Arizona republican., 1905-01-04

was gathering. for fear an improper
 use would he made of it for the ben
 eft of the thieves.
 The eXtept of the frauds is yet un-
 known, but it is known that twenty -six | daarter sections of rich timber lands are involved. In many instances the application for the survey, the first step. was q forgery. The survey itself was fraudulent and not made on the ground. The field notes were com piled in the office of the surveyor gen eral for Oregon, and the papers forged and marked with perjury were sent on to the department. The surveyor gen eral has been convicted on twenty one counts, and if he were given the limit on each he would have to serve a term 0f 210 years in the penitentiary. There was nothing but perjury and forgery in the proving up. The names of persons who were not in existence were used. and proof was made before a United States commissioner and olelk k of the court, tools of the conspir- ators They, too, have been overtakcn by punishment.
 hir. Linnen began this investigation two years ago. The ease was brought tr his notice by an old acquaintance hWing in Wisconsin, whose son had bought a tract of this land. Some time afte" the purchase a defect in the deed was discovered, and in endeavor- ing to have the defect cured it was brJ:I.' int to light that the man to whom the patent had been issued had never been born.
 .Ac@ng upon this information, MT. L!rueu went to Oregon and took up the investigation. He got a list of the raincs of the entrymen and the wit nesses. but he could find nobody who knew then. He visited the hotels and banks and postonices in two counties; all classes of business men. the seat of the land office, and could find nowhere that any of them had ever been at the time they were represented to have been, or at Eugene on business at the Cnted States commissioners land of zee.
 It was not lons after that that ar rests Legan tc bezmade, and it was HOi long before an impossible net was drawn around the chief conspirators, s. 4. D. Puter, Emma Watson, Mo Kinley and others. It was brought out that they had forged the names of all the entrymen and the witnesses; that they had forged so many that they be- came fearful that their chirography would be recognized, and then they slightly changed their methods. They employed others to write the names and paid a dollar for+ each name. One of the signcTs, e saloon bum. testified as to the arrangement with him for his sam pie of penmanship. At the trial, the goverument had handwriting experts who so familiarized themselves with the forgeries that when they were 2 +l 1 ff pick out the work of each of the con- sDirators.
 Mir. Iipnen explained the reason for the removal of United States District Attorney Hall. last week. From the beginning of the investigation the government was suspicious Of Hall It was net surmised that he was impli- eated in any way. but it was feared that he would not press the cases as vigorously as was desired. It was re- solved. then, to employ Francis J. Heney. former attorney general of Arizona. to assist in the prosecution. He was known to be an aggressive fighter and a brilliant lawyer. The success of the government in the pros cautions. Mr. Lfnnen says. is owing entirely to MT. Heney. who is -nfalNing for himself a national reputation.
 But after the thieves became panic stricken by the conviction of some of their leaders and sought to buy leni- ency by confession, the part the Unit ed States district attorney had in the affair was brought out. It was shown that after the earlier indictments the indicted persons and others, fearful of the outcome. had sent an emissary to the United States district attorney with $5.O00, to be paid to him in con-
 .sv. .1a sf apathy on his par in the prosecution. It was not shown that he accepted the money. and might not have shown that he was apathetic, but he had withheld from the government this valuable information, which would have facilitated the conviction of the conspirators.
 Regarding the confessions, MT. Lin nen says the government places no re- liance on them unless they fit in well with the evidence previously gathered. The simple statement of witness known to be a forger and a perjureE would not be considered by. the gov against any man against whom there is at present no evidence.
 It has been charged by some of those ] under indictment, as well as by Sen ator Mitchell himself. that the inten sity of the prosecution is inspired by the malignity of Secretary Hitchcock. | That, says MT. Einnen, is untrue. The l secretary has no desire for the convic- ton of any man who has not violated | the laws.
 In the opinion of MT. Linnen the in vestigations are not nearly over. He there will be from twenty to | thirty more indictments.
 
 GRIP COLDS