The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1905-01-04
CORRECTS MITCHELL
Puter Insists He Paid the Sem
ator $1,000

PORTLAND, Or, Jan. SIS. A. d.
Puter, recently convicted in this CITY.
with Horace G. Mckinley, Daniel r
Tarpley- and Mrs. Emma Watson. of
conspiracy to defraud the United
states government of lands, made a
statement today in contradiction of
statements issued by United States
Senator Mitchell, indicted on evidence
similar to that presented at the Grim
1nal trial of the persons recently con-
victed.
When I said that I gave Senator
Mitchell $4,000 to use his influence
with Binger Hermann to expedite those
Claims IN township IL, range z" said
Puter, Il told the truth and Senator
Mitchell knows it. 1 gave Senator
Mitchell $4,000 to get those patents
through and will say I never regret
ted telling anything so much in nv
life as the fact that Mitchell took the
money 1 never told living soul in
my life before I gave the details to Mr..
Heney. kept an entry book, in which
made entries of every cent spent in
connection with getting these lands
patented. The cost of filings, as well
as railway fares, was entered. The
money paid to Mitchell was entered as
$4,000 paid to L. Mckinley may have
had an idea of his own as to where the
money went, but I never told him.
Mitchell never had any idea from me
as to the fraudulent nature of these
entries.
But when Hermann gave me to un-
derstand that the land was down and
out and the matter would have to be
referred back to the Oregon City land
office l went to Senator Mitchell and
told him that these patents would
have to go through, for if they were re-
ferred back to the original Office the
whole thing would be lost. I told him
the entry men We're scattered and it
would be impossible to get them to-
gether again. / laid down two $1,000
bills on the table. Mitchell said it was
TOO much. | was desperate over the
idea OF getting the thing through and
told him to take it and do what he
could to induce the commissioner
Congressman Hermann) to get the
lands patented. I knew that Mitchell
as United States senator would have
lots OF influence and was willing to pay
good deal to secure the patents
Il knew the special agents had
made a report on the lands, but of
the nature of the report had no
means of knowing, and I was anxious
to know why Commissioner Hermann
threw the claims out. I do not know
today why he did, but when he told
me the claims would have to go back
to Oregon City I went to see Hermann
at once. All [ know is that after I
paid the money to Mitchell Hermann
changed his mind. Why he did it I
do not know
Idaho Comes Next
WASHINGTON, D. c., Jan. 3-More
sensational developments in connection
with the unearthing of the public land
frauds in the far West are expected
shortly. Fresh indictments are being
prepared in Portland, Or. where the
grand jury will resume it's sessions
during this week, and persons promi-
nent in public life, other than those
whose names already have been i'm
plicated, are involved.
An investigation of all alleged frauds
in Idaho has been brought about by
affidavits addressed to President
Roosevelt by Fred Culver, of Lewiston,
Idaho, candidate for attorney general of
his state on the Democratic ticket two
years ago. Mr.. Culver sent the affi-
davits to Senator Dubois, who trans
mitted them to the president. Secre-
tary Hitchcock instituted the investf-
cation.
An inspector of the interior de-
partment has been ordered to Idaho
to investigate the charges made by
the affidavit as to frauds in Idaho, and
he is believed to have already begun
his labOrS