The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-11-28
GIGANTIC FRAUDS
CHARGED TN WEST
Alleged Steals Of Public Lands
Under Investigation in
Utah.
ALI the Resources Of the Govern
ment Devoted to the
Probe.
Journal Special Service.

Journal Special Service. s35s 81.
Salt Lake. Utah, Nov. 2S.-The grip
Of the government and of Justice is
tightening slowly about the organized
gangs, which it is alleged have for
years, with the connivance Of the land
department robbed the public domain Of
coal. mineral and timber lands valued
at many millions of dollars. In the end,
1t is stated, every member, of these
gangs, whether he be plain citizen of
the United States or whether he occupy
high official position, will be made to
answer in the criminal courts for his
completely in the most gigantic frauds
said ever to have been perpetrated on
the United States government.
Here at Salt Lake, City another step
is being taken toward the end which
President Roosevelt is seeking eagerly
mandy, the punishment Of all cor
porations and all persons who shall be
shown to. have assisted in the whole
sale differing Of public lands. Incident
ally this move toward justice and to-
| ward the restoration to the government
Of its own Is resulting in the reorgan.
| ization of the department of the in.
terror, including the land office.
Frauds Are Gigantic. = Z.
Few persons except those residing in
| the states in which these enormous
stealings have been perpetrated real
ize the enormity Of the crimes which
are alleged to have been committed
against the national and some state gov.
ernments. ~, zf5&
Every agency of the government, in
Guiding the interstate commerce com.
| mission, the secret service department.,
the federal grand :iuries and the court
| of equity has been set in motion to
accomplish the end desired.
While the interstate commerce com.
| mission is taking, testimony here. tend:
ing: toshow that the Rio Grande railroad
and its constituent companies, the
| Utah Fuel company and the Pleasant
1 Valley Coal company have been secur-
! ing by fraudulent means all of the
coal land in the state of Utah and con.
| sequently building UP their monopoly
| in this line the federal grand jury here
| is awaiting the outcome of the hearing
with a view to gathering all Of the
| guilty ones into it's net. Ei@l > s
NJ. C. Burch, special assistant attor.
ney Of the department. Of Justice. who
has charge of the prosecution of all land
fraud eases, is here. giving his support
to the, commission and gathering data
| with a view to bringing later the nee
essarv suits to recover lands which are
alleged to have been stolen. s .5s
Timber Lands Go, Too.
The populations Of which the govern
ment complains have been perpetrated
in Wyoming; u tab, Colorado, Montana
New Mexico, California, Oregon and
possibly in other states. The robberies
of the public domain have been almost
as extensive, it is charged, in timber
lands, as in mineral lands.
For thorn 10 ronIip a 81
the: Denver & Rio Grande railroad an
Injunction restraining that company
from selling or cutting any more Of
the timber lands claimed to have been
taken illegally by it. It is charged
for example, that this company has &C:
CURED illegally 100000 feet of lum-
Der in the state of Colorado alone. =.
land officers at Evanston in secret SEES
per company, is charged with stealing
.110,000,000 feet Of timber: That such
enormous frauds, extending thru long