East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1906-10-26

marv month"; in reservation circles
has al last broken forth and it hat
made a roar such as has not been
heard in local business circles for
many months. o. c. Edwards. agent
L. Thompson. cashier Of the CONNER
citl National bank, and guardian for
minor Indian heirs, have been CEN
tral figures around which the whirl-
wind has gathered and the fate of the
two men has been the subject of much
comment today.
That they have used their official
positions for improper purposes is
freely charged and many things that
have occurred during the past few
months have been recalled.
The Storm Breaks.
In an interview which occurred last
evening between Colonel ]. II. Raley
and Agent Edwards at the formers
office, hostilities were opened. II was
during a discussion regarding some
land which Charles Hamilton wished
to secure upon the reservation. After
heated argument Colonel Raley
openly accused the agent of breaking
his word and declared that he would
have no further business with him.
In reply Edwards said thai the feel
ing was mutual and left the office
without much formality.
Various and serious are the accu-
sations made against Edwards and
| Thompson. That the latter has used
his official position and his influence
with the agent TO force renters upon
the reservation to deal with his bank
is openly declared.
According to reports, farmers who
have lands upon the reservation have
been solicited TO hank with the Com
mercial National. Thompson is said
to have represented that he could ~do
things" for them with Edwards IL
they We're pa1roriZing his bank. Also
the agent is declared to have assisted
in giving out such an impression. In
yesterday, Colonel Raley declared that
the course of his talk with the agent
the Commercial National bank was
promising much and was too near
able to deliver the goods" to suit
| his taste.
As guar aian of the 40 or more mi
nor Indian heirs Thompson has had
much to do with the leasing of their
lands and according To those who arc
now opposing him his main purpose
| has not been the welfare of his
charges, but the securing of new bus
| mess for ilts bank.
| But his influence has seemingly ex-
| tended farther than the lands under
| his guardianship as he has declared
| himself in a position to help renters
secure other lands. When John
Crows application for some land was
| rejected by Edwards not long ago. tn,
cashier is said to have told Mr.. Crow
that he could have gotten the lands
for him.
Also there has been much dissatis-
| faction over the sales of heirship
lands during the past summer. Under
the laws such lands go to the highest
bidder and at the sales held the de-
sirable land, or the greater portion
at least, was gotten by men who were
known to be dummies for the Com
| mercial National bank. At one sale
in August lands amounting to 100000
were bid in by Emil Mathes, who i.
said to have never seen them nor had
any money with which to make the
purchases. In nearly every instance
| the Mathes bid was but a trifle over
1 those of ether men and that fact
caused much talk at the time. Those
| VINO were present at the sale declared
| that tie bids were not read aloud bv
Edwards, that considerable time was
taken before they were announced
AS resuit a suspicion was aroused
that the sale was not "on the square,
Profits From Hcirship Land.
That the dealings in heirship lands
were profitable to some one is shown
by the following single transaction
At a sale held last spring l6O acres OF
land belonging to Jennie Van Pelt. ar
Indian, was bid in by II. r. Mccall
lum for the price of s172O, or a little
over $40 per acre. McCallum is re-
garded as having merely allowed tn.
Commercial National bank to use hi,
name In the matter. The land pun :.
chased was the northeast quarter OF
section is, township 1, north of range
S@, +. w. NJ. 1t was decided to II. r.
McCallum on May :, the acknowledg.
4 rhent being made before q. C. Ed
wards on that date by Jennie Var,
Pclt, the consideration being as giver
above.
Four days later, May II, the sam;
\ 100 acres of land was decided by Nc.
Callum to A. L. Parker for the con,
sideratiop of s3S60. or $21 per acre