings before the public with unex-
pected suddennesS the name OF a man
heretofore unconnected by rumor or
fact with the land frauds cases now
being investigated. 1t is alleged in the
Indictment that Judge Tanner. while
witness before the Grand Jury on
January 81, 1905, said that the firm of
Mitchell & Tanner had received money
and other compensation for work done
for Frederick A. KribS in eXped1ting
land cases through the General Land
Office and passing them to patent, but
that of this money Senator Mitchell
had not received any part for himself.
This the Government thinks is untrue,
as it will attempt to prove that Sena-
tor Mitchell did receive money, placed
to his account by Judge Tanner at the
expiration of each month.
1t is further alleged that Judge Tan
ner testified that the office had not
kept any books of accounts showing
what portions of such money had been
received by Senator Mitchell, when in
fact such accounts had been kept and
were then in existence.
Another charge against Judge Tan
ner made in the indictment is his tes-
timony in regard to copartnership
agreement which is dated March D,
1901 1t Is alleged in each indictment
that this document was not written
and signed on March 8, 1905 but that
1t was written by clerk in the office
Of Mitchell & Tanner during the recent
visit of Senator Mitchell to the city.
OTHER FRAUDS ALLEGED.
The indictment of Hamilton H. Hen
bricks. secretary and treasurer of the
Butte Creek Land Livestock and Lum-
ber Company of The Dalles, was due
to subornation of perjury alleged to
have been committed on January 10,
1906
Meldrum and others are indicted for
having entered into conspiracy on or
about April Is, 1902, to defraud the
Government, by fraudulent surveys. 1t
Is alleged in this indictment that the
defendants took advantage of the fact
that there had been filed in the office
of the General Surveyor a number Of
false and forged applications purport-
ing to be from bona-fide settlers that
the lands upon which they were living
be surveyed, but 1t is alleged that the
defendants knew that the lands were
arid and uninhab abited.
A fourth indictment was returned
against George c. Brownell, amenda-
tory to the indictment returned last
week against Brownell. accusing him
of subornation Of perjury.