The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-11-29
COLONEL PERCY A. Sewers OF SALT LAKE
TELLS HOW HIS EFFORTS were BLOCKED

politics had prevented Union Pacific Coal
company's methods Of acquiring coal
lands in Wyoming being brought to light.
This document follows:
MIR. Myendorff's Story.
Among the agents in Colorado. was
one n. J. O'Brien, who was likewise sta
toned at Denver. and who nominally
came under my direction and control. and
who was acting as such special agent at
Denver when / arrived there | soon
learned that Mr.. O'Brien was a Wyoming
man, and that Mr.. OBrien was at one
time the honorable commissioners col
league in the service of the state of Wv
oming. and the personal friend of the
commissioner. and that Mr. O Brien was
in frequent and confidential correspond
ence with Mr. Macy, chief clerk of the
general land office. | soon also learned
that Mr.. O'Brien Furthermore correspond
ell with Hon. Francis E. Warren, United
States senator for Wyoming. / also soon
discovered that Mr.. O'Brien's opinion
guided the opinions of the commissioner
office in matters relating to work in the
state of Colorado.
MIR. O'Bricn Has a Snap.
1T was not agreeable to Mr.. O'Brien
for me TO guide or direct his movements
O. to keep trace of them. for the reason
that his movements would not compare
favorabiy with the movements of other
agents III Colorado in respect to the
ner OF doing the same. Mr.. OBrien was a
special favorite of the commissioners Of
flee. l state this because on not less than
TWO occasions he was relieved from duty
as special agent. carrying a subsistence
of 50 a day. and thereafter detailed to do
as a special agent, carrying subsistence
at s. per day. These special details, with
increased subsistence of s. day. COW
cred a period from several weeks to sew
eral months at time.
A Senator in Danger.
MIR. O'Brien made repeated requests
10 turn these investigators over to him
His efforts were strenuous The efforts
employed are illustrated BY tire fact that
MIR. OBrien informed me that upon the
result of this coal land investigation de-
pended the election of United States Sena-
tor Clark of Wyoming and Mr.. OBrien
further informed me that Senator War
ZEN was very much interested in the cleo
ton of Senator Clark. That, as Mr..
O'Brien stated 20 me, he himself was a
Wyoming man. with many friends in that
state, and that If | would afford him the
detail to investigate in Wyoming he could
help the election; that If ] should go
there myself | would injure the chances
and Mr. O'Brien implied strongly that /
would experience official disfavOr if / un-
dertoOk a personal investigation in that
state.
MIR. o'Brien Gets Help.
Mr.. O'Brien finding that his efforts so
used failed TO turn me from my determi-
nation to act In the matter alone, as de-
termined in the interview with Mr.. Smith,
induced G. l.. Hendershot, another special
agent under my charge, stationed at Pu-
ebio, Colo, to see me in regard to this
investigation. Mr.. Henderson, came to see
me and in behalf of Mr. O'Brien, used the
same arguments as referred to above and
as were used by Mr.. O'Brien himself.
with a further additional suggestion that
II would be unsafe for me TO buck sena-
tors and such big corporations as the
Crion Pacific Railroad company, and that
it would certainly be better for me to turn
the investigation of the Wyoming cases
over to Mr. O'Brien. HendershOt's inter
view had no effect upon my efforts
went on with the investigation. | secured
evidence. / sent the evidence so secured
to Washington to the commissioner of the
general land office.
Writes Senator Warren.
"In the course of this procedure, upon
the investigation. I was informed by sew
eral persons among whom / believe was
A. j. Smith himself. that Mr.. O'Brien