Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-17

their authors and each and every one OF
them and brand them publicly as malicious
and atrocious liars
He denied the charge that he had re-
ceived money from S. A. d. Puter to use
his influence with the land commission
The senator then said he thought it proper
he should state precisely what connection
he ever had with Puter and the lands in
question, and some of the circumstances
connected with the actions of the Srand
jury and the publications in the press re-
garding the charges.
First Meeting With Puter.
He said that about March L. or g 1902
Puter called on him in Washington with a
letter of Introduction from F. p. Mays an
attorney of Portland, Greg, and for many
years district attorney for the Oregon dis
trict. Puter had with him a woman whom
he introduced as Mrs. Emma L. Watson, a
widow, and a citizen of Oregon, who had
invested something over $1,000 in twelve
homesteadS after the entrymen had re-
ceived their certificates.
The woman had obtained the greater
part OF this money by mortgaging other
lands secured by notes coming due She
could not raise the money to meet these
notes until she had received patents for
the twelve homesteads she had purchased.
Puter had acted as agent for the woman
and she was blaming him, Puter said as
he had assured her when she made the
purchases that the patents to the lands
would be issued in the regular course of
business, certainly before the notes she
had given for the borrowed money became
due. Puter said it would be several months
before the cases would be reached in the
regular order in the land office, and that
his purpose in calling on him (the senator)
was to know if he could aid him in getting
them advanced for early considera ton.
The senator said he told Puter certainly
that he would help him in the event that
ne found the cases in condition to be
taken up. Puter the senator said, replied
that he thought the cases had been thor
oughly investigated by agents in the field
and reported on favorably.
Il had not, of course. the slightest sus-
picion,' said Senator Mitchell that there
was anything wrong about the homestead
entries or any of them, and l told Puter
would go up to the land office at once and
ascertain the status of the cases, and ask
ed him to go along with me. He went.
with me- first giving me an abstract-a pa
per containing a statement of twelve diff
ferent entries, the names of the respective
entrymen, and description of the land in
each, and the dates of the alleged sales
by each to Mrs. Watson, together with the
amount alleged to have been paid by her
for each claim"
Call on the Commissioner.
At the land office, the senator continued
they were told that the field reports in the
for examination in the general land Office
as soon as reached in their regular order,
but that it would be some considerable
time before they would be reached. Senator
Mitchell said he was further told at that time
that there had been three reports, all fa-
vorable, made on all the twelve entries one
by the register and receiver, C.. b. MOoreS
and William Galloway. at Oregon City,
Ore, one republican and the other a
democrat-both men of the very highest
character-and two reports of special agents
in the field, and that these reports were all
favorable. This information was obtained
from some of the subordinate officials
The situation was then presented to Com
missioner Hermann.
The commissioner explained to him (the
senator) that cases could not be made spe-
by affidavit why they should be advanced.
Puter, who was present, the senator con-
tinued told the sympathy story about the
woman, and Hermann suggested that he
Puter) put his reasons for making the
cases special in the form of an affidavit and
he would consider If it was proper to ad-
vance them.
Af6davits Prepared.
Puter and Mrs. Watson then went to the
senator's Office at the latter's SUI Sgestion,
wheretw affidavits were prepared without
cost to them.
Senator Mitchell then read to the Senate
the two affidavits, both of them detailing
the facts in the case as they alrettdy have
been briefly stated.
Relying in these affidavits, the senator, in
letter to Commissioner Hermann dated
March 3, asked that the cases referred to
be made special Three days later he re-
ceived a letter from Mr.. Hermann which
said. in part:
"Action nm these enfrfas bas l,aor a,,a