The Lamar register., 1906-12-12
BIC LAND FRAUDS
RAILROADS IN UTAH EMPLOYED
DUMMY LOcAToRS.
TO GOBBLE UP COAL LANDS
Partial Report of Federal Grand Jury
Leads to Indictment of Railroad
and Fuel Companies and Their Of
ficiais.

and Fuel Companies ana iheir VI
ficials.
Salt Lake.-The federal grand jury
which has been investigating coil lanl
frauds in Utah and charges thlt rail
road corporations have Disseminated
against certain shippers, made par
tial report Friday, in the United States
District Court, to Judge John A. Mar
shall
Indictments were returned against
the Union Pacific Railroad Company,
the Oregon Short Line Railroad Com
pany, the Union Pacific Coal Com
pany, the Utah Fuel Company, and
several of the highest officials repre-
sentinS the Hartman and Gouii COM
porations of Utah.
The Indictment against the repro
sentatives of the Gould Interests en-
braces the Utah Fuel Company, II. G.
Williams, general manager of this
company: Robert Forester, the COM
panys geologist: w. r. Foster, sec
rotary to Robert Forester; Alex. NJ
Cowie, general manager of the com
pany3 Wasatch store at Sunnyside,
Utah
Also Elroy N Clark, the Utah Fuel
Company's attorney at Denver. and
George A. Moore, the company's agent
at Denver. They are charged with
defrauding and attempting to Gefraud
the United States government, the
charges being based on the methods
pursued in acquiring title to coal land
In Utah.
Bench warrants for the arrest of the
persons accused in the two iniict
ments were issued Bonds in the case
of each individual accused were fixed
at $1,000
Fred II. Maynard of Washington, as
sistant attorney general, who has been
conducting the investigation before the
grand jury, is authority for the state
ment that two other indictments
charging perjury before the grand
jury have been returned.
After the indictments had been re-
turned, bench warrants had been is
sued and the grand jury had adjourned
until the first Monday in January. As,
s'stant Attorney General Maynard
stated that when the grand jury re-
convenes after the holidays the inqui-
sition will be resumed.
The indictments returned Friday, he
said, mark only the beginning of tho
governments probing operations in
Utah, and Wyoming. and the violot'on.
of la US alleged in these indictments
are only incidents OF gigantic system
OF fraud that has been in operation N
the West for many years
The Indictment against the Gteh
Fuel Company and the six agents OF
that company is based on the methods
used in acquiring about 400 acres OF
coal lands in Sewer county, Utah. The
lands were filed on in March. 1905.
In statement made Friday, Attor
ney MAYNARD outlined the methods al
legged to have been pursued. as stated
by witnesses called before the grand
jury.
Robert Forester. Seologist and
mining expert of the Utah Fuel Com
pany, is alleged to have been charged
with the actual direction Of the men
who fled ON the lands. After Forres
ter had prospected the ground George
\. Moore. the Utah Fuel Company's
agent in Denver. went over the numer-
Gus claims and ON each ono caused TO
be dug an excavation exposing the
coal deposits. Dummy" locaters were
then secured Ia make filings on the
claims.
Those We're mostly young men. who
were each paid $50. their expenses to
md from the lands and 80 pei diem
while they were employed in entering
he claims. There was an explicit un-
Outstanding in advance that the
~laims were 10 he conveyed tn the
Titan Fuel Company or It's agents.
These dummies" wcrc taken upon
he lands, the uncovered coal deposits
we're shown to them, and immo iiately
they filed on the lands, with applica-
ton papers made ont by hC company
attorney Major William IL. Bri. Major
Bird has since GiCd, All the entries
to tho 400 acres Involved were made
on tho same date. March "A, 1908.
For each of the claims .hus secured
II was necessary that payment OF
81 COO should be made II the govern
ment Loans for this amount were
made by various persons. The gov
eminent prosecutors charge that the
persona from whom the loans were
secured We're mere agents OF the coal
COmpnnN.