Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1906-01-06
HITCHCOCK IS
ROUNDING Up
THE GRAFTERS
Six Hundred Indictments for
Land Frauds.
NOW HAS THIRTY-SEVEN
CONVICTIONS TO HIS CREDIT
No State or Class Exempt From Sec
retary's Determined Campaign
Against Land Crooks.
Special to the Morning Journal.

Special to the Morning Journal.
Washington, Jan. 5.-Nearly six
hundred indictments and thirty-seven
convictions is the startling result to
date of the determined campaign
made by Secretary Hitchcock and Of
ficals of the interior department to
punish the land grafters who have
been waxing fat for many years at the
expense of the public.
A general summary of the work
done in this stupendous campaign
against grafters was yesterday given
out by the officials of the land office
Of the interior department. Piecemeal
reports from day to day have failed to
show the wide scope of the investiga-
ton under way.
1t has not been the work Of a day.
nor was II confined to any particular
section. Three years of quiet inquiry
in more than nineteen states and terri
tories is declared to be but the fore
runner of a far more extensive one. In
some states the surface is declared to
have been only scratched.
Millions of acres of farms, mineral
and timber lands are involved in the
disclosures. The monetary value has
never been computed. In fact, no way
of computing it has yet been discover
ed That il extends far into the mill
lions is beyond question. In Louisiana
alone--a state not usually associated
in the popular mind with public
lands hundreds Of thousands OF dol
lars will be saved as a result OF the
investigations.
Lightning Strikes Everywhere
Even Oregon. with a total of t13 in
dictments returned, and towards which
all eyes have been turned because OF
the prominence of the men indicted and
convicted is far behind Louisiana,
which has 1876 indictments to its dis
credit The latest convictions in land
fraud cases were found in Louisiana a
few days ago. when two large opera
tors were found guilty on every count
of presenting false claims and conspir-
acy to defraud the government. Other
cases are being prepared for immedi-
ate trial and convictions are expected
Two important convictions We're se-
cured in Minnesota just before those
in Louisiana, the principal a large OPP
orator named Sterns, receiving a sem
tence of eighteen months imprison-
ment and 81, 900 fine, and his clerk
nine months imprisonment and fino
Of $500. A big bunch Of additional i'm
| dictments were returned in Kansas n
fortnight ago, and the convictions of
two prominent citizens has been secur-
"A tfrra al
ed in the Sunnower state for more
than a year preceding the finding of
the indictments.
! A recent and far-reaching convic-
| ton in Colorado has encouraged the
officials behind the drag net. The
! clerk of Yuma county was convicted
! as one of the coterie of conspirators
! who sought to secure by fraudulent
means large tracts Of land entered un-
der the timber culture law. Other
/ trials are now going on. and officials
of the interior department are waiting
| expeetantly.
W. II, Hawkins, of Arkansas, n short
time ago pleaded ~-uiltv 80 the charge
Of forging names to soldiers additional
homestead assignments and the Unit
ed States Judge at Little Rock sem
\ fenced him to year in the penten-
tiary and imposed a 500 fine. Four
teen indictments were returned In Ar
kansas, and several OF them are still
pending They involve the Illegal cut
ting Of timber and perjury.
In point of numbers Mississippi
takes third place on the list of states,
with a total OF seventy-eIght indict-
ments found against its cIti2ens. While
this is sufficient to make the land Of
the sweet magnolia bow her head in
shame, Il is said in the interior de-
partment that the Mississippi indict-
ments are not so serious as many 9TH
ers. They involve the unlawful cut
ting Of timber. which In about all the
department seeks to stop In that state.
1t is understood ~ be doubtful that
sufficient evidence has been secured
TO take the cases TO trial.
Missouri has been no exception in
the matter of land frauds. The state
has two convictions on the record and
Secretary Hitchcock is authority fot
the statement that more are to come.
The exact nature of the activities In
Missouri Is not stated, but agents OF
the department are said to be quietly
working, So far as known, no indict-
ments are pending in the state, and
frauds there were not very numerous.
Uncle Sam Seems Easy
The appalling extent of the frauds
committed Il eloquent testimony to the
ease with which Uncle Sam can be
! done" While many hundreds have
been Indicted. and indications are
that the grand total will be multiplied
! several times, unauesticnebly The pub
: lie has been film-hammed out Of hun
I dreds Of thousands Of acres OF which y
! win never be the wiser. Every com
, monwealth embodying public land
has felt CRAFTS touch to a greater o.