The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1907-08-30
HOW GOVERNMENT ApoLoG1zED

The land contest cases in which
Governor Crawford figured last
spring have been the cause
of much discomfort among his
friends and likewise many
conflicting statements as efforts were
made to explain things. The govern
or's friends have assumed to say or
Intimate that the land department at
Washington has sort of apologized
for the action of Special Agent Nc
Entry, who had charge of the inves-
tigation of land frauds md in the
course Of which he rounded up the
reported by his friends, sent a pretty
warm letter to the land department
at Washington scorching up the
special agent for his action in the
cases. 1t has been reported that the
land department made an apology to
the governor in answer to his letter.
With this apology the friends of the
governor have been attempting to
right his position in the state, and
making it appear hat he had been
sinned against. These friends have
never seen fit to publish the letter
of apology, and doubtless many are
anxious to know what was the oc-
casion for the apology and what the
land department had to say. Without
the intention of any offense to the
governor, this letter from the land
land department is given in it's en-
tirety:
Department of the Interior, gen
eral land office, Washington, D. c.,
April g., 1907.
"Hon. Coe /. Crawford, Pierre, S.
d. Sir: / have received your letter
of March 80, 1907, inclosing a state
ment which you have given to the
public through the Sioux City Daily
Tribune in the matter of certain in
vestigations made by a special agent
of this office and upon whose report
proceedings were begun by this office
for the cancellation Of your home
stead entry as we'll as the entries of
several other parties.
"The charge in the cases was to the
effect that the entries in question
were fraudulent and made for the
use and benefit of yourself or as
stated in your own case for the use
n benefit of the Crawford Cattle
company of which you are a member.
Your letter and statement has
been noted and filed with the other
papers and l will state that this office
q been and is DESTROYS of giving
you as we'll as any other party against
whom charges have been filed in con-
nectton with the public lands, full
opportunity to be heard in defense.
THE record in these cases seemed
to justify the action taken and you
were given the right to refute the
charges by applying for a hearing.
While o submitted a statement de-
nying the charges, you did not ask
for a hearing.
Where a special agent, after care
full Investigation and the submission
OF estnenae. to sustain his report,
chsaxEz th2t an entry Ia fraudulent,
the teHtrymsnatR natided that he has
80 days In which to ask tor a hear
ing to determine the truth of such
charges. You in your own case, and
the young men charged by the agent
with being dummy entrymen for you,
In their cases, were notified Of the
charges of which you complain, and
that failure to apply for a hearing
within thirty days will be taken as !
an admission of the truth of the
charges" Hearings were not applied
for and the charges are therefore
taken as true in each case.
Reports from the local officers
have been received in four of the en-
tries and said entries will be duly
cancelled. Report will be called for
in the other case and when received
the entry will be cancelled, If the
party fails to apply for a hearing.
"The special agent who made the
Investigations and secured the evil
dence upon which he expected to
sustain his charges had a hearing
been asked, has been in the service
for many years and has uniformly
merited the confidence of this office.
In view of the circumstances herein
set forth this Office does not feel JUS
tilted in approving your criticism Of
the special agent referred to. Very
respectfully,
(Signed.) Fred bennett,
Acting Commissioner"
/
Aberdeen's city council has grant
ed an electric light franchise to G. F..
Freehauf, of Cresco Ia, for a period /
of twenty-five years. Mr.. Freehauf