Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1906-05-11
OSHKOSH NAMES
IN OREGON CASES.
Accused in Land Fraud Cases Claim
They Are Not Victims of
Sharks

OSHKOSH, Wis, May Alive lum-
bermen and bankers representing far il
excess of $1,000,O0O, have been taken
into custody by the federal authorities or
the charge of conspiracy to defraud the
general government by alleged land
frauds in the state of Oregon.
Prominent Men Held.
James Matt Bray, Benjamin Doughty,
James Doughty and Thomas DAILY.
Mr.. Bray is the president of the Bray
& Choate Lumber company and ChOate
is the treasurer of that company. The
Doughtys are retired lumbermen. DAILY
is cashier of the Commercial National
bank and all of the men are large share
holders in that institution.
Durbin Makes the Arrest.
The men were arrested by Deputy
United States Marshal Durbin, who was
accompanied by Assistant District Attor,
ney Henning. They were all arragned
before United States Court Commission
err D. E. Mcdonald Thursday afternoon,
except Mr.. Bray, who is a paralytic and
was unable to appear Each was placed
under bonds of $4,000 and the hearing
adjourned to Friday May II.
Besides the above defendants warrants
nave Deen issued LOT August AEucGSOU
and Joseph Black of Shawano.
Charges Say "Conspiracy.'
The charges contained in the fedora
grand jury indictments is that of con
spiracy to defraud the federal govern
ment by having furnished money to Ore
gon parties to make entries and buy
homesteads in the state named. The in
dictment AYERS that the alleged crime
was committed between 1900 and 1908
The men indicted maintain that they
never owned the lands described, never
had anything to do with them, and that
they never owned any lands within forty
the fraud is alleged. The belief here is
that the accused have been made the
victims of Oregon land sharks.
Grave Charges in Oregon.
PORTLAND, Ore, May AIN addi-
who either have been or will be arrested
in connection with the alleged govern,
ment land frauds in Oregon, Sumner X.
Parker of Ashland, Ore, has also been
arrested under the same Indictment.
This indictment, which was one of the
most important that has been returned
by the present federal grand jury,
charges that under the name of the Osh-
lIosh Lumber company the accused ac-
and Lake counties by inducing residents
of Ashland and Medford, Ore, to file
upon the land, upon the understanding it
was to be transferred to the Wisconsin
men as soon as final papers should be
secured.
Mining Case in GAINESVILLE.
GAINESVILLE, Wis, May Sam I.
Stein and Joseph @. James of La Fay
cite county have begun an action
against Joseph NJ. Bostwick, S. Z.
Lewis. George S. Palmer and the Amer
lean Lead and Zinc Mining company of
GAINESVILLE. to recover their 4 per cent.
interest in the corporation which they
claim to have been deprived Of by I'M
fair means. The original lease and min
ing rights are in La Fayette couIay.
Oshkosh len Innocent.
OSHKOSH. Wis, May Al Special. ]
-Leander Choate, treasurer of the Bray
& Choate Land company, one of the five
Oshkosh capitalists indicted i'll connec-
ton with land frauds in Oregon stated
today that the Oshkosh men arrested
know nothing about the land described
in the Indictment as having been OBJ
tanned fraudulently.
He states that they with others are
members of the Oshkosh Land and Tim
Der company, but that this concern has
purchased no Oregon lands since 1900.
and that the tract owned is forty or
fifty miles from that described in the
Indictment Mr.. ChOate states that the
members Of the company are entirely
innocent of the charges and do not re-
gard them seriously.