Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1907-08-24
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NO FRAUDS IN
LAND DEALS
Former Attorney
General Prichard
Gives Facts.
COURTS FULL INVESTIGATION
71,OOO Acres Brought $227,-
725.32.- Only S Per Cent
of Donations Sold.

hdge Fall, the present attorney
general of New Mexico, having eX-
pressed himself to a reporter OF lhe
El Paso Herald that SO far as ne
knew there are not any timber OF
land frauds in New Mexico" a re-
porter of the New Mexican called on
his predecessor Colonel George W.
Prichard for his views on the subject
His answer was:
81 went into the office of attorney
general of this Territory on the l9th
day of November, 1904 and left
the Office on the first day OF June,
A. D.. 1906. / again entered the Of
flee on May 1st, 1907, and re-
tired therefrom on the fifteenth OF
this month. I was member OF the
Board of Public Lands from the day
T took the oath of Office on the 18th
Jav of November, 1904, until the board
became defunct on the 10th day OF
May, 1905. During the time |
was attorney general not All mere OF
the lands of this Territory was con
tracted for or sold to anyone. There
had been some lands sold by the board
before went into Office and had oc'
casion from time to time to look into
such sales, and it never occurred 10
me that the Territorial Land Board
had been guilty of any fraud in the
disposition of any Of the lands belong
ing to the Territory. No facts ever
came to my knowledge on which such
a conclusion could be based.
"Fraud in this relation implies de-
ception collusion cheating, swind-
ling and official corruption. Knowing
the men who constituted that board, |
would be- leath to believe that either
of them could be guilty OF dishonest
act. If there were any dishonesty
there. it would be no trouble to show
it, There may have been cases where
individuals have imposed on the board
and may have secured some OF the
Territorial lands for speculation, but
such things are liable to happen and
do happen to the land officers of the
United States frequently. | know that
certain evil disposed persons have
charged that the board or certain
members of it received money or 9TH
er consideration for favoring certain
applicants to purchase Territorial
lands but these are the meaningless
words of the slanderer There is no
truth in the assertions to support
them. These babbling tiends are not
to be believed and they are not be-
lieved by the thinking man. The story
is without foundation, and is a lie
upon it's face DO you suppose for a
moment that if there were any truth
in such reports, that affidavits would
not have been furnished of the facts,
to these foreign agents, who would
roll them as sweet morsels under
their tongues"
But Five Per Cent of Lands Disposed
Of.
Colonel Prichard was asked now
much of the lands granted to the
Territory under the act OF Congress
of June 21st, A. D., 1898, had been
sold. His answer was:
"By that act the general govern
ment granted to the Territory for In
.stitutional purposes 1,343,0S0 acres
The United States Land Commission
consisting of the governor, the sur
veyor general and the attorney gen
eral has from time to time located
and selected to the credit of the vari
GUS institutions named in the act
nearly all of the lands thus granted
trust no charge has ever been made
that there was any fraud in this Sc
lection and location. The secretary
of the interior approved these selec
tions and charge of fraud in these
selections would involve that Officer
as well as the board. Mr.. Hitchcock
was secretary of the interior at the
time. and as he is regarded by many
as paragon of virtue, it would be
blasphemy to connect his name witt
fraud Of any sort. Seventy-one thou
sand and eighty acres OF these select
ed lands have been sold by the Terri
tory, or about 5 per cent OF the tota
area of the 1,343,0S0 acres donated
by the general government have
known of one forest fire in this Ter
ritory that destroyed more timber il
one week than all Of the above II,
OSO acres ever contained. The Terri
tory received for these 71,0SO acre:
the sum of $227,72532, which thu
Territory's educational and other pub
lie institutions have received the ben
eft of. Not an acre Of these land
sold for less than three dollars al
acre and some OF 1t sold for as mucl