The Colorado statesman., 1907-03-30
TO PROBE FRAUD
COAL AND TIMBER THIEVES TO
BE HUNTED DOWN BY Gov
EMINENT SLEUTHS.
STARTLING DISCLOSURES
Colorado Is to be Freed from Frauds
That Retard Progress of the
Western Spirit.

Denver.-That Colorado is to become
by the federal government is indicated
by the action of the department OF
justice at Washington in organizing
corps of special assistant attorneys
general 70 aid in the work of ferreting
out and prosecuting violators of fed
eral laws. For months rumors OF
fraudulent coal, timber and mineral
land entries in Colorado and other
western states have been countless.
That the federal government plans
aggressive action is manifest. That
it may result in exposures SO startling
as to shake more than one western
community from center to circumfer-
ence seems certain.
General M. c. Burch, special assist
ant United States attorney general,
has been located in Denver for several
months. 1t has been learned that he
was sent out by the department to or
ganize corps of assistants in prepar-
alton for the important prosecutions
to be undertaken. He has had offices
in the Equitable building, this city.
The assistants chosen by Mr.. Burch
include Ernest Knaebel, Denver; F. A.
Maynard, Salt Lake City; S. r. Rush,
Omaha; f. H. Long, Durango, Colo
rado; and H. H. Schwartz, Helena,
Montana. General Burch will have his
headquarters in Denver and will direct
the investigations from this city. Ok
lahoma and Indian Territory alone are
excepted from this arrangement, as
they are under the supervision of the
Department of the Interior. Every
western state will come under this
thorough investigation planned.
Sporadic Investigations of coal land
frauds in Las Animas and Huerfano
counties, in this state, have been num-
erous and equally unfruitful. 1t is pro-
posed to again go over the ground Gov
cred by previous investigations, which
were not thorough. The many en-
tries made on Routt county lands
within recent years will be investi-
gated also 1t is surmised that the
methods whereby certain companies
secured large tracts of valuable min
eral bearing lands in the vicinity OF
the Uintah Indian reservation Will
come under the searchlight of federal
investigation also.
Recently an investigation OF alleged
| coal land frauds, held at Salt Lake City
was productive of several sensations,
| and men we'll known in Utah and Colo
rado were indicted. However, that in.
| vestigation was on much smaller
scale than the one to follow the selec-
tion of special corps of men who
| will assist the federal government in
learning 10 just what extent 1t has
been defrauded by men and interests
| intent on getting portions of the pub
| lie domain.
From Washington came the an
nouncement that Harry H. Schwartz
had been appointed chief of the spej
cial field service division of the General
Land Office. 1t is surmised that in conf
pany with General Burch he will inii
( tiate the proceedings in each state in
which they are started
| Mr.. Knaebel, who is assistant United
States district attorney for Colorado,
did not care to discuss the plans of the
| federal government. Earlier investiga-
tions, however, indicate that more than
one large fuel corporation in Colorado
is likely to be involved in the investi-
| cations conducted in this state. The
use of dummies in securing coal
lands, filings on coal lands as agricul-
tural lands, and other evasions of fed
eral laws will be probed.