Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1905-10-09
PASSES
IT UP TO
MORROW
Accuses Him of Taking Ad'
vantage of a Tip While In
State Land Office

II Of state school land IN the Du''S
Creek irrigation district while he was
state land agent, such purchase being
made upon a private tip, is the charge
that A. T. Kelliher made today in a
letter 10 Governor Chamberlain. Kelli'
her cites this transaction in answer to
Governor Chamberlain g declaration
that he has no friends to protect in the
land fraud investigation. Morrow was
an appointee of Chamberlain, but held
the Office only short time, resigning
soon after he made the purchase re-
ferred to, and has since been land and
tax agent for the o. R. & n. Co.
Kelliher's letter is in answer to one
written a few days ago by the governor
denouncing the operations Of Kelliher
in state lands. He asserts his belief in
the honesty of Morrow, but thinks his
own transactions are no worse than
those. Of the ex-state land agent, who
was not summoned before the grand
jury at the time when other large land
deals were under investigation.
Mr.. Kelliher's letter in part is as
follows:
"February II, 1908, just about one
month after you became governor Of
this state, Mr.. Morrow, who was at
that your time your state land agent,
purchased through dummies as you
choose TO call these applicants, eertif.
Gates covering land located inside Of
the withdrawal lines, known as the
Butter Creek irrigation project, in
Umatilla county. But this same Mr..
Morrow did not take one acre Of land
outside these withdrawal lines. These
lands we're withdrawn by order Of the
general land office at Washington, Feb.
rurary 25th, showing conclusivelS that
Mr.. Morrow had a tip from Washing.
ton.
"Within a week or two after the
withdrawal Of these lands, Mr.. Morrow
resigned his Office as state land agent.
There were about $500 acres Of land
secured by him upon applications ac-
lnowledged by G. W. Rea, notary pub
lie, all acknowledgements being taken
at the same time Mr.. Morrow put up
the money TO pay for these certificates,
and has made all the payments that
have been made upon them, as the req
ords Of the state land office will show.
These $500 acres Of land referred TO
are Of the very finest soil, almost with.
in a stones throw of the main line Of
the o. r. & y. railway--in fact part
of the railroad runs through this irri.
cation project
"These lands are situated near civil.
ization and near markets, and when the
river is open to navigation,
as il is sure to be in the near future.
these lands will be exceedingly we'll To-
Gated. situated, as they are upon the
banks Of the river. If the lands Sc
cured by Morrow are worth anything
at all they are today worth $50 per
acre. As reports from Washington show.
the irrigation project at Butter Creek
is one Of the most feasible in the state. |
and is sure TO be completed in the near
future Forty.fve hundred acres Of
land at $50 per acre equals s225, 900. |
The state received for this land. |
through Mr., Morrow, your ex-state land |
agen9 when it is all paid for, $1,000. A
loss OF about $4,000, through Mr.. !
MOrrow's operation.
Every man within the jurisdiction
of Judge Burnett's s court who handled /
'ne or more Of these certificates. and
svery notary public who had aeknowl. I
'dged state school land applications
VAS subpoenaed to appear before the
April grand jury and expose what he
Knew concerning the certificates and
acknowledged before them
While neither J. n. Morrow, your ex.
'tate land agent nor Mr.. Rea, the no
ary who acknowledged his appliea.
ions, nor any Of the Is or l6 persons
with this deal were ever sum.
noned sobpoenaed or requested to ap-
'ear before the April grand jury"
The Governors Statement
Governor Chamberlain and the state
and board were seen by a Journal re-
'orter, and said they had not had time
o look up the filings referred to in the
Nelliher letter, but their recollection
vas that Morrow had only acted az
gent for a lot of Heppner people. who
aade the applications, and that thew
'ere all in due form. There had been
uestions raised at the time about
ule prohibiting state official buying
and from the state, But il was learnad
/