Rocky Ford enterprise., 1906-12-14
BIC LAND FRAUDS
RAILROADS IN UTAH EMPLOYED
DUMMY LocAToRs.
ro eoBeLE UP COAL LANDS


Leads to Indictment Of Railroad
and Fuel Companies and Their o.
Heisis.
Salt Iake-The federal grand jury
which has been investigating COW lani
.rauds In Utah and charges thi. ran
.oad corporations have Disseminated
,snins, certain shippers. made u par
iai report Friday. In the United States
District Court. to Judge John a. Mar
hall.
Indictments were returned against
he Union Pacific Railroad Company.
he Oregon Short Line Railroad COM
,any. the Union Pacific Coal Com.
,any, the Utah Fuel Company. "nd
several OF the highest officials repre-
,enting the Hartman and Gould COM
oorations of Utah.
The Indictment against the repre-
,entatives Of the Gould Interests eh'
braces the Utah Fuel Company. IL. q.
Williams, general manager OF this
company: Robert Forester. the COM
,any's geoiogist: ". r. Foster. Sec
'etary to Robert Forester: Alex Al
cowie, general manager OF tho com
pany'J wasatch store ut Sunnys'de.
Utah.
Also Elroy N. Clark. the Utah Fue!
-ompany's attorney at Denver. anu
;eorgc A. Moore. the company's agent
II Denver. They are charged with
iefrauding and attempting TO 6eiraud
he United States government. tho
charges being based on the methods
pursued In acquiring title to coal land
n Utah.
Bench warrants for the arrcs; OF the
persons accused In the two iniict-
nents were issued. Bonds In the case
II each individual accused were hxcd
II $1,000.
Fred II. Maynard OF Washington. as'
Instant attorney general. who has been
conducting the investigation before the
Grand Jury, IN authority for the state
ncnt that two other indictments
charging perjury before tho grand
Jury have been returned.
After tho indictments had been rc-
!urned, bench warrants hnd been Is
iucd and the grand jury Ind adjourned
intii tho first Monday In January. As.
,istnnt Attorney General Maynard
Itatcd that when the grand jury re.
.onvcncs after the holidays the inqui'
,ition viii he resumed.
The indictments returned Friday. he
taid, mark only the beginning OF the
governments probing operations IN
Utah, and Wyoming. and the violations
u in.s alleged In these indictments
ire only incidents Of n gigantic system
II fraud that has been In operation IN
.hc West for many years.
The Indictment against tho Utnh
rucl Company and the six agents OF
hat company In based on tho methods
3scd In acquiring about 400 acres OF
.onl lands In SEWER county. Utah. Tho
lands were filed on In March. 1905.
In n statement made Friday. Atfor'
acy MAYNARD outlined the methods nj
lcgcd to have been pursued. ms stated
BY witnesses called before the grand
Jury.
Robcr: Forester. rcologist aud
mining expert Of the Utah Fuel Com.
pany. is alleged to have been charged
With the actual direction Of the men
who f,Icd on the lands. After Forces
Ter had prospcctcd the ground GcorE"
A. Moore. the Utah Fuel Company's
lgcn, In Denver. went over the n,imcr'
JUS claims and on each one caused to
be dug an excavation exposinE tho
,oal deposits. Dummy" 1ocaicrs were
hen secured to make fli1gs on tho
claims.
These were mostly young men. who
we're each paid $50. their expenses TO
md from the lands and 81 pei diem
while they were employed in cnterin.
he claims There was mn explicit un.
In advance that tho
claims were to be conveyed to the
Utaa Fuel Company or Its agents.
These dummies" were taken upon
tho lands. the uncovered coal deposits
we're shown to them. and Immediately
they flied on the lands. with applica.
lon papers made out by the compnny's
attorney Major william II. Bird. Major
Bird has since died. All the entries
10 the i.i00 acres involved were made
On the same date. March "a. 1905.
For each OF the claims thus secured
Il was necessary that payment OF
81 900 should be made to tho govern.
ment. Loans for this amount were
made by various persons. The gov.
srnment prosecutors charge that tho
persona from whom the loans wero
.,curs.J rarp mere agents Of tho COal