Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1907-04-26
idaho Land CASES
SPECIAL ATTORNEY GENERAL
GIVES INTERVIEW.
Sensational Reports Going the Rounds
of the Press Are Wrong Ruick Not
in Washington to Defend Senator
BoCah, He Says-No Connection Be-
tween Two Great Questions.

tween TWO Great Questions.
Judge NJ G. Burch, special assist
ant United States attorney general,
on his return from Boise, Idaho, in an
interview with a press representative
denied that there is any connection be-
tween the land fraud investigation in
Idaho and the prosecution of the West
ern Federation of Miners on the charge
of completely in the assassination of
Ex-Governor Steunenberg of Idaho.
Sensational reports going the
rounds of the press concerning the
Idaho conditions should be very large
ly discounted" said Judge Burch. 1.-THE
timber lands investigation in that state
are not new. For nearly four years
these inquiries have been going on in
northern Idaho and l was instrument
tai in sending both a special attor-
ney and a special examiner of the de-
partment of justice there at the start
1t requires time to pry off the lid
which ordinarily covers such transac.
lions and such was the case there, but
nearly year ago some of the guilty
parties were indicted and convicted
In southern Idaho the alleged frauds
were much more recent and the of
ficers Of the department of justice
and of the interior have neither urged
forward nor retarded their operations
by reason of the pending offenses al
legged against the officials of the min
ers' federation. The visit of District
Attorney Ruick to Washington is an
ordinary occurrence.
"The attorney general is always in
control of any case, either civil or
criminal, and would not think of over
ruling the action of a grand jury
review of it's action between indict-
ment and the trial of the parties in
dicted, nor to forestall a proper in
quiry into the probable guilt or limo
cence of parties accused and not yet
indicted. The courts are so entirely
above and beyond the reach of the
influence of the department of JUS
tice or any executive department of
the government that it is extremely
belittling to federal grand jures, as
to their dignity or power, to intimate,
as has been done, that there is any
to go to Washington and ex-
plain what they have or have not done
in obedience to call or request of any
officer from the president
down.
"Only congress has the right to in
by reason of the formal charge pre-
TERED and by impeachment proceed |
ngs. know personally that no such |
call has been made on Judge Beatty. |
In Defense of Borah.
ct is equally unfair to draw any
on the other hand, against |
Senator Borah. 1t was commonly |
understood he was in the Steunenberg
murder case as special attorney for
he prosecution before he was elected
O the senate. 1t is, l think, con-
eded he has acted in a general way in
us capacity as attorney for the Bar
Ter Lumber company, which company
S alleged, in connection with others,
o have been engaged in illegally OBJ
aiming lumber lands near Boise. But
hat does not presume, nor is it in
Lself the slightest evidence, that he
ad any part in procuring lands or
onspiring to do so. 1t has been, to
ny knowledge, and have every rea-
on to believe it will be, the policy
t the department of justice in Idaho
hew straight to the line to keep
s administration here absolutely free
rom ENHANCEMENT either with the
rosecution or defense of Meyer, Hay ]
God and Pettibone, and TO thwart any
ossible interference in any manner {
j political influence on one side, or a {
lsposition to aid the accused men on
lie other, and if the subject is even ]
onsidered by the attorney general or
Their executive officials, 1 am salts /
ed 1t will be strictly along the line /
how best to punish the offenders g
the federal laws and recover lands i
obtained from the govern l
ent, and not in any wise, while doing l
}, to engage in the trial of the alleged
Tenders against the state of Idaho" 9