Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-07-28
ue Has Commenced Four Suits
In The Federal Court in This
City TO Recover Them.
ARE VALUED At MILLIONS.
Prominent Persons Are Accused
0. Conspiring to Commit Fraud
For Coal Companies.
e,.,o sand Board Strongly Criticised
For Its Methods In Permitting
Titles to be Obtained.


when special agents, under the di-
action Of President Roosevelt and the
oece OF the attorney general OF the
r-rred states, came TO Utah year or
.u,o ago to inquire into the alleged
wholesale coal land frauds OF this
,,ste the promise was made that just
az soon as the evidence could be'eol-
,.eted. prosecution would follow and
q bis scandal be exposed. That prom
,,s has. now been made good and the
cubllc will await with marked interest
,be outcome Of what will doubtless be
a series Of hard-fought cases in thu
Federal court.
FOUR DISTINCT ACTIONS.
-Four distinct actions have been eom-
menced, papess being filed in the fed
eral court late yesterday afternoon, az
foreshadowed In the News a week
ago. The defendants are the Utah
Fuel company and the Pleasant VAL
ley Coal company. both Of which are
charged with fraud, deception and con-
spiracy, In obtaining between 10000
and 10000 acres OF valuable coal land.
There are two actions against each OF
the defendants, under distinct classlh-
cations. One class deals exclusively
with lands that have been acquired
from the State OF Utah through the
state land board. while the other has
reference 10 lands that were obtained
direct from the federal government
through the coal lands law, passed by
Congress in 1873. II is charged with
regard to the last named law that indi-
ylduals in employ Of the company filed
on quarter sections Of land and then
decided them to the company for the
nominal sum Of $50 each.
BROUGHT BY ATTY. GENERAL,
The suits were filed In the name Of
W. II. Moody. attorney general In be-
half OF the government. which seeks TO
annul the titles held by the coal CON-
panies to lands In Carbon county. val
ued at millions of dollars. Not only
does Uncle Sam propose to have title
10 these lands vacated. but according
10 the complaint. he proposes TO sue for
the value Of the coal taken from the
lands IN question. which OF itself will
run into the hundreds OF thousands,
and perhaps 10 past the million doll
lar mark. =.
LAND BOARD CRITICISED.
The state land board, OF which for
rer Governor Heber NJ. Wells was
president and Byron Groo secretary. is
severely criticised for negligence
which Utah people generally will be
loath 10 believe has any element Of
wrong intent In II. II r. generally
known that the land board was de-
pendent upon others for the informa-
ton Il acted upon. and that certi-
ncates only were granted under the
usual representation and oath and IN
customary manner In all respects.
PERSONS INVOLVED.
William T. Cotton, president and
treasurer OF the Pleasant Valley Coal
company. Robert Forester, geologlst
81 the Utah Fuel and Pleasant Valley
Coal company, II. @. Williams general
manager Of the former company. w. II.
Bird nov deceased). attorney for both
concerts. Royal c. Peabody OF Boston,
ono 81 the officials Of the Utah Fuel
company, and Charles Mostyn owen.
Professional spotter. are all accused OF
activity In the conspiracy and fraud al
legged 20 have been perpetrated. Among
those who have permitted themselves
10 be used as dummies" IN the cases
are the following: Hyrum Tidwell.
william $. Ronjue, J. r. Tldwell. Jane
Forester. jefferson Tidwall. Clarence
J.. Nix, John r. Tidwell. W. J. Tidwell.
osnge Seely. Joseph seely. W. n. It'd
well. Joseph Tidwell. Francis G. Grund-
viz, John A. Williams. Fred w. SIN
car. Henriette Kinsey and Elizabeth
Y. Macintosh.
ACTING AS AGENTS.
Charged with acting as agents for the
companies IN the fraudulent acquisi-
Ton of coal lands as agricultural lands
through state selections are: Robert
Forester. Jane Forester, May Kim
hall, Charles Mostyn owen. William II.
Myers, Clarence owen. william II. My
ers, Clarence r. Sprague. Sarah It'd
we'll Edwin l.. Carpenter. John J. Jud-
son, Andrew W. Dowi William o. VIII
liams. chris X. Jensen and John y.
schimers.
PATENTS ATTACKED.
The allegations against the state land
hcard are contained IN two bills. at
lacking the validity Of patents secured
ny the coal companies Though state
land selections one IL directed against
The Utah Fuel company and the other
against the Pleasant Valley Coal COM
pany. The allegations are rractiolly
Inc same. except as 70 details. and the
description ~ lands involved.
The complaint charges the officers,
directors. employees and agents ~ the
roal companies with nstigating con-
fplrscies 10 defraud the government by
securing the land from the state Al sl.So
an acre instead Of paving the legal
trice Of so and so an acre 10 the gov
ernment n does not directly accuse
Tho president and the secretary 81 the
land board ~ knowingly being parties
n tie conspiracy. but suggests that
Forresisr's well known connection with
the coal companies as geologist In the
business Of getting cdai lands. was
sufRcisnt 10 put said president and sec
rotary on inquiry" and 10 have satisfied
them that Forester and the others had
no agricultural intentions
CALLED PRIME MOVERS.
The other two bills deal with the So
curing Of lands by coal entries They
charge that william 2. Cotton. Robert
Forester, Charles Mostyn owen and
CHEERS were prime movers IN a conspir-
acy TO defraud the government In the
interest OF the coal companies. The
bills recite the methods Of securing
lands by coal entry In the lhndoffice. II
+ explained that each entry'nan IL en-.
Titled TO only 100 acres. and that he
must swear he Is not acting a. tho