East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1905-01-02

Portland, Jan. 1.-Two thousand
dollars was the price paid to Senator
John H. Mitchell for his aid in con-
summating the Watson -McKin-
ley conspiracy to defraud the govern
ment of public lands, according to the
indictment returned against him Sat-
urday afternoon by the federal grand
jury. The money was paid to Senator
Mitchell. the indictment recites, on
March 8, 1902, "in lawful money of
the United States of America" by S.
A. ID. Puter, in the city of Washing
ton.
Co-defendant with Senator Mitchell
is Congressman Binger Hermann,
representative from the first district
of Oregon, who is at last to be ar
raigned for the crimes against the
government with which he has been
openly and repeatedly charged before
the bar of public opinion for more
than two years past.
Only a portion of the evidence at
the governments command has thus
~N-s b~Sia PASoShtONb ONVil W thC bEdlu
jury, and II is said that the evidence
against Senator Mitchell, Congressman
Hermann and State Senator f. p.
Mays is as overwhelming as that pre-
scented against Pnter, Mckinley and
their co-defendants in the trial re-
Gently concluded.
1t is authoritatively stated, also,
IL.
must yet face the inquisition of the
grand jury and that the evidence OF
the illegal transactions with which
his name is associated is no less strong
than that presented against his con-
gressional colleagues who are now
under indictment.
The story of the evidence against
Senator Mitchell and Congressman
Herman, upon which their Indictment
is based, is remarkable. 1t was first
told by s. A. d. Puter, after his con-
viction at the recent trial, but all the
important details have since been cor
roborated and reinforced by abundant
outside evidence. SO that 1t is regarded
by Mr.. Heney as unimpeachable.
II shall ask the grand jury to in
dict no one" he said few yays ago.
unless the evidence seems to me am
ply sufficient not only to indict but
to convict the accused"
Story of Mitchell's Completely.
In brief, the story is as follows:
S. A. d. Puter went to Washington
in 1902, carrying a sealed letter from
F. p. Mays to Senator Mitchell. IT
was not "letter of introduction" as
1t has been SO frequently described,
for Puter had known Mitchell since
1894, and had brought him some i'm
portant law business. This letter Pu-
ter presented to Senator Mitchell
March 2, 1902.
Puter explained to Mitchell that he
was interested In certain homestead
applications in township 11-7, now
notorious as the scene OF some Of the
operations of the ring. and said that
it was imperatively necessary that
patents should be obtained at once.
He told Mitchell that Mrs. Watson
had $4,000 invested In the claims in
tQvnship III, and could not afford
to lose the money. Mitchell told him
that 1t would be necessary to put the
reasons for expediting the claims in
the form of affidavits, and in the eve
ming of March 8, Mitchell and Puter
went to the senator's rooms at the
Dewey hotel There Mitchell dictated
to his own stenographer the two af-
fidavits subsequently signed and
sworn to by Puter and Emma Wat
son.
The Puter affidavit recited that he
had been the agent of Mrs. Emma
Watson in securing for her the IL
homestead claims in township III;
that he had examined the title, which
he found all right; and that upon his
advice she invested her money In the
property.
The Watson affidavit recites that
she was the owner of the IL home
stead claims; that she had paid over
$4,000 cash for them, having borrow
ed the cash with which to pay for
them by mortgaging other properly;
that these mortgages were falling due
and, that she must secure patents to
the 12 claims at once in order to es-
cape serious loss.
Mitchell Prepared Affidayits.
The next morning Senator Mitchell ,
.ook Puter and Emma Watson to the /
,apitol, where he introduced them to /
Tohn J. McGrain, notary public, be- {.
ore whom they subscribed and swore !
o the affidavits that had been pre-
Jared by Senator Mitchell. Mitchell