The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1905-07-18
LIGHT is TURNED ON
DISTRICT ATTORNEY HENEY
MAKES REVELATIONS.
Evidence Excluded From Present
Trial Tends To Foreshadow
Blue Mountain Fraud.

Like flash of searchlight came
developments in the trial of William
son and his co-defendants in the
federal court, which indicate the ex-
tent of the land frauds in Oregon and
the intimate connection between the
revelations already made and those
which are to come, says the Portland
Journal. Cross examination of the
defendants in the pending trial by the
prosecuting attorney, f. J. Heney,
gave unmistakable suggestion that the
government is in possession of evidence
Indicating that the Crook county tim
Der deals of Congressman Williamson
and his partner DIR. Van Gesner, were
but small part of their land opera
tions and that both of them were inter
ested inthe school land speculations
within the Blue mountain reserve.
The first definite knowledge of the
definite scope of the frauds by which
timber and land speculators have
stolen immense areas of public land
in Oregon was afforded by the inyes-
tigation of the federal grand juries
which have held sessions in Portland
within the past year. This know
ledge was supplemented by the grand
jury of Marion county which conclud-
ed its work about two months ago and
which brought in several indictments
of frauds in connection with the state
school lands.
From the evidence that has been
made public it appears that in 1902,
while Binger Hermann was commits
sioner of the general land office,
number of land speculators gained
advance information In regard to the
withdrawal Of lands embraced within
the proposed Blue mountain reserve.
This information was supposed to be
rigidly guarded secret of the land
department. The news that the re-
serve was to be created was not made
public until July 28, 1902, but day
or two before that date many thous-
ands of acres of school lands lying
within the boundaries of the proposed
reserve were suddenly taken up by
speculators under circumstances
strongly suggesting that they had re-
ceived secret tip as to the withdraw
al of the land.
Evidence has been secured \ by the
Marion county grand jury that law
yer named Boggs, who was in the
Office of United States Commissioner
B;ggs at Prineville, was instrumental
in making many of these purchases of
school lands within the reserve and it
is the theory Of the government offic-
ials that he was the secret agent of
Williamson and Gesner.
5I Questions asked of DR.. Van Gesner
and Marion r. Biggs, co-defendants
with Congressman Williamson in the
pending trial in the federal court,
showed plainly that il is the belief of
the prosecution that Boggs was the
agent of Williamson and Gesner in Sc
curing school lands. Mr.. Heney, the
prosecuting attorney, was anxious to
make inquiries along this line but OBJ
jections by the defense were sustained
by the court. Gesner was asked
whether Boggs was not taking up
school lands for the firm of William
son 81 Gesner, but he denied that such
was the case. He admitted, however,
that Boggs was interested in school
land operations in the summer OF 1902.
The information which is being
gathered by the government as the
land fraud prosecutions progress is
likely to be of great Importance when
other defendants areplaced on trial.