The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-04-10
Federal Grand Jury Expected to
Start Things Again.
RumOr That Rich Cattlemen
Will Be Caught.
WORK IS THOROUGH.
Land Fencing Cases Claim Most
of Attention.
Nearly Two Hundred SubpOenas
Are Issued.

Some big southwestern Kansas
ranchmen Will be caught in the net
which the federal grand jury is drag
ging through Kansas land frauds. 2
investigation is going right down to the
persons who have committed the pri-
mary offense. Nothing such as the
sensational Fred Dumont Smith charge
to be brought forth by this grand
jury.
Thirty additional subpoenas were
sent down into the southwest portion
of the state today, making the total 17O
up to date. At least 15D of these are
said TO be with reference to land cases.
The major share are returnable the
last part Of the week, and since the
little batch of stuff, which a grand jury
always wrestles with, such as unprint-
able letters, stealing government prop
erty, and r. L. d. cases win consume
the time of the jury until Wednesday
evening, 1t is probable that the grand
jury viii be in session the greater part
of next week. The jury viii probably
not commence the consideration of land
frauds before tomorrow afternoon, and
probably not until Thursday
The officials are after the big ranch-
men. Many of them have fenced up
tracts of land not their own at all,
some have made false entries, some
have committed perjury in connection
thereWlth or secured hiretIngs TO make
false affidavits- In some way or other
quite a number of the large cattlemen
throughout the southwestern part Of
the state have committed land offenses.
and it is on these men that the present
grand jury has trained its guns. 1t is
felt that a great many of them VIII be
caught Colonel Green IS suspected of
having worked up some exceptionally
strong cases, but neither he nor the
United States attorney or his assistant
Will say anything concerning The evil
dence which they have unearthed.
But it is practically certain that there
is to be no more scandal "a present
such as resulted from the Indictment by
the last grand jury Of Senator Fred
Dumcnt Smith, Roscoe Wilson and for
Iner Land Agent Ryan. It is pretty
well understood that their case VIE not
even come up again before the present
grand jury. The Indictment against
the three was knocked out by Judge
Philips, sitting for Judge Pollock Until
the offense is outlawed. il can De re-
hashed and a new Indictment returned.
But some tine ago United States At
torney Bone stated that lack of time
! had prevented him from working up the
case again, and that it would very like
/ ly not be brought up a t this session of
! the grand jury. Furthermore nothing
| else Of that stamp, it is said, is TO be
considered by this grand il=ry, but that
all Of its attention will be focused upon
4 big ra11chmen principally. who have
gotten control of great acrea ges of land
I
ments expected to be returned by this
| jury, will be of the John e. BiIby type.
/ Bilby is considered by many men the
richest man in Missouri. With his Sons
he has big land holdings in Kansas.
I Several Indictments were returned, one
against him for land fencing. one
against his son for subornation of per
/ jury and conspiracy, and several
4 against men who were employed by
4 him. Demurrers to the charges were
sustai ined on some of the points and on
some overruled. So the whole matter
ferred by the Wichita grand jury. The
demurrers were all overruled yesterday
/ to the new indictment. and the case viii
I be tried on Friday in Topeka. It viii be
] bitterly contested The evidence against
+ the BHbys is said to be very strong
! Upon its outcome a great deal viii de-
pend concerning other cases
The work Of this jury is expected to
/ bring indictments much as those
against the Blbys A wholesale effort
/ is being made right now for house
/ cleaning in southwestern Kansas where
much Of this kind Of offending has been
/ going on While the results are not
/ going to be of the sensational order
such as they were IN the Snnith-Wilson-
4 Ryan case. because Of their being raGi-
cally different. it is anticipated that
some astounding figures VIII so be com
/ piled concerning the wholesale robbery
! of government land n Kansas. # the
investigation at any point creeps into
official circles. nothing viii be known
of it at this session of the grand jury.
/ The men who have fraudulently OBJ
tanned the land and are using it are the
ones being sought out for punishment.
A wholesale exposition Of land-grabbing
IS on the program of the Juryis returns.
/ Most of it, or practically all, concerns
southwestern Kansas.