Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1907-10-28
Over Recent Indict-
ment Found By U.
S. Grand Jury
EXPLAINS HIS CONNECTION
Secession Movement in San
Juan County Dying Out.
County is Prospering.

Among the persons named in the
Indictment returned week ago today
by the grand jury of the United
States district court here charging
conspiracy to defraud the federal gov
ernment out of coal lands situated in
San Juan county is Judge Granville
Pendleton of Pennington, an attorney
by profession and prominent in immi-
grafton and development of matters in
New Mexico. He is now in the city
for the purpose of filing his bond and
entering his appearance in the case.
According to a statement made by
Judge Pendleton when requested for
an interview by New Mexican re-
porter his only connection with the
alleged conspiracy and fraudulent con
duct relative to the coal land entries
in question was to make an affidavit
to the effect that one OF the claims
was located more than twenty miles
from railroad. He stated that he
received no compensation for this
legal service but did it simply as a
matter of courtesy In discussing the
indictment he said:
81 know but very little about it ex-
cept that have been informed that
an Indictment has been preferred
against me charging me with some
kind of illegal or fraudulent action
in connection with the coal lands al
legged to have been located by the
Phelps-Dodge company in San Juan
county. | have never in any way had
any connection with the Phelps-Dodge
company either as an individual or
as an attorney.
Il have never in any way or man
ner aided the Phelps-Dodge company
or any of its agents or attorneys
in making entries for any coal lands
in San Juan county or elsewhere,
and have had no connection with it
whatever further than the fact that
some three years ago and during the
session of the legislature, of which I
was a member, and at time when !
was in Santa Fe attending the ses-
sion of the legislative assembly,
was called upon as a witness in con-
nection with some coal land entries
merely for the purpose of testifying
to the distance of these coal lands
from any operative railroad Know
ing these lands to be more than TWEEN
ty miles from the limits of any rail
road. | probably testified to this fact
as a personal favor to some OF the par
ties who were making proof, and be-
cause there seemed to be no other
witness from San Juan county at that
time who knew the relative distances
of these lands from the railroad.
Any such affidavits that | may
have made for this purpose were made
gratuituosly and as personal favor
to the parties who were making final
proof, and based upon fact and
without any connection or any con-
spiracy or any wrong or violation of
the law of any kind or nature"
Judge Pendleton is evidently not at
all worried over the indictment. In
his opinion the grand jury must have
been hard up for something to show
land frauds or violations of the law
to find an Indictment against him
under these circumstances. He said
he cared very little about the mat
ter except for the unpleasant notorie-
ty. He has no fears whatever of the
final result
In San Juan county recently a
movement was set on foot to have the
county cut off from New Mexico and
annexed to Colorado. This secession
scheme which was fostered by few
disgruntled would-be politicians of the
'holier than thou" stripe has fallen
flat. Judge Pendleton is authority
for the statement that majority OF
the people of the county scott at the
idea of annexation to Colorado and
prefer to take their chances of single
statehood with New Mexico. Speak
ing of this i'll advised secession move
ment and the general prosperous con-
dition of San Juan county he said:
That Secession Movement.
"There are few disgruntled poll
ticians or would-be politicians, who
are advocating the cause of secession
or the attachment of San Juan coun-
ty to the state of Colorado. They
consist of very few would-be lead
ers and two newspapers of the mug
wump or mixed Democratic persua-
sion, which are much more in favor
of joining Colorado than encouraging
statehood for New Mexico. the mem
ber of the Bureau Of immigration
from San Juan county, whose only
service to the people Of San Juan
county or the territory, since he has