Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1907-09-06
JAIL TERMS ASKED
FOR Land GRADERS
GOVERNMENT AFTER MEN SAID
TO HAVE STOLEN COAL FIELDS
IN THREE STATES.
STARTLING EVIDENCE
WILL BE DISPLAYED
cases q BE Pushed hard-colorado,
Utah and Wyoming Holdings
Seized, According to the Secret
observation-disclosures Indicted.

Washington, Sept. 2.-Criminal and
civil suits on more gigantic scale
than ever before undertaken in land,
fraud cases are promised by the gov
eminent to be begun in the courts of
Colorado, Utah and Wyoming within
the next few months against several
big corporations which are alleged to
have gobbled up the entire coal sup
ply Of these three states. Following
the California and Oregon prosecu-
lions, In which the government was
eminently successful. the entire force
OF the government was TUNED on
these states, with the result that when
1t shows its hand startling line of
evidence will be displayed.
The investigation has already dem
onstrated that an enormous acreage
Of public land has passed unlawfully
into the hands Of individuals and cor
porations and that the coal supply Of
these states is now owned almost COM
pletely by three OF four big corpora
lions. The administration purposes
trying TO obtain Jail sentences against
those responsible for the frauds and
viii endeavor to regain possession of
the lands illegally taken by civil suits
Denver Seat Of Operations.
Denver is the seat of the present
operations of the government forces
at work on the alleged frauds, and it
Is learned here that for nearly two
years 100 secret agents have worked
from Denver in the states where the
anterior department has been led to
suspect frauds The work of these
men has been rewarded by results far
beYQnd their expectations and certain
~ beyond those Of Washington Off
Gals, who have been surprised at the
evidence dug up. This evidence is
now in shape for the department Of
Justice TO take hold Of.
judicial machinery has already been
started in Colorado. Wyoming and
Utah. Earl Cranston, district attor-
neny of Denver, a son of Bishop Grams
ton OF the Methodist church, is en-
trusted with the prosecution OF the
Offenders and he is to be assisted by
ableSsDecial counsel provided by the
department Of Justice.
Fifty-six Persons Indicted.
At the recent sitting of the federal
grand jury in Denver indictments were
returned against Sc persons for land
frauds Many Of the indicted men
have been prominent in the business
affairs of the state. Among those per-
sons caught in the net were several
Missouri and Michigan men, who, hav-
Ing been led to believe that the gov
eminent was easy" undertook to get
possession of public land without go
ing Though the usual lawful formal
tiles.
The work Of this last Denver fed
eral grand jury was only a beginning.
When the jury meets again in the fall
the secret service force, which has op-
Grated in the state under the direc-
Zion OF man named Wheeler, will
be ready to submit evidence on which
# Is expected to return large num-
Der OF indictments. Unless the plans
.Of the government shall miscarry some
of the heads Of large corporations do
ang business in this state will be in
dicted. With the criminal net thrown
around the alleged land grabbers the
government will institute civil pro.
ceedings to recover title to the val
liable coal lands which, it is alleged,
have illegally passed to the. posses
sion of certain railroads and other cor
poTations.
Followed the Old Methods.
The investigations carried on quiet
AZ by the secret service men have re-
vealed the land grabbers in Colorado,
Wyoming and Utah followed the meth
ODDS that were adopted by the land
grabbere In Oregon Men were hired
to take up land and as soon as they
got possession OF it they turned it
over to the corporation or Individual
that was employing them. In this
way, It is alleged, at least 100000
aSres 6f coal and timber bearing land
IN the three states passed Illegally
from the government to corporations.
y
Big swindIe unearthed.
La Crosse, Wis, Sept. 2.-What ap-
HearS to be big swindle onerated in