The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-10-24

Neither would say what the object of
Mr.. Greene's visit is here at this time,
farther than the investigation of some
land frauds. Mr.. Greene would say
nothing at al.
How long viii you be here?" was
asked os him
Maybe for six months for ALI know
he replied as he changed the subjeeA
There have been illegal infringenents
on Ihe lands of Kansas for good many
years. A few instances of recent oc-
currence show the obtaining of land by
fraud. The fencing up of government
land by cattle men for the purpose of
grazing their stock is another matter
which has worried the government off
cials a great deal in recent years. But
whether either Of these viii be touchd
upon by Mr.. Greene is not known. 1t is
certain however that he is here for busi-
ness.
Mr.. Greene holds the only position Of
his kind in the country. He is not I'M
der the land department at Washington,
and is in no way controlled by the chiefs
of that bureau. He is the special in
spector of the department of the in
terror
He is Immediately under the orders of
Secretary Hitchcock, SECRETARY of the
interior.
Mr.. Hitchcock and President Roose-
welt are great on ferreting out frauds
and scandals. So when the air was
electric with land fraud charges in the
northwest, Roosevelt and Hitchcock
cast about for a man to make the in
vestigation.
They. selected Greene, a Kansas man.
He went into the northwest and got
busy. But the lumber men soon found
out who he was and he was unable to.
make any headway. He sent for
man he knew well and put him to work,
making the arrangement that neither
should speak to the other in public.
I The assistant found one of the par
ties suspected prancing up and down
the hotel lobby, apparently in deep
trouble Representing himself trav-
cling man, under the aroma Of a good
cigar, he got the party suspected to
tell what worried him.
/ What was it? 1t was a fuss between
two of the suspected over a woman.
ter that he confessed the Vaccinations
of the fraudulent operators to the gov
ernment officials under the promise of
being s'taken care Of And that is how
i the United States officers got crow
bar into a deal, which when finally di-
/ vested of its shell, sent a whole contin-
gent to the penitentiary-
/ This same man Greene is here now
"on land business According to his
own words, he may stay 'six months. .
He was for many years a newspaper
man. For seven years he was a writer
on the Kansas City Journal, the To
pel1a correspondent and he signed his
articles Joe Fluffer." He then start
ed newspapers in two Kansas towns,
Girard and Minneapolis A. P. Riddle
was his partner He was made an in
spector Of government land offices, and
then was transferred to an executive
position in the department of forestry.
from that place he was taken by Sec
retary Hitchcock to unearth the north
\ western land scandals.
my home is in Portland and my fam
4 lily lives there" he said today. But 1
stiu keep up my residence in Kansas.
and I vote here. Last spring they
wanted me to run for the council in
! Portland, but I told them was an
alien and a Kansan. love this old
state too well to give up my residence
here
Al Greene, as he is familiarly known.
lived for many years at LecomptOn and
went back and forth, hot-footed be
tween the new capital and the old one.