Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1906-05-25
ARRESTED IN LAND FRAUD,
ALLEGED PARTICIPANT IN OREGON
CASES is CAUGHT IN CALL
FORNIA AT LAST.
MANY NEW INDICTMENTS.
Well known Western Attorneys, Bankers
and Others Are Charged with
Connection in the Deals.


SAN FRANCISCO, Cal, May 21.-S.
A. d. Puter who is wanted by the fed
eral authorities of Oregon to answer the
charge of completely in land frauds has
been arrested in Alameda.
Tries to Use Revolver.
Puter did not willingly submit to ar
rest, but attempted to draw a revolver.
! The detectives quickly covered him with
their pistols. but even then had much
trouble in getting their prisoner to the
station.
Puter arrived from New York three
days ago and went to Alameda. He took
a room in a lodging house in Park street.
Saturday night he visited his wife at
Berkeley and after remaining there sew
eral hours, returned to his lodging house.
The secret service men learned OF Pu-
ter'S whereabouts by shadowing wOm-
an. He was on his way TO keep an APP
pointment with this woman when ar
rested.
Travelled Under Alias.
Puter had taken the name of James
William Barr and Travelled under that
alias since leaving the east. He informed
the detectives that he had engaged pas
sage on a steamer for China and intend
ed leaving for that country III rev
days.
| According to the secret service men
Puter's room in Park street represented
an arsenal. Over his bed hung a rifle
and in q drawer was a heavy revolver,
beside the one found in his possession
! when captured.
How Puter Had Escaped.
BOSTON. Mass, May 21.-Stephen a.
! D. puter who was arrested at Alameda,
! Cal, yesterday, made a sensational es-
cape from Deputy United States Mar
| shall w. J. Burns in Boston on March
20. Deputy Burns who had been de-
tailed to find Puter discovered the man
as he was applying for his mail at the
| Fenway postal station, in BoylstOn
street He Immediately arrested Puter
and started to take him to the nearest
police station.
He had gone only q short distance,
! however. when Puter suddenly pulled
out a revolver and threatened to shoot
the officer. Before the deputy had recov-
cred from his surprise, Puter had disap-
| peared
Details of the Fraud.
| PORTLAND. Ore, May 21.-Details
of the land fraud indictment returned by
the federal grand jury on April and
| involving prominent men of Los Angeles,
San Francisco and southwestern Oregon,
are made public. The property alleged to
| have been fraudulently secured consists
of 5000 acres. practically all in one tract,
| of fine timber land.
! Tie Indictment charges conspiracy to
! defraud the government of timber land
| by securing entry men to file upon the
! land with the intention of dispoSlng of 1t
| to the alleged conspirators.
Those Who Were Indicted
The names of the men indicted are:
! Warren Gillelen and Il. w. Kenny, re-
! spectively president and cashier of the
Broadway Bank and Trust company of Los
| Angeles.
| G. L. Stearn, formerly president, and
| Jacob c. Cross, director of the Pacific Fur
niture and Lumber company, Los Angeles.
David NJ. Goodwin, NJ. d.. and 4. Ii. He'd
! derby, NJ. D.. Los Angeles.
! Richard Hynes, NJ. NJ. Riley and Lee X.
! Ayers, stock brokers of Los Angeles.
! w. d. Gould, attorney of Los Angeles.
! f. w. Dennis broker and real estate deal
! err of San Francisco.
Richard d. Jones, San Francisco.
! William II. Smith, San Francisco.
! jeremiah Humely. former United States
! commissioner in Curry county, Ore.
| A. S Johnston, former deputy county
! clerk of Curry county, Ore.
William T. Kerr, CoGueville. Ore.
John Il. Miller, Port oxford, Ore.
Scheme Planned in Los Angeles.
The indictment asserts that the Pacific
L furniture ana IuElDeE cOIllI)iII, WHICH
! is alleged to have been the active agency
through which the alleged conspiracy was
| perfected, was organized at Los Angeles
! by Cross Goodwin, Stcarns, Miller, Kerr
and Jones.
The indictment declares that Smith,
Jones and Dennis conducted the San
! Francisco end of the alleged scheme. AS
q blind according to the indictment, the
Pacific Furniture and Lumber company
! esta blished and operated sawmills at Eu-
reka, Cal; Port Oxford and Frankfort,
| Ore.
| 1t was their scheme, says the indict
ment to send to Nebraska. Kansas, Cali
fornia and to parts of Oregon and induce
men to come to the places at which their
mills were in operation under the pre-
tense that there was an opportunity of
! employment in the mills.
Workmen Said to Be Victims.
1t is charged that when these men ar
rived they were told that there was no
work for them and that when they final
| ly became penniless and reckless of the
consequences the Pacific Furniture and
Lumber company caused them to be APP
preached and induced to fraudulently file
on timber lands desired by the company.
The Broadway Bank and Trust com
pany is charged with having advanced
money to further the ends of the alleged
scheme, and Huntley and Johnston are
charged with knowing that the entries
were made with fraudulent intent at the
time The indictment contains none of
the names of the entry men.