The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1906-03-13
.LINNEN'S HOT AFFIDAYITS
HitchCOck'S S Reason for AbOI.
ishing Land Office.

giving his reasons for abolishlng TIE
Kingfsher land office and for not pro
ceeding against the parties charged
with Irregularities by Inspector Lin
men. The majority of the members of
the public lands committee however,
do not agree with Mr. stephens.
The secretary says he consolidated
the Kingfsher office with the Guthrie
office under the law giving him auth
ority to close a land office when the
amount OF land unsold In the juris-
diction of an office is less than 1O0,-
600 acres, and he says when the
Kingfsher office was shut up. there
remained but 57.400 acres unsold. He
says 90 per cent Of the business con
Quoted at Kingfsher was by mail
which can just as well be conducted
from Guthrie. He denies that the Of
ice was closed because Of the charges
against Receiver Admire and Regis
ter Brownlee On this subject. Sec
retary Hitchcock says:
"The discontinuance OF the oflce
being determined upon, 1t was not
deemed advisable to incur additional
expense by making a further investi-
cation Of the facts, and this especial
ly so In relation to the charges against
Register Brownlee, who, by the re-
ports OF all former inspecors, as well
as by the facts disclosed by the rec
ords of this Office, is shown to have
been an efficient, palnstaking and
trustworthy officer"
Inspector Linnen's report, which is
rich, rare and racy in spots makes
the following charges;
with relations 10 the charges flied
against said officials by Mr. H. w.
Theis. former clerk in said land Of
fee, | have the honor to state that |
have carefully investigated the same
have consulted with Mr.. Theis and
with numerous attorneys and other
persons who have business before said
land Office, and from all information
obtainahle from all sources, have the
honor to report the following:
First. ! find that this office has
not been reporting all of the plat
moneys recaived but that, as a matter
OF fact, for several years last past a
considerable amount of such moneys
has been retained by the officers and
clerks, or both, for their own private
use and benefit
made an examination of several
thousands OK miscellaneous letters,
commencing with January /, 1899, to
June /. 1905, aud picked out of such
bundle OF miscellaneous correspond
ence all letters which transmitted
moneys to this oEice. thereafter
checked said letters with the fee dock.
ties and daily cash book, TO ascertain
II such moneys had been properly en-.
tered, and find that in large number
of cases said moneys were never en-.
tered, reported. or accounted for, but
we're retained by some person con.
nected with said office.
For your information / transmit
herewith numerous letters transmit
ting moneys which were not entered
ana list Of the same giving the name
of the person. postoaice address, the
date and amount Of money transmit
ted, which exhibit and letters are i1C
in number, and the aggregate amount
OF money reported by the same being
SlOA15.
other moneys received have moi
been accounted for For instance. casf
which was taken in over the counter
for plats. Clerk Frank d. Daldn ac
lnowle5ges that he received approx
mately SIS plat moneys, which he re
talned, that was taken IN in cash by
him over the counter. Mrs. Frederik,
Post admits that she received approxi
mately SO, which she retained for hei
own personal uge and benefit, wh,ol
was taken in over TIE counter.
am satisfied that former clerks
received and retained plat moneys
ami am also satisfied that numer
Gus miscellaneous letters which trans
mitted moneys which were retaine,
were destroyed and thrown IN tn
waste-baskot, 50 that the evidence O
such moneys can not now be obtain
ed.
Clerk Frank D. Dakin also admit
having made copies Of naturalization
papers f9r various persons, charginl
them 81 each. which moneys he re
tanned He thinks this will not az
proximate more than a total Of $40 o
SIS. He states that he discontinued
this practice some two years age
when he was informed by Registe
Brownlee that the same was Irregular
Mrs. Post, who has kept the recei,
er's books for the past three or fou