Troy weekly news. (Troy, Idaho) 1897-1933, 1907-04-26
idaho LAND CASES
SPECIAL ATTORNEY GENERAL
GIVES INTERVIEW.
Sensational Reports Going the Rounds
of the Press Are Wrong Ruick Not
in Washington to Defend Senator
Borah, He Says-No Connection Be.
tween Two Great Questions.

Judge M. G. Burch, special assist
ant United States attorney general
on his return from Boise, Idaho, in an
interview with a press representative
denied that there is any connection be-
tween the land fraud investigation in
Idaho and the prosecution of the West |
ern Federation of Miners on the charge
of completely in the assassination of
Ex-Governor Steunenberg of Idaho.
Sensational reports going the
rounds of the press concerning the
Idaho conditions should be very large
ly discounted" said Judge Burch. 'The
timber lands investigation in that state
are not new. For nearly four years
these inquiries have been going on in
northern Idaho and l was instrument
tai in sending both a special attor-
ney and a special examiner of the de-
partment of justice there at the start.
1t requires time to pry off the lid
which ordinarily covers such transac-
lions and such was the case there, but
nearly a year ago some of the guilty
parties were indicted and convicted
In southern Idaho the alleged frauds
were much more recent and the Of
| fcers of the department of justice
and of the interior have neither urged
| forward nor retarded their operations
| by reason of the pending offenses al
legged against the officials of the min
ers federation. The visit of District
Attorney Ruick to Washington is an
ordinary occurrence.
"The attorney general is always in
control Of any case, either civil or
criminal, and would not think of over
ruling the action of a grand jury
review of its action between indict-
ment and the trial of the parties in
dicted, nor to forestall a proper in
quiry into the probable guilt or limo
cence of parties accused and not yet
indicted. The courts are so entirely
above and beyond the reach of the
influence of the department of JUS
tice or any executive department OF
the government that it is extremely
belittling to federal grand jurles, as
to their dignity or power to intimate
as has been done, that there is any
necessity to go to Washington and ex
plain what they have or have not done
in obedience to call or request of any
executive officer from the presiden
down.
"Only congress has the right to in
Quire into their conduct and then only
by reason of the formal charge pre-
ferred and by impeachment proceed
ings. | know personally that no sucl
call has been made on Judge Beatty
In Defense of Borah.
at is equally unfair to draw an.
conclusions, on the other hand agains
Senator Borah. 1t was commonl!
understood he was in the Steunenbers
murder case as special attorney TO
!. the prosecution before he was elected
to the senate. 1t is, l think, con
coded he has acted in a general way il
his capacity as attorney for the Bar
, Der Lumber company, which compan!
} is alleged, in connection with others
to have been engaged in illegally OBJ
tanning lumber lands near Boise. Blu
that does not presume, nor is it il
itself the slightest evidence that h
had any part in procuring lands o
, conspiring to do so. 1t has been, t
> my knowledge, and | have every rea
son to believe it will be, the polio.
of the department of justice in Idaht
to hew straight to the line to keel
its administration here absolutely FREE
r from ENHANCEMENT either with thu
/ prosecution or defense of Meyer Hay
: wood and Pettibone, and TO thwart an.
possible interference in any name
by political Influence on one side, or
disposition to aid the accused men OF
the other, and if the subject is evel
considered by the attorney general o
; other executive officials, l am salts
fed it will be strictly along the lin
of how best to punish the offender
: of the federal laws and recover land
/, wrongfully obtained from the govern
, ment, and not in any wise, while doin
so. to engage in the trial of the allege
offenders against the state of Idaho.