Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-01-17
SENATOR MITCHELL
MAKES HIS DEFENSE
Gives Statement in the Senate
Degrading His Indict.
lnent.
EMPHATICALLY DENIES CHARGES
Never Entered Into Any conspiracy
With Hermann, puter, Mckinley or
Anybody Else.

Washington, Jan. 1.-THE following
abstract Of a speech Of senator Mitchell
Of Oregon, was delivered in the senate
today.
Senator Mitchell Of oregon made a
statement in the senate today regard
ing his indictment In connection with
the Oregon land frauds At the out
set the senator declared that tho
charges made against him, II true, un-
fitted him to occupy his seat IN the
senate. lie then detailed the charges
and said
Il assert In the most positive and
unqualified manner that each and every
one Of these charges insofar as they
relate to or involve me, are absolutely
unqualfcdly and atrociously false and
! hers and now indignantly and def
antly denounce their authors and each
and every one Of them and brand them
publicly as malicious and atrociOus
liars
Following this general denial with
one more specific, the senator spoke
substantially az follows:
But | desire TO be more specific, and
therefore J further deny, In terms the
most absolute and unqualified which
/ am capable of using, that I ever,
either I'm the month Of January, 1902,
IN the state OF Oregon or at any other
time or place. unlawfully or feloniously,
or otherwise conspired with Ringer
Hermann, then commissioner Of the
land office, and s. A. ID. Puter Horace
c. Mckinley, ID. w. Tarpley, Emma J..
Watson, Salmon II, Ormsby Clark T..
LOOMS and William II. Davis or with
either or any OF them, or with any
other person or persons, to defraud the
United States out OF any part OF itS
public lands located either in town
ship il south, range east I'm the state
of Oregon or any other public lands
either IN the state or oregon or else
where.
II assert, furthermore, I'm the most
absolute and unqualified manner, that
any and all statements by any person
or person TO the effect that ! ever at
any time or place entered into a. con
spiracy with all or any of said persons,
or they, or any Of them, with me- TO de-
fraud the United states out of any part
of It's public lands In the state OF ore
gon or elsewhere, either by false or
forged homestead applications, aiiidayits
or proofs are absolutely, unqualihedly
and atrociously false, and ] defy my
defamers and challenge them TO pro-
duce any evident other than that OF
condemned thieves forgers and per-
| iurers TO sustain any such charges.
II further deny I'm the most absolute
and unqualified terms that S. a. d.
| Puter did, either IN the city of WASH
| ington on March 3, 1902, or at any other
| time or place offer me, or pay TO or give
me--nor did | on March Q, 1902 IN Wash
| ington, d. g. or any other place accept
or receive from said s. A. ID. Puter the
| sum of $4,000 or any other amount
whatever either In two one thousand
| dollar bills, or any other denomination
| or amount whatever as an inducement
| to use my influence with Blnger Herr
| mann, then commissioner of the general
| land office, TO induce him, as such COM
missioner, 10 pass 10 patent IL certain
| homestead entries or any homestead
| entries whatever or for any other pur-
pose.
And here Indignantly, with all the
| force / can command, denounce the
| public statement Of y. A, u. Puter that
| he, on March o. 1902, at Washington,
| D. c., paid me $1,000 in two 81 900 bills
as wilfully, mallcously unqualihedly
and atrociously false"
The senator then said he thought II
| proper no should state precisely what
| connection he ever had with Puter and
| the lands in question, and some of the
| circumstances connected with the ac-
tons OF the grand jury and the pub
| locations in the press regarding the
| charges
He said that about March /, or ,,
| 1909, Puter called on him IN Washing
| ton with a letter Of introduction from
| Hon, II. y. Mays. prominent aftor-
| ney Of Portland, or, and for many
! years the district attorney for the ore
| gon district Putcr had with him a
woman whom he introduced az Mrs.
| r.. t. Watson, a widow and a citizen Of
| Oregon, who had Invested something
| over $1,000 IN IL homcsteads after the