The Washington herald., 1906-12-04
SENATOR FULTON
SEVERELY SCORED
CONTINUED FRoM FIRST PAGE.

ulsaf0Fy that even Mitchell has at last concluded
that IL would be unwise 10 recommend him Tor the
position, and Is now seriously considering the cand-
dacy Of ]. u Campbell for the appointment
Browneil and Campbell both live in Oregon City
and until year or 50 ago we're partners IN law
practice. have il from unquestionable authority
that the arrangement is for Campbell to get the Of
fee and Divide the revenue with his former partner
BroEne in consideration of the latter bringing the
support Of the delegation 10 Campbell
To have either OF these men in the position Of
prosecuting attorney would be equivalent to giving
free rein 10 every riolat0r Of the law IN Oregon
Neither is a lawyer of even moderate ability.
nor has either Of them any practice worth
mentioning.
They not only lack prominent standing at the
bar such as should be one Of the qualifications for
50 responsible position but they lack clean records
as citizens and local officials Both are n0taries
public and have been for several years. I have
before me as I write Documentary evidence that
they have made false certificates in connection vita
fraudulent surveys in this State l charge Brc@nell
II being guilty Of uttcrng false certificates, and #
conspiracy TO defFaud the government Of the United
States. AS for Campbell, 1 shall he able to prove
him guilty Of utteTing false certificates and Of CON
/ spring to defraud the government of the United
States.
This, then. was the situation: Senators
/ Fulton and Mitchell earnestly desired the
appointment of Brownen; failing that.
( the appointment of BrownelFs law part
l
/ was determined on his own reappoint-
ment, and ne threatened his rivals with
/ prosecution In order to force them out
/ Of the race. Then he hastened to Wash
/ ington to secure Senatorial Endorsement
/ Of the bargain he had made.
The TeII-taIe Letter.
What took place at the conference with
/ Senators Fulton and Mitchell is clearly
set down in a most remarkable letter.
/ 1t bears date January IS 1904, and at the
top Of the first page. in the handwriting
Of Senator Mitchell, IS the warning:
Strictly Confidential" The letter, which
was sent 10 BrOwneIl, covers four type
written pages. The important part Of the
! communication is here given:
/ Ny Dear Senator and Friend: 7 have received
your several dispatches since Han left Portland,
and since he arrived here. and both Senator Ful-
ton and myself have done everything IN our power
10 protect y0u. and also Campbeil-BhO Is also un-
/ der the ban Of Greene and others. We learned
to very great surprise and regTet-and, without
going into particulars, ] think have been able
/ to 50 arrange matters as 10 protect you both
Of course. friend BrowneIl this letter is 70 you
I ia the strCtest confidence. The best way for the
present Is 20 drop all talk about the district at
t0rneyshp; let tbe matter rest just precisely il
stands for the present Both Fulton and ! have,
for the purpose Il fully protecting your Interests.
gone ven muCa further IN a certain direction than
We ever supposed we would, I cannot explain fully
/ % sou until ! see son iist wbat I mean Hall
leaves this evening for home. 1ly advice Wuuid b
for you Co sag nothing 20 him whatever. unless he
I says something 10 you. inst let the matter drift
for Che present This is all-imp0rtant. Faithfully
4 and sincerely your friend. JOHN II. MITCHELL.
have read the above and fully concur in 1t.
! C. ". FULTON.
What did the letter mean? This: That
in Washington, on January IS, 1904, a
/ secret agreement was entered into be-
tween United States Senators Fulton and
/ Mitchell, on the one side, and United
States Attorney Hall, on the other, by
which St was agreed that the oregon Sen
atOrs were 10 use their influence to pro-
cure the reappointment Of Hall 70 tho
Office Of United States attorney for tht
district Of Oregon, and that in consider
alton of their doing 50 Hall was 70 pro
tect George c. Brownell and J. L. Camp
bell from indictment and prosecution.
$500 Onered for Letter.
what Senator Fulton thinks of the sig
nifcance Of this letter may be inferred
! from the fact that on the 4th day o
January. 1896. Senator Fulton's brother
/ by appointment. met the recipient OF tn,
letter and offered him 500 for IT. Wher
Brownell did not produce it, G. CIyd,
Fulton warned him in this language:
i # sou have given up The correspondence O
Mitchell and my brother. it VIII be your ruin, an,
you viii be traitor and outcast.
Hall faithfully kept his agreement
Neither BrOwnell nor Campbell was in
dicted, and when Francis J. Heney tool
l charge of the land-fraud cases he foun,
I a1.-.
/ against their offenses. But the bargain
I made IN Washington was never carrie,
out.
"Heney. having his suspicious of Hal
aroused, secured his discharge from office
and finally indicted him.
When Heney began to suspect that Hal
was using his official position 10 protec
the land thieves. when he was tired an,
diSheaTtened by the united front OF Op
position with which the people of Oregon
met him, he went to the one man i
the State In whom he had learned Z
have confidence. and from whom he re
received sympathy-a judge who is nov
dead.
President Aids Heney.
He asked this judge If there was an,
lawyer in Oregon to whom he could go
not necessarily in professional way. bu
for impersonal aid.
This judge recommended, as the bes
lawyer In the State TO rely on, William
c. Bristol. Later, when he got the evi
dence to convince Washington that Hal
was not filing his Office in good faith
he recommended that Bristol he mad
United States attorney. Acting on thl
I e. neff ha f-.s1
such recommendations from Senate
FultOn-the President sent to the Senat
the nomination OF Bristol 10 be Unite,
States attorney for the district o
Oregon.
''The appointment caused Senator Fulton
much uneasiness. He was under stroa,
pressure from the boys back home Il
Oregon to head of that appointment a
any cost
I want to urge you lreads one wailing letter sen
70 hinl 70 defeat The continuation Of tn
district attorney ii il is possible for vou z
do There Is no Disgusting the fact that whe
the President went around yoH in making this al
poIntment, It was serious blow to you in thi
state; but If yoU can prevent his confirmation J
VIII rCinstate you here by showing that you wiel
strong influence in the Senate. But. whatever yo
do, do not allow this appOintee to be confirmed ]
you can possibly prevent IT, l have discussed thi
question with q number Of your best friends an
they heartily agree with me upon the proposition
We would rather see yOU fight and be beaten tha
20 give IN. To fight and lose would strengthen 20
mere than an ac4uiesc nee, Very sincerely you
friend, JOHN Il. HALL.
''The writer of this communication hat
all Of that strong personal interest in tn
matter which the somewhat anxious ton
of his letter indicates. He is the sam
Hall who was discharged from the ofie
of United States attorney and subsequent
~ indicted If he goes to jail it will b.
|. through the efforts of the United State
attorney for the district of Oregon. Nat
urally, Hall has an anxious personal in