East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1906-11-15

The latest developments in the all
legged land fraud instances arising
from the disposal of lands lying with
ing the Umatilla reservation. are in
dlcated by the following from the
Portland Oregonian's Washington cor
respondence:
Reports received in Washington
from the special agents who are at
work on the Umatilla Indian reserva-
tion leave no doubt that bold frauds
have been attempted by men seeking
unlawfully to procure title to valuable
agricultural and grazing lands on
that reservation. But It is also appar-
ent from these reports and from the
land office records that all such at
tempts have been frustrated, as not a
single fraudulent entry has passed to
patent. All these frauds were at
tempted under the act opening to en-
try the unceded portion of the Una
tilla reservation and the Fulton
amendments to that act.
]. II. Raley figures conspicuously
In lhe reports of the investigators,
and appears to have been more direct
ly interested in these entries than any
one else. incidentally IL develops
that Mr.. Raley is the man who drove
Senator Fulton over a portion of the
Umatilla reservation to convince him
that the original law should be
to settlers who had taken up land
supposed to be unfit for cultivation.
Showed Fulton Barren Lands.
According to the agent who has
made careful investigation, Mr.. Ra-
ley did not show Mr.. Fulton the land
in which he and his friends were in
terestcd and which they had subse-
quently attempted to acquire under
the Fulton amendment, but took the
senator over the worst portion of the
reservation. showing him barren peaks
and unattractive grazing areas. rep
rescnting them to be land that had
been taken up by entrymen before dis
covering that it would not produce
crops.
Mr.. Raley. according to the report,
said that some 30-odd settlers had
partly paid for this unproductive
land. but would not be able To acquire
llllt ullltSS lIt law was ullltDutu. 1
is the conviction Of this agent that
Mr.. Fulton was entirely misled by Mr..
Raley, and that he introduced his
amendment to the Indian bill upon
the representations that had been
made to him on that drive. The
agent also declares that several teams
accompanied the senator on that oc-
casion, and the occupants of the other
teams We're represented as settlers
who sought relief under the proposed
amendment
May Lose Land and Money, Too.
Mr.. Raley, according to the report,
has paid over to the government some
$4,000 or $1,000 on lands entered in the
names Of his friends, Mr.. Raley him
self appearing as attorney for num-
erous entrymen. This money is now
in the possession of the government.
and. If the entries supposed to have
been made in the interest of Mr.. Ra-
ley are held for cancellation, he will
not be able to recover this amount
on the contrary, II is the opinion of
the authorities he may find himself
in deep water, as numerous other Or
egonians who are being investigated
in the belief that they perjured them
selves in connection with proof on
various entries in which Mr.. Raley is
supposed to be interested.
May Face Perjury Charge.
In attempting to procure agricul-
tural land under the Fulton amend
ment 1t would be necessary for every
entryman to submit perjured testi-
mony, and this constitutes n serious
offense, as does the alleged conspira-
cy among those involved.
What Colonel Ralcy Has to Say.
Editor East Oregonian:
/ have read the article in the Ore
gonian of the 14th, I'm which / figure
so conspcuously. l say emphatically
that I am not the man who drove
Senator Fulton over n portion or any
portion of the Umatilla reservation.
However I was one of the party who
Joined him at Meacham and drove
over part of the reservation. 1t
can be easily ascertained what other
persons constituted the party and
the only statement / have to make re-
garding that is that every member
Of the party was u personal friend
and acquaintance of Senator Fulton.