Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-11-28

Q.--Have you any knowledge as to
who paid for the lands?
Al haven't the information with
me. The information Is not In person.
al possession at the present time.
Q.-What is that Information?
WHO PAID THE CASH.
w. $. Ronque, Joseph Seeley. Joseph
Tidewell, X. G. Ronque, and associa-
ton; w. +. Thomas, John +. Thomas,
John +. Evans and the entries Of John
Forester. Joseph d. Tidewell, Clara w.
d. Sprague, Jefferson Tidewell-these
entries were paid for by one cashiers
check on Mccormick & Co.'S bank, Salt
Lake City, for $4,000. These paid for
cash coal entries for sections 142 TO
lis inclusive.
Q.-Do you know by whom It was
furnished?
Alt was paid by William II. Bird.
Q.-And he was attorney for the
Utah Fuel company?
Ale was the attorney who trans
acted all the land business.
That Commissioner Clark Will not al
low corporation attorneys to attempt to
block proceedings was exempliiied in
the curt manner In which he sat down
on Atty. Allison for the Utah Fuel COM
paliy.
Mr.. Allison drew from witness that
he was told that Mrs. Forester was
the mother OF 'the Forester" of the
Utah Fuel company. Allison promptly
objected 10 such hearsay evidence,
whereupou the commissioner settled the
question by saying that Mrs. Forester
was generally accepted as being Rob-
ert Forrester's i>other and the witness
was competent TO testify TO that fact.
SOME METHODS USED.
Michael Myendorff special agent Of
the general land Office at Portland, was
then called. He toe the story Of his
investigation Of the coal land frauds OF
Wyoming and how he had suddenly
been transferred TO Los Angeles. He
explained how the Union Pacific had
secured saloon buns, walters and men
OF disreputable character who gave fic-
ticious addresses to file upon coal
lands. which were afterwards trans
ferred to the coal company.
He forwarded affidavits TO Washing
ton, urging an investigation. The witt
ness said that he had met Judge Burch
In Denver and had urged an inVestiga-
ton. Witness said that George X. Pol
lock, acting commissioners, urged
against carrying the matter before tho
secretary OF the interior.
This statement brought Atty. p. L.
Williams TO his feet saying;
II object against this as hearsay. II
being irrelevant ana immaterial. The
powers of this commission are limited.
The Tillman-G Gillespie resolution affords
the commission power 10 investigate
the ownership of coal and oil LANDS.
Now the investigation seems to be one
OF tie department OF the interior, par
tlcularly of the commissioner of the
general land office. You have no right
to investigate conditions In the general
or any land oflice. A housekeeping may
be needed but II can't be brought up
here. / would like to know by what
permission you are doing this
CONSPIRACY CHARGED.
Mr.. Marchand in response said that
they wished to prove conspiracy ana
II the officers OF the government were
mixed up IN 1t they must take the
consequences. Commissioner Clark
also said that IL the names Of governs
ment officials were TO be pulled III
would be unavoidable.
Witness then stated that he was pre-
parIng to go TO the lands when he was
suddenly transferred to Los Angeles.
Q.--When you We're about TO invesu-
cate these coal lands you got yourself
into trouble with Senator Warren?
Al had no trouble. In Denver,
N, J. O'Brien. whom | found was
nersonai friend OF the commissioner
and OF tho senator, and ] found also
he was a friend OF Mr., Macy, chief
clerk OF the land Office; and he asked
me TO transfer the investigation or the
alleged coal land frauds 10 him; that
he was acquainted there and II would
be better that | should transfer It TO
him l declined. knowing he was a
wyoming man He insisted that II
would be safer for me officially TO do
so.
Witness stated he had had some cor
respondence with the land office In re-
lation to coal lands and read letter
from j. H. Tindle, acting commission
err. He was about 10 go into the mat
ter concerning Senator Warren when
Mr. Williams objected to the airing OF
dirty linen OF the department.
Commissioner Clark said he did not
care TO 20 into the matter, whether or
not an Investigation had been retarded
by officials at Washington,
TESTIMONY STRICKEN OUT,
ON motion of Mr.. williams all such
testimony was stricken out.
Charles Kingston was next called. lie
testified that he resided at Idaho FAILS
but for eight years was register OF the
land Office at Evanston.
Odd you discover what you be-
ieved TO be irregularities In the taxi
ing IN OF government coal landsT
Al think discovered that condi-
ton.
Q.--By whom
Al don't understand what you
mean.
Q.-You know the requirements OF
the law
A.--Not as you mean.
Q.--were any OF them made fraudu-
lently'
Al don't know that they were.
Q.--Were they made irregularlyf
AL think they were.
DIN what regard do you think they
were made irregularlyg
al. ~.