Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-04-04

your son or anyone. Can't you immediate ly on receipt of this drop everything and come direct here? Bring with you in trunk, but don't let your family CT anyone know, all the company's books day ledger, all Of them, also your bank book, as am extremely anxious to see for myself pre- ecisely what the books show, besides 1t is important that we should talk over with Fulton, who is to help to defend me, in regard to the cases. I hope you can come; II so don't let a soul know you are com ing, not even Harry, and if you conclude leaves direct for Washington this even- ing-Tanner., l do hope you can come and immediateiy, before you are called upon be- lore the grand jury. Sincerely your friend,
 JOHN H. MITCHELL" Don't show Harry this letter nor tell nm anything in it. Don't let him see our books Tell him nothing.
 Keep all important letters in safe, and safe and office carefully locked as those scoundres will get in if possible.
 Burn this without fail'
 The dramatic scene in the senate chamber at 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 will have to decide that point.
 How the System" Worked.
 And now word about "the system" by which it was possible to perpetrate such gigantic frauds against the govern ment and steal whole townships of val uable timber land, much of which was made up of giant trees ranging in size from 30 to over 50 feet in diameter, and from 200 to nearly 800 feet in height. It must be admitted at the start that the laws of the United States made easy the system and invited the interruptions to 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 ized 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 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 to notaries public and indorsed as though the persons whose names were attached to the pa pers had made the applications. At the same time deeds would be sworn to or assignments made out and names forged to them, the assignments always being made out to the firm that instigated the proceedings, or to some one who would accept the titles in their behalf, the state law providing that after an appli- cation for purchase had been legally filed the applicant might assign the land. In this manner patents to some- thing like 150, 900 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 states of California and Ore gon-generally in the mountainous regions-large tracts of undisposed school lands, frequently of 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 to 20 times as much as the prices that could be obtained for school land inside the forest reserves before the government withdrew them. In this way the land grabbers have ac- quired school lands for which they paid s1.25 an acre, and sold for 5 to $2O an acre.
 Government Employees Involved.
 "The system" extended to Washing ton, for to further their schemes en- ployes in the general land office there.
 
 by liberal bribes. kept certain men in- formed regarding the exact date when the withdrawals of land would be made for the purpose of creating new forest reserves. The advance information thus obtained would enable them to file in the state land office their fictitious ap- plications to purchase school lands within such forest reserves ahead of anyone not in the combination. Arthur B. Pugh. in his report to the secretary of the interior. stated that one firm had secured in this way the filing of appli- cations to purchase about 24O.000 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 to the railroads. Under similar provision they were able to ac- quire thousands of acres of valuable land. The Northern Pacific obtained 400.00O 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. it obtained large tracts of valuable tim Der lands. and the exchange of this i00.0O0-acre grant for timber lands in Oregon is at present the subject of in- vestigation by the legislature of Ore gon.
 The Government Position.
 NIT. Pugh. as attorney for the interior department. in speaking of the govern mentIs position in the case. says:
 There Is 20 doubt that a great conzrs--