The Topeka state journal., 1905-12-16
TO QUIT TONIGHT.
Federal Grand Jury Will Make
Final Report.
No More Indictments for Illegal
Fencing Expected.
ARE ONLY FOR FRAUD
United States Marshal After
Those Indicted.
viii Be Expected to Appear for
Trial January 8.

At noon today J. S. Dean, united
States district attorney, stated that the
special federal grand jury now IN ses-
sion investigating the land fraud
cases would return q final report to-
night at O'Clock, and then probably
adjourn permanently.
He could not give out an idea Of
the number of indictments which will
be presented to the court. Asked if
there would be a half dozen, he re-
piled: ''I do not think that there will
be more than that, but then I do not
know. Much depends on how the
work we are on today results
It is pretty definitely understood
that there will be no cases for illegal
fencing returned, but that all will be
for fraud Some of the cases are de-
cidedly important, but whether they
can be made to "stick' is another
question, and the officials are going
very slow. If the cases are not abb
solutely clear then they will not be
returned, for the charges are severe
and would blight the character of
those attacked for life, in case they
would not make good in the trial
The jury began its work early this
morning and will be at it probably
until nightfal. Judge Pollock will be
here to receive the report. He no.
tilted the local officials yesterday that
he would come here from Kansas City
to accept the indictments if any are
returned tonight
Will Try on January 8.
The United States marshaIs office
today issued capiases for the twenty
four persons indicted by the grand
jury last week and the deputies were
at i17cfTT1pfpd IN "a to oil
serve them, and order the defendants
to give bond. They will not have to
come here to give bond, but can do
so wherever they are found. In none
Of the instances will the guarantee for
appearance be more than $1,000. All
of them are orderd to report at the
Kansas City. Kas., term of the federal
court which begins on January 8, for
trial.
Commissioner Says Little.
The commissioner of the land de-
partment at Washington has issued
his annual statement of land affairs in
| the United States. But very little is
said relative to illegal land enclosures
or fraudulent entries. But one direct
reference is made to Kansas and that
IS relative to timber culture entries
/ It states that investigation is being
made of the Wakeeney and Dodge
| City land Offices relative to the re-
! neWal of timber culture entries This
l IS one OF the questions to be thorough
| " threshed out before the investiga-
/ ton in Kansas is finished. The com
missioner does not throw blame upon
any one The point to be arrived at
! IS whether people when asking for a
| renewal of their timber culture en-
! tries made the proper effort to COM
/ ply with the law when they first took
/ the land. There are lots of cases
where perjury was committed. The
| land offices are not expected to go out
and make a personal investigation
each time a man filed his proofs OF
complying with the law. The govern
ment is after the men who made
fraudulent proofs.
The Wakeeney office was abolished
I in February. The paragraph relating
to these two offices in the commission
er's report is as follows:
Under acts of March 3, 1873 C17
/ Stat L. 605), March IS. 1874, GS
Stat L., 21), and June II, 1878 C2C
Stat. l., 113) repealed by act of March
Is, 1891 (26 Stat. L., 1905), there have
been made 65,54 final and commuted
entries, aggregating, approximately
9,7S5,59 acres. OF such entries there
were still pending, on July I, 1905
unadjudicated, about COS entries, COW
ering approximately, 97,2S0 acres
with but very few exceptions, such
pending entries were made long after
the expiration of the time fixed by
statute, and mainly in the Dodge City
and Wakeeney, Kan, and Akron, Col.
land districts. Investigation to ascer-
/ tain the facts as to these entries in the
districts named is in progress