The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1906-03-13


charges made in his complaint. as
filed. can not verify his statement
with relation to his finding shot sack
about a third full Of money. which he
recites IS having fallen from a shelf
in the vault None Of the clerks or
Officers will acknowledge knowing
anything about the same. Mr. Thies
did do some private correspondence
during office hours for Receiver Ad-
mire, who was president of the Com
oercial Club, of Kingfsher. Okla.
From an inspection Vi the records
OF said land Office and from informa-
tion from the clerks and officials,
find that Mr. Thies. former clerk,
made all entries Of patents in the
patent docket, kept the contest dock
cts, and did miscellaneous work He
wrote large, poor hand in said rec
ords, although believe him capable
Of writing fairly good hand, and he
used lots of ink and blotte1 the books
on numerous occasions, and for such
reason he was not allowed to make
entries on other records. The patent
docket and contest docket show very
poor work when he had charge OF
them, and | believe it was largely
lcarelessness rather than incompe
tency believe also that when the
services of one clerk in said office
were dispensed with that the two best
clerks were retained, although attor-
neys and others having business be-
fore said Office speak highly OF Mr.
Thies and his courtesy and willing
ness to please at all times
In conclusion, desire to state that
many persons speak highly of both
Register Brownlee and Receiver Ad-
mire. There is no question but that
Register Brownlee IS very competent,
and, | believe. has generally given sat
lsfaction. with the exception that at
times he would be absent from the
Office, to the Inconvenience OF the gen
eral public and against the best inter
ests of the public service. Receiver
Admire has performed but very little
work in the land office and has been
addicted TO strong drink. against his
own and the Governments best in
terests.
nao,iefor proo-,laa Ra,,fae oil tho
charges and explains the leak of in
formation about the status of certain
lands rest red, whereby certain rela-
tives and friends of the officials of the
land office are alleged to have profit
ed, by stating that while he and the
receiver were discussing the matter
OF the lands in question. j. NJ. Spice
came into the office and asked wheth-
er there had been anything done with
the lands, and that he replied that he
and the receiver were at that moment
discussing the matter. Brownlee says,
"after Mr.. Speice left we concluded
that he had gotten information con-
corning the matter from some source
and that the best course would be to
post a notice in the front Office" Then
follow long array OF affidavits testi-
flying TO Brownlees conduct in office
seeking to dsprove the charges
against him Among the affidavits is
one by Brownlee's father stating that
Dennis Flynn. then member OF con-
gress, and not Register Brownlee, had
given R G. Brownlee the inside infor-
nation about the lands in question.
Dennis r. Flynn contributes his af-
adavit which contains the following
hazy recollection:
My memory IS not clear on when
these lands were opened but it was
four or five years ago. was in con.
tgress at that time, and have a faint
recollection now that when these
lands We're opened, or rather when
the Department had the matter up and
was about to open them, that wrote
various parties who had written me
regarding them that the Department
was likely to take sction at a certain
time. / knew nothing about the land
and don't know anything about IT now
but / take it that It was like all other
matters that constituents wrote me
about-I would go to the Department
and whsteyer information was re
ceived was communicated to them.
never had, and have not to this date
any interest in any public-land mat
ters personally.
Very often would receive in the
same mail letters from born sides o.
a contest desiring information. Some
times / might know the parties, bu
generally 1 did not, but l invarlahl,
communicated to all OF them whatever
{ information the Department furnished
me. Therefore do not think 1t strang'
that I may possibly have advise.
Judge w r. Brownlee, the father o
j the register. about these lands. be
! cause he was IN Washington very Of
ten In land matters and always fel