Omaha daily bee., 1906-11-29
COAL LAND FRAUDS IN UTAH
Inspector Tssti6ss that Evidence Occurred by
Him Was Impressed in Washington.
INFLUENTIAL MEN ADVISED HIN TO STOP
lie says Among Them Were Senator'S
warren and Clark of wyoming
and Commissioner
Richards.

]
been investigating coal land frauds. has
voted several indictments, cannot be con-
I irmed. According to the report, the indict-
I ments will not be returned until after the
| close Of the investigation being conducted
| here by Edward e. Clark, interstate COM
/ merce commissioner E. M. Allison. at
] torney for the Rio Grande system, in argu-
ments before Commissioner Clark, has
charged that most Of the testimony brought
out was for the purpose of Influencing
! public opinion against persons who might
be indicted by the grand jury
! When Commissioner Clark resumed his
/ Investigation today Attorney Allison made
the request that II. G. williams, general
manager of the Utah Fuel company, a
Gould corporation, be summoned as a wit
| ness Mr.. Allison stated that the chair
man OF the Interstate Commerce commits
SION in Washington had communicated with
MT Wllliam's superior officer in Washing
ton and asked that Mr.. Williams testify
J. 4. Marchand who Is conducting the
governments case before Mr.. Clark fatty
refused to examine Mr.. Williams, stating
lhat he did not propose to render Mr.. VIII
mans immune to future action. At the re-
quest OF Mr.. Marchand, Commissioner Clark
also excused from giving testimony at the
present time Frank B. Cook. mining
4
70 Robert Forester, geologist in the
employ Of one Of the coal companies under
investigation. It was stated that these men
would be asked to appear before the grand
jury.
Influential Men implicated.
sensational testimony was given by
Nllchaei A Myendorffi a special agent of
the government, who began an investiga-
uoh OF the coal land frauds in Utah and
who' before he had completed his inyesti-
cation was transferred to Los Angeles and
then to Portland, ore. Mr.. Myendorff pre-
sented an affidavit in which he told of ef-
forts made by influential men to induce
MIN to cease Dis investigation of the coal
land lrauds He named Senators Warren
and Clark of Wyoming, Commissioner Rich
ards OF the general land Office, and George
u Pollock, chief of department &, Interior
department Washington. He alleged that
IN Denver Senator Warren told him he
ought not to go after the Union Pacific and
incur the enmity of that company. He
charged that the land department at Wash
lhgton had suppressed evidence secured by
MIN. In two charges which he filed against
Robert Forester. geologlst of the Utah
Fuel company, a Gould corporation. he al
! legged no action was taken.
The witnesses further alleged. that cseor,a
Pollock. chief Of department b. Interior
department instructed him to destroy four
aIndaVlts which he had secured against the
Union Pacific Coal company. Mr.. Mven-
dorns affidavit goes at length into the
mthods of the coal companies I'm securine
coal lands by locations through dummies
VINO transferred their rights TO the cor
porations.
AHidavits Purchased
MSehuorHs afhdavits allege that on one
! occasion seventy-seven men were taken
into-ofices in the gnion-statfon at Denver
before w. I. Clifford, agent of the Union
Pacific. and signed their names to powers
of attorney ACCOMPLISHMENTS and afidavits
which were used to acquire title TO coal
lands in Wyoming Some of these men. II
! is asserted signed hcticious names. The
men who signed received 81 each for their
trouble. The Ntyendorff afidavit included
afiidavts made by a Denver saloon keeper
named Bartele and Victor Lebat, an ex.
pressman of Denver, stating how wagon
load Of these men had been picked up on
Seventeenth street in Denver and driven
to the offices in the Union station After
they had signed the papers Barteile col
lected 81 from each man for his trouble in
getting them together, each man retain
ing 49,
In his reference to Senator's Warren and
Clark the afiant states that on one oc-
casion, when he met Senator Warren In
| Denver, the senator produced confidential
/ letters which Myendorff had written to the
/ land commissioner in washington, and
read extracts from them Myendorff al
legged that 1t was represented to him that
to stir up the Wyoming coal lands matter
at that time would incur the enmity Of
the Union Pacific interests and prevent the
recollection OF Senator Clark.
! Myendorf alleged that he was removed
from Denver I'm 1895 a result Of his ac-
tivites, and that pressure was brought TO
have the matter OF the Wyoming lands
turned over to Inspector OBrlen of Denver
whom the afhdavit described as a conf
Dental friend of Macy, chief clerk Of the
department at Washington and also per-
sonal friend OF Senator Warren. Senator
/ Clark also he alleged, wanted OBrien de-
tailed on this work.
/ Counsel for the Union Pacific moved that
all the matter collected in the affidaYits
he stricken out but the motion was over
ruled and the afidavits will be included in
the report to congress.
Department Refuses TO Act.
Colonel p. S. Sewers, a special agent Of
the land department, was again called as
witness and told of his inability to induce
the land department to act I'm matters re-
lating to coal lands. Witness told Of nu-
merous letters written to the land conf
missioner and of the submission of ahi-
davits bearing on land frauds and sugges-
lions that investigations be made, but his
letters were not answered. In November,
1900. he reported I'm relation TO the lands
which eventually were transferred to the
Pleasant Valley Coal company, a Gould
corporation. Witness testified that he had
recommended action against Robert Fores-
ter, geologist for the Pleasant Valley Coal
company, but was informed by the depart
ment that the facts did not warrant prose-
cution.
Following this, in January, 1906, he testi-
fed. he was asked by the department to
tender his resignation. In response he
wrote 70 the commissioner OF the general
land ONCE calling attention to the gross
laNness IN probing the coal land scandals
in Utah. but he received no reply
Sewers resigned from the service, but
later was reinstated he testified at the
request of George A. Sutherland. then at
, torney for the Pleasant Valley Coal COM
} pany and now United states senator from
Utah.
williams Incident Explained.
Cou1nieeioner Clark WIN had evidently