The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-11-29
Methods Pursued by the Conn
panies in Procuring Lands
Are Exposed.
EVIDENCE OF MANAGER
H. G. WILLIAMS REFUSED
Attorneys for Government Will
Not Grant Immunity by
Making Him Witness. y

Sensational disclosures again char
acterized the sessions of the Interstate
Commerce commission, presided over
by Commissioner L, F.. Clark in the
Fedora courtroom, Salt Lake City,
Wednesday. An offer made by Z. NJ.
Allison, counsel for the Utah Fuel
company, to have II. s. Williams, man.
ager of the company. put on the stand
and testify, was refused by j. T. Mar
chand, representing the Government, as
they chad not the slightest intention
OF immunlug Mr.. Williams This is
taken to indicate that it is moro than
possible that Mr.. Williams Will be in.
dicted by the grand jury.
An affidavit, put in evidence and
sworn to by NJ. A, Meyendorff. special
told Of his relations with Senator War
rem. which testimony was excluded
Tuesday, Senator Warren did not
wish the investigation of the alleged
coal land frauds FASTENED; he feared
to make an enemy of the Union Paci-
fc, and he also feared that it would
iniure the reelection of Senator Clark.
He pointed out the danger of making
an enemy of the Union Pacific Rail,
road company in Wyoming elections,
and stated that Senator Clark 5 re-
election might be jeopardized if the en-,
! NIFTY of the railroad company should
be incurred.
Two other afiidavits attached to Mr..
Mevendorf :. make interesting reading.
One is signed by Victor Labat and the
other by G, W. Millikeu. They show
the manner in which coal filings and
accomplishments were obtained by w.
l. Clifford. general agent Of the Union
Pacific Coal company at Denver, he
paving SO and 81 for each; applicants
were not required 70 use their own
name. and in one instance an express
man, Victor Labat. drove about a dozen
TO the depot. aud he himself made a
fling. Albert Bartell. q saloonkeeper,
induced him TO do il: he received 81
and had to pay Bartell 81, evidently
commission,
Land Boards Negligent.
Testimony was also given by wit
nesses which pointed 10 negligence or
procrastination on the part of the gem
eral land board and yelled charges are
also made in the MeyendorH affidavit
against the board
AS to the requirement of lands by
the Utah Fuel company, a large number
Of witnesses testified that on the sug-
gestion or indirectly through the efforts
of Robert Forester, they took up coal
land and subsequently transferred II to
the Utah Fuel or Pleasant Valley COM
pany, receiving, as rule, SoU,OO as
compensation,
When the morning session convened,
Colonel Sewers who was on the stand
when the commission adjourned the pre-
vious night was recalled. He testified
that on November s, 1900, ne called the
attention of the Commissioner OF the
General Land Office TO wholesale selee-
tions of mineral lands by the State, He
received no answer On November II,
1900. he fled affidavits relating to coal
lands as State selections near Sunny
action was taken, In June, 1901, he
again wrote the department. that the
alleged coal lands selected through
Robert Forester, Major Bird and
others, were to be sold, that no protests
would be made under present condi-
tions, and suggested hearing, but he
heard nothing of it, and thus valuable
coal lands had gone TO the State with
ont protest. In February, 1902, he
wrote the department with regard to
the system used by the State In select
ing lands and securing of coal lands un-
lawfully, that there was no classitica-
tion Of the lands in Utah; that the
State had selected 26i0 acres for Will
liam G.. Sharp, general manager, &. l..
Carpenter, general sales agent, and W.
+. Cotton, treasurer of the Pleasant
Valley Coal company, as agricultural or
grazing land but no attention was paid
to the communication.
Perjury Is Alleged.
The witness also stated that at one
time Robert Forester had sworn that
certain lands were coal lands and when
he made application 10 purchase them
from the State, that they were not coal
lands. and he averred hat Forester
had committed perjury, but nothing was
done by the department. and subse-
quentlv the lands went To patent as ag-
ricultural and grazing lands, In 1909
he asked the Commissioner TO suspend
certain lands, bur no suspension was
nade and an official examination OF
coal lands was declined.
In February. 1905, witness was re.
lucstcd by the ommissioner 10 tender
ms resignation. effective in August. He
also related an instance whore Mrs.
Bird decided coal land 30 l.. n. Farms
worth, and Farnsworrh and wife quit
.laimed it to the Utah Fuel company
md the Pleasant Valley Coal company.
Renlyinu tp Mr. Allison The witness