Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-10

his attention to the land office. He wrote
to the commissioner Binger Hermann, in
forming him that If a special agent was
sent to him he could give informat ton re-
garding land frauds that would open the
eyes of the officials and gave the commits
sioner an inkling of what was going on in
California.
This letter from Schneider, with several
others from him of the same kind, it is al
legged, was pigeonholed in the Office of the
commissioner or in the division of special
agents and nothing was done. But some
one else got an inkling of what was going
on and began to complain. Letters poured
into the commissioner and We're promptly
pigeonholed, it is charged until the pres
sure became SO great that something had to
be DONE Therefore, in June, 1902, the spe-
cial agent of the Office in Tucson, or near
there, was directed to visit Schneider and
learn what he could. At the same time
and by the same mail, letter was sent to
the same special agent giving him instruc-
tons to make certain Investigations in an
other part of the country Immediately. 50
it was not until September that the story
of Schneider was told to a department Of
fetal
Mr.. Hitchcock Took Charge.
When that story did become known the
Secretary of the Interior, Mr.. Hitchcock,
got an inkling of the way things were going
and took charge of affairs. He is said to
have sent for Hermann. and after upbraid-
Ing IllU lOI Ills dlleSe0
his resignation. Hermann resigned, and
his resignation took effect in January. In
the meantime the Secretary sent Special
Attorney Pugh to make an investigation OF
the cases, and Mr.. Pugh made 81 thorough
search, and reported that while there was
evidence of fraud to an enormous extent,
he could not get the proper evidence TO con-
Wet the offenders.
He asked that some on experienced in the
detective business be assigned TO the cases,
and Secretary Hitchcock sent for Chief
Wilkie of the secret service. After gong
over the ground with the Secretary, Wilkie
assigned Agent Burns of MS force to the
work, and progress in the investigator
dates from the time Burns took charge.
hyde, Benson, Henry P. Dimond, their at
tcrEey, Schneider and others were indicted
as result of this investigation. By that
time things began to get complicated IN
Oregon, and Special Assistant Attorney
Heney, who had been assigned to the case
to help Mr.. Pugh, was sent north to look
after the government interests there 1t
became necessary to call on the secret sery-
ice there also, and Burns was sent out in
Oregon. There the investigation is still in
progress. There the frauds involved Valua-
BILE timber lands. The law provides that
bora fide settlers can file on 1G0 acres or
timber land for the benefit the settler can
derive from the timber, and 100 acres of
homestead land for the benefit to be de-
rived therefEsm.
The man taking up timber land is not
PEELED to state that the timber is for his
own use. In the case of homestead land
the homesteader is compelled TO live on
the land BY means of fraudulent entry
one man obtained possession of more than
a hundred thousand acres of valuable tim
Der land, and others hold lesser amounts.
None of this land could be obtained, 1t is
charged without the collision of the land
office officials and this collision existed,
it is said, in widespread fashion.
1t is in Oregon that most of the indct-
ments found in the list here given were
found Hermann, Mitchell. Williamson and
other officials were indicted there on charges
brought in connection with the Oregon
frauds. The work of prosecuting those
found to be concerned in the fraud was.
under the charge of Francis ]. Heney, a
special assistant attorney general. Mr..
Heney has not yet completed his work. He
and Agent Burns are now in Washington
in conference with Secretary Hitchcock re-
garding the progress of the investigation.
In the Hyde, Benson, Dimond cases ap-
peal was taken through the courts to the
Supreme Court of the United States and