The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1905-12-22
DUM0EI Sinh m Tolls
kINsLEX SENATOR Up AGAINST
A FEDERAL INDICTMENT.
Charged With aInGuencinsr = Gov
ernment Official With Money
and Railway Passes.

Topeka, Kan, Dec. 16.-Fred Du-
mont Smith Of Kinsley, state senator
from Edwards county, was indicted
by the federal grand jury Saturday
night for cOnspiracy
He is accused with his law partner,
Roscoe Wilson, editor Of the Jetmore
Republican and assistant postmaster
at JetmOre, Kan, Of influencing by
means OF valuable considerations, T.
E Ryan OF St Charles, Ill, at that
time q special land agent Of the United
States, to prevent him from acting
against alleged fraudulent land en-
tries pending before him
Smith, Wilson and Ryan are charg-
ed with having divided a total sum Of
-, 200 among themselves and Ryan,
It is alleged, also received railroad
transportation
Charles Johnson, William A Han
nah, A n. Montague and T. J. Pal
mer, the latter the probate judge. and
all Of HOdgeman county paid the
money Each one put up $500 and
some Of them a little more.
Johnson and Hannah are charged
with having made fraudulent land en-
tries. Montague was q witness for
Hannah, il being claimed that he com
mitted perjury in connection with
probate judge Of HOdgeman county
and took the affidavits.
It become a matter OF some common
report that these four had violated the
statutes Of the United States with
reference to their land possessions.
Roscoe Wilson, it is alleged by the in
dictment, went to the four and told
them that he with his law partner
Senator Smith Of KfnsIey, could pre-
vent T. z. Ryan, the special land
agent, from prosecuting them, if they
put up a consideration
Johnson, Hannah, Montague and
Palmer gave up a sum in the neighbOr-
hood Of $4,000, which it is supposed
Wilson, Smith and Ryan divided
among themselves. Just how much
each one got individually the jury
did not arrive at, or investigate
Offense Is a Felony.
The punishment for the offense of
the three men indicted Is a fine not
exceeding $4,000 and a sentence Of
two years in jail for each. Both a
fine and jail sentence must be in
fIicted.
Though the charge is closely akin
to bribery, indictment could not be
returned on that score because Of a
technical construction Of the law
Ryan is not what is officially termed
an Officer" but rather an agent of
the government
The charge against them reads prac-
ticalIy in this manner: "a cOnspir-
Rcy TO influence the action Of the
land agent on matters pending before
him In pursuance Of this conspir-
acy he acceded to the terms Of the
cOnspiratOrs and accepted valuable
consideration from them for protect
ing said alleged fraudulent entries
The violation ACQUIRED Of statute 1901,
which is a section Of a special law
providing penalty for influencing by
offer Of valuable consideration any
federal officer
Our case against the three is alb
sOlUtely clear" said one Of the fed
eraI officials last night I'VE have
excellent evidence against the three.
We were exceedingly careful Never
did a jury work harder, go more
particularly into detail. weigh every
bit and fragment Of testimony, than
did this one It took especial pains to
be right before it returned the in
dictment We have practically been
at work for the last three days of
this week on this one case It is
practically all we have done. The
evidence has been worked up for
some time, but we did not succeed in
morning Our chain was practically
completed at that time We believe
the case to be good in every respect"