East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1905-01-02

Portland, Jan. 1.-Two thousand
dollars was the price paid to Senator
John H. Mitchell for his aid in con-
summating the Puter-Watson-M -McKin-
ley conspiracy to defraud the govern
ment of public lands, according to the
indictment returned against him Sat-
urday afternoon by the federal grand
jury. The money was paid to Senator
Mitchell. the indictment recites, on
March 8, 1902, 'in lawful money of
the United States of America" by S.
A. D. Puter, in the city of Washing
ton.
Co-defendant with Senator Mitchell
is Congressman Binger Hermann,
representative from the first district
of Oregon, who is at last to be ar
raigned for the crimes against the
government with which he has been
openly and repeatedly charged before
the bar of public opinion for more
than two years past.
Only a portion of the evidence at
the governments command has thus
far been presented, even to the grand
jury, and 1t is said that the evidence
against Senator Mitchell, Congressman
Hermann and State Senator F. p.
Mays is as overwhelming as that pre-
sented against Puter, Mckinley and
their co-defendants in the trial re-
Gently concluded
1t is authoritatively stated, also.
that Congressman ]. N. Williamson
must yet face the inquisition of the
grand jury and that the evidence of
the illegal transactions with which
his name is associated is no less strong
than that presented against his con-
gressional colleagues who are now
under indictment.
The story of the evidence against
Senator Mitchell and Congressman
Herman, upon which their indictment
is based, is remarkable. 1t was first
told by S. A. d. Puter, after his con-
viction at the recent trial, but all the
important details have since been cor
roborated and reinforced by abundant
outside evidence, so that it is regarded
by Mr.. Heney as unimpeachable.
Il shall ask the grand jury to in
dict no one" he said a few yays ago. |
unless the evidence seems to me am
ply sufficient not only to indict but
to convict the accused"
Story of Mitchell's Completely.
In brief, the story is as follows:
s. A. d. Puter went to Washington
in 1902, carrying a sealed letter from
F. P. Mays to Senator Mitchell. 1t
was not a letter of introduction" as
It has been so frequently described,
for Puter had known Mitchell since
1894, and had brought him some i'm
portant law business. This letter Pu-
.er presented to Senator Mitchell
March g 1902.
Puter explained to Mitchell that he
vas interested in certain homestead
applications in township III, now
notorious as the scene of some of the
operations of the ring, and said that
was imperatively necessary that
patents should be obtained at once.
He told Mitchell that Mrs Watson
lad $4,000 invested in the claims in
ownship III, and could not afford ,
o lose the money. Mitchell told him
hat it would be necessary to put the
easons for expediting the claims in
he form of affidavits, and in the eve
ing of March 8, Mitchell and Puter
vent to the senator's rooms at the )
Dewey hotel. There Mitchell dictated
o his own stenographer the two af-
ldavits subsequently signed and
worn to by Puter and Emma Wat !
on. l
The Puter affidavit recited that he
ad been the agent of Mrs. Emma !
Watson in securing for her the IL |
omestead claims in township III; |
nat he had examined the title, which
e found all right; and that upon his I
dvice she invested her money in the o
roperty.
The Watson affidavit recites that
ne was the owner OF the 12 home y
cad claims; that she had paid over
5000 cash for them, having borrow
4 the cash with which to pay for ,
lem by mortgaging other property; ID
lat these mortgages were falling due
nd that she must secure patents to $
lie IL claims at once in order to es- ;
ape serious loss. n
Mitchell Prepared Affidavits. :, :,
The next morning Senator Mitchell G
'ok Puter and Emma Watson to the n
lpitol, where he introduced them to a
ohn j. McGrain, notary public, be- e,
re whom they subscribed and swore (,
the affidavits that had been pre- -
lred by Senator Mitchell. Mitchell