The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1906-05-08

Wealthy Citizens of Michigan and
a Title Parsonage of Little
Rock Are Among Those
for Whom Warrants
Will Issue.
Portland, May 6.-Oregon Jour-
nal: Millionaire bankers and tim
Der kings of Michigan and Mime.
sofa, prominent business men and
lawyers of Crook and Linn counties,
Oregon, several well-known resi-.
dents of Portland, former special
agent of the interior department.,
former United States commission
or, an ex-county judge of Crook
county, and number of timber To-
Gators are defendants in an indict-
ment returned yesterday afternoon
by the federal grand jury charging
huge frauds in the acquisition of
valuable timber lands in this state.
Nine hundred square miles of
timber land in Crook, klamath and
Lake counties, roughly estimated
to be worth over $4,000. 900, are al.
legged to have been secured by the
principal defendants, in direct vio-
lation OF law. Hundreds of persons
were procured by their agents to
take up claims which were subse-
quently conveyed to the eastern
bankers, and 1t is charged that the
proceedings were tainted with per-
jury and fraud. The crime against
all the defendants is conspiracy to
defraud the government of its pub
lie lands.
Letters from United States Sena-
tor Fulton and Congressman Will
Hanson to the commissioner of the
general land office, urging that pat
ents, be issued on the fraudulent
claims, form a sensational feature
of the indictment.
F. W. Gilchrist. a millionaire
banker of Alpena, Michigan, Ralph
E. Gilchrist, his SOD, Yale gradu-
ate, who won distir ction in college
athletics, Patrick Culligan and Jas.
G.. Macpherson, wealthy citizen of
Alpena and large owners of western
timber lands, and Hsman w. Stone,
cashier of the Swift county bank at
Benson, Minnesota, appear in the
Indictment as the chief beneficiaries,
of the frauds, and it was in their
interest that other defendants in the
case procured the fraudulent entries
on over 1000 acree of some of the
most valuable yellow pine timber
land in Oregon.
Almond G. Palmer and II. Judd
Palmer. attorneys of Portland,
Benjamin F. Allen, a retired capit-
alist, at present residing at 236
Thirteenth street, but formerly a
resident Of Prineville, and Ed N.
White, saloon keeper at Eleventh
and Morrison streets, are Portland's
contribution to the list of defendants.
The Palmer brothers were formerly
partners in Prineville, where A. G..
Palmer was United Stats commits
sioner. Many Of the fraudulent
proofs of entry were taken before
him.
| Edmund Dorgan, Francis J. De-
vine and John Joseph Collins, in
the timber locating business at AL
bany, under the firm name of E.
Dorgan & Co., were the active in
struments of the eastern capitalists
in gathering in the great block
of timber, 80 miles square, at ths
headquarters Of the D4sChutes rIv-
er. Collins is now languishipg be.
hind the bars of the Multnomah
county jail, because of his refuse
to produce before the grand jury
the books Of e. Dorgan & Co..
showing the firms operations. His
refusal was on the ground that the
production Of the books would in
crimit ate himeelf.
Among the Prineville men who
are included in the list of defend
ants are Charles M. Elkins, mer-
chant; John Combs, who has played
a prominent part in republican pol
itics; Donald F. Steffa, editor of
the Crock County Journal, and M.
e. Brink, former county judge of
Crook county.
Malcolm McAlpin, merchant, and
Thomas H. Watkins. managing
cruiser for Dorgan & Co., are the
Albany defendants. J. W. Hopkins
an attorney at Vancouver, Wash
ington, aud w. w. Brown of SEATTLE
also an attorney, were caught in the