The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-01-01
CONCR ES
 ARE ! I'D Senator litcx and Rcp- rssentstly asrnann. OREGON >stAND JURY lAcTS' Two Accused of compl.clt in
 Land Frauds. District Attorney wAe ls Re-Ds..asis for the rrue Bilis ssnaar'ly Renoved From once By rres1
 ident Reessveit. | fI I 7
OREGON kAND JURY ACTS

greSsman Biuge Hermann, anu ueorge Sorrensen. formerly deputy sheriff of MultinoInAh county, were Jointly indicted today by the federal grand jury.
 The indictment alleges that John H. Mitchell and BipSer Hermann did in Jaunary l, 1902, uniawfuliy and fell oniously conspife together with S. A. D. Puter, Horace e. Mckinley, N. ". Tarpley, Emma I, Watson, salmon B. Ormsby. Clarke Loomis. William h. Davis and others, to defraud the gov ernment ~of the United States out of a portion of It's pubTio Iands situs.tss in township Il. south. or range z. east by means of forged and false affidav- it's and fictitious papers. and that in the furtherance of such conspiracy s. A D. Puter did on March g. 1909 pay to John Fl. Mitchell the sum of $2.O00 to secure his influence with Binser Hermann, then commissioner of the general land office at Washing ton,
 It alleges that acting on the Sug- gestion and the wish of Senator Mitchell and influenced by him. know ing that the transactions were un- lawful and felonious, Binger Hermann used his. power as commissioner of the general land office to expedite twelve claims in township 11-7 and had them passed to patent when he knew them to be illegal and not ac-i cording to the requirements of the law.
 0Her to Bribe HalL
 The indictment also alleges that March 2s. 1904 George Sorrensen of- fered to John F. Hall, district attor- ney for the United States in Oregon the sum of $5.o00. with intent to in- flunence the said John P. Hall in his official capacity when acting on the indictments returned against S. A ID. Puter, Hoface G. Mckinley ct al, to defraud the government out of land in township II South of range z, east
 The coAneqfibn of Senatof Mitchell and Representative Herrman with tise aiieg sd conspiracy dates b5ck. 1t @ said, to thet time when Mitchell re- ceived the letter from Prominent at torney in Oregon" introducing 2. A. D. Puter as a responsible business man of Oregon. The Government will. 1t Is said, attempt to prove that PuteH and Mitchell and Hermann were welp &C., quainted; that Puter was an ardent supporter of Mitchell in the Senatorial campaign of 1898 and that all of them have been personally acquainted for years.
 In 1902, the Government alleges, Put ter went to Washington on business connected with the lands of 11-7 in which he was at that time interested. The lands were held up in the General Land Ofice and Puter thought 1t would be of benefit to himself and his fellows to go to Washington and see what could be done to expedite them to the patent.
 Before he left Portland, the Govern ment will attempt to prove, he went to F. P. Mays and secured from him a letter to Senator Mitchell, though in fact, according to the Government, he was already we'll known to the Sena- tor. It was necessary for him to have some influence with. the Commissioner of the General Land Offlce to secure favorable recognition of his claims and he therefore would like to have the help of Senator Mitchell.
 Governments Contention.
 The Government contends that Puter went to see Binger Hermann, then Commissioner, and talked the matter over with him. Hermann, 1t is alleged, did not see that anything could be done to the lands unless some action would be taken which would make the trans action of record in the office. Puter. 1t is alleged, then went to the hotel of Senator Mitchell and told him of the alleged conversation with Hermann, and 1t was there that the famous Pu- ter-Watson affidavits, according to the Government, were made In the hotel of the Senator and 1t is alleged that Sem ator Mitchell dictated the papers to his own stenographer, and had them de- livered to MT. Puter.
 March 6, 1902. the government al- 1eges. Mir. Hermann wrote a letter to Senator Mitchell. stating that he, had I0aw rA- quest. and that the clerk of the divis- ion would take the claims under his consideration ani make an examina- ton of them. The clerk reported. it is stated, that the entries seemed to be fraudulent and not according to law. These were the Davis lands in which 1t is alleged w. N. Davis Of Albany and others. were interested.
 Loomis the forest superintendent. according to the government, in the meantime reported against the claims or part of them, but after this report. 1t is alleged. D. W. Tarpley went to Davis and got him to raise $20o each from fourteen men in order to secure favorable report from Government Agent ormsby, who.- it is alleged. had been also told to make a report. Davis. it is charged, raised s1.400 If the al- legged amount, which was shid to be divided between Tarpley and LoomiS-
 George R. Ogden was khe clerk handling the business and 1t is al- legged he prepared a report And sent 1t to Hermann.
 Hermann HesltafeA
 When Hermann saw the rsnort made by Ogden. 1t is said he hesithted, and when Puter came to see hun he told Puter the matter looked pretty bad and that he was afraid tke claims would have 10 go back to tie Oregon office for further investiRatzen.
 It is said he told the Senator that his influence was necessarN to have Hermann put the land throuah. It Is added that he told th$ Senator that if the claims weht back to Oregon they would Bbe lost to him and the $6.0O0 hd had put into them would be gone. At this time the government will attempt to prove. MT. Puter 1aid two Sl,0OO bills on the table in front of tke Senator, that he told Mitchell to tak@ them and see what he could do to help the lands through to patent and thaf the money was taken by the 5enatort