The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1905-04-07

E.N H"C -~
ct11e direct here's Bring with you ia
trunk. bat don't .,t your family 90 Anyone
KNOW ali ne company e books. CAY ledger.
AZ. OF them, also your taLk book. as ! am
extremely anxious 10 see Tor ms SET pre-
cise} what trc books show. besides d -
in poftart that We should tax over with
4 Attln. VINO is 90 help 20 defend nc In
regard % me cases. 4 nope you can e0me.
90 don leg = SOU know you are conn
ing, not even Harry and N you conc.uas
p CONT "lfe me a. follows. Johnson
leaves direct FOR Washington this even
ins-Ianrer ] do hope sou can come and
immediately. before you are called upcn It-
fore The grand Jury sincerely your frier4,
JOHN n MITCHELL"
Dor show Harry this letter nor tell
am an} INNS Ia o. Don't let HIM see our
books Tell him nothing.
heep al important letters IN safe. and
sale ana once carefully locked. az those
scegnare.s VII get IN u possible
burn this without fail.
Inc scene In the senate
chamber al Washington where. before
his colleagues. Senator Mitchell solemn
ly. and tearfully. and vehemently. de-
clared his innocence OF the charges
brought against him, is still fresh in the
public mind. but the courts at Portland
viii have TO decide hat point.
How the System" Worked.
And now a word about 'the system"
by which il was possible TO perpetrate
such gigantic frauds against the govern
ment and steal whole townships OF val
liable timber land. much Of which was
made up Of giant trees ranging in size
from 80 10 over 50 feet in diameter. and
from 200 TO nearly 500 feet in height.
IL must be admitted at the start that
the laws Of the United States made easy
the system and invited the INSCRIPTIONS
10 defraud the government. The act
of June 4, 1897. allows the exchange OF
lands within the limits OF United States
forest reserves. by the owner thereof,
for other public lands outside of the re-
serves. Under the pretense OF acquiring
school lands as settlers innumerable
sections would be taken up by organ
lied raiders under applications signed
with fictitious and forged names. At
first five and ten dollars apiece were
paid for these signatures. which were
obtained from all classes OF people. But
after awhile this was considered a use
less waste Of money. and the conspira-
tors boldly forged the names as neces-
sity demanded. These applications for
land with the forged names signed to
them would be sent 10 nOtaries public
and Endorsed as though the persons
whose names were attached 10 the pa
pers had made The applications. AT the
same time deeds would be sworn to or
assignments made out and names forged
10 them. the assignments always being
made out 10 the firm that instigated the
proceedings. or 10 some one who would
accept the titles in their behalf. the
state law providing that after an appli-
cation for purchase had been legally
fled ehe applicant might assign the
land. In this manner patents to some
thing like $50. 600 acres Of school lands
in California and Oregon were fraudu-
lently obtained. These selections were
OF the very best public lands. including
large tracts Of the finest timber lands
that can be found in the public domain.
By the creation Of forest reserves
within the ate Of California and Ore
gOn-Generally in the mountainous
~regions-large tracts OF undisposed
school lands. frequently Of a worthless
character. were included in such re-
serves. Under the act Of June 4, 1897.
referred to above. these states could re-
linquish the school lands to the United
States and select other lands outside Of
the forest reserves in lieu Of them. SELL
ing these lands thus selected at prices
from five 10 20 times as much as the
prices that could be obtained for school
land inside the forest reserves before
the government withdrew them. In
hi -. IL. N..I --.IHa.- -
quired school lands for which they paid
SIPS an acre. and sold for s. to $50 -
acre.
Government Employees Involved.
The system" extended TO Washing
ton. for TO further their schemes ~
ployes in the general land Office there.
who had been drawn into the conspiracy
by liberal brides. kept certain men in
formed regarding the exact date whom
the Withdrawals OF land would be mads
for the purpose Of creating new forest
reserves. The advance information
thus obtained would enable them to file
in the state and Office their fictitious ap-
plications TO purchase school lands
within such forest reserves ahead OF
anaVAE AWN Ia - A0AAAlAl0AAOAs AINMAT
b. Pugh. in his report to the secretary
Of the interior. stated that one firm hal
secured in this way the filing OF appii-
cations 10 purchase about 10000 acres
OF school lands within proposed forest
reserves. the Withdrawals for which
were made only a few months previous
to the beginning OF the investigation.
And now as 10 the railroads. Under
similar provision they we're able to ac-
quire thousands Of acres of valuable
land. The Northern Pacific obtained
100000 acres Of Oregon timber land by
relinquishing desert land and locating
script received for IT,. Although the
road has but 40 miles Of track in Oregon.
Il obtained large tracts OF valuable tim
Der lands, and the exchange Of this
400. OOO-acre grant for timber lands in
Oregon IS az present the subject OF in
yestigation by the legislature Of Ore
son.
The Government Position.
Mr.. Pugh. as attorney for the interior
department. in speaking Of the govern