River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1907-09-26
COY. STEUNENBERG
IS Indicted IN idaho
WITH SEN. BORAH, LATE ExECU-
TIVE is CHARGED WITH CON-
SPIRACY IN LAND FRAUDS.
ACTION CAUSES BIG
SENSATION IN BOISE
Government Defrauded of Thousands
of Acres of Timber Through Al
legged Gigantic Conspiracy Partic-
ipated In by High Officials.

ipated In by High OHicIals.
Boise, Idaho, Sept. 24.-In begin
ming the work here Monday of impan-
cling jury to try United States Sen
| ator William E. Borah, charged with
conspiracy to defraud the government
of valuable timber lands, district at
| torney Norman M. Runick announced
that former Gov Frank Steunenberg
was one of the men indicted with
Senator Borah for conspiracy. Steun-
enberg is represented in the indict-
ment as John Doe. The case was
called before Judge Edward White in
the United States district court.
Indictment Charges Conspiracy.
The indictment against Senator
Borah alleges that he with IL others
named as co-defendants, conspired to
defraud the government of many
thousands of acres of timber land in
Boise county. AS a result OF this
alleged conspiracy it is alleged that
108 residents of Boise took out tim
Der claims and swore in doing SO that
| they were acting solely in their own
interests, whereas these statements
are alleged to have been false, and it
is alleged that agreements had been
entered into whereby the claimants
were to turn their lands over to 9TH
ers, who in turn were to transfer
them to the Barber Lumber company,
whose officers make their headquar
tiers in Wisconsin and who are said
| to be affiliated with large lumber in
| terests in the west.
Wives and Daughters Involved.
Among the 108 claimants are many
of Boise best known citizens. In
some instances five and six members
of one family, including wives and
| daughters are involved.
Lead Haywood Prosecution.
The prominence of Senator Borah
| in the politics of the state, his per-
sonal popularity in this, his home
town, the leading part he took in the
prosecution of William Haywood,
charged with the murder of Gov.
| Steunenberg and the fact that more
than 100 we'll known residents Of
south Idaho are alleged to be in
| volved with him in the so-called con-
| spiracy, combined to attract an inter
est in the proceedings against him
nearly equal to that which marked
the first of the Western Federation of
Miners trial here.
Imposing Array of Counsel.
| The circuit court was crowded to
overfiowing when Judge Whitson took
the bench. The array of counsel on
either side was imposing. The gov
eminent, whose representatives here
freely predict hearing of a sensa-
tional interest has practically taken the
case out of the hands of District At
| torney Ruick, against whom charges
of improper conduct before the grand
| jury have been filed and assigned the
matter to special attorneys trained in
timber land law and fresh from sue
cessfur prosecutions in other western
! states.
These are M. G. Burch of Detroit
and S. r. Rush of Omaha both special
assistants to the attorney general of
the United States. There also was
present Timothy f. Burk of the Unit
ed States district attorney at Chey-
enne, who was sent to Boise to
assist the special grand jury now
in session in it's investigation of the
charges against District Attorney
Ruick. Senator Borah's attorneys in
clude James H. Hawley, senior coun-
sci for the state in the Haywood
case; Alfred A. Frazer, S. L. Upton
and Carl Paine, all local attorneys,
and c. F. Bundy of Eau Claire, Wis.
| The latter also represents the inter
ests of the Barber Lumber company,
the corporation that is said to have
| profited by the alleged frauds and
some whose officers have been in
| dicted
Ask Abatement of Indictments.
All of the 13 men against whom
| indictments were returned have, with
! the exception of Senator Borah and
| John Doe and Richard Roe, filed
pleas of abatement of indictments on
| the ground of misconduct on the part
of the district attorney, it being al
legged that he made an agreement be-
fore the grand jury which is prohibit
| ed by law, and refused to leave the
grand jury room on one occasion
when requested to do so. Judge Whit
son began a hearing Saturday morn
ing in open court on these charges,
the special grand jury having the mat
ter in hand being adjourned for the
time being.
Eight 13La-Inch Guns for Warship.