Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-03-04
PROBING THE
ANDERSON CASE
------------------------
Senate Committee Inquiries Into
Alleged Irregular Praotises
In State Land Office.
SOME TIPS FROM RELATIONS.
George +. WoOllcy's Dramatic Story In
yolying His Friend the Accused
Clerk Who is Implicated.


against Harry Anderson, the accused
clerk, who is implicated in testimony
given at the first hearing, by George Il.
Wooley of the United States land office.
Woolley's story was dramatic In the
extreme, and was the narrative of
friend learning things about another
friend that II carried to an extreme
would wreck his career, and of an ac~
ton taken to prevent tempta ton be-
ing thrown in his way through promo
ton.
At the first hearing of the committee
held Saturday afternoon, 1--WE witnesses
we're examined. 1t developed unexpect-
edIy during the afternoon that the
declaration of Senator Benner x. Smith
In the senate resolution giving birth
to the committee, to the effect that the
land board had refused 10 do anything,
was true only to the extent that MOTH
Ing had been done. An Investigation
had been ordered by the governor, and
was waiting for a postponed meeting
when Senator Smiths resolution sug~
costing the necessity for drastic and
immediate action came up. The land
board had been waiting for the arrival
OF w. ID. Candiand, 1t seems, and of
course would have appreciated chance
to do its own house cleaning away
from the lime light of a senatorial in
vestigatIon.
WOOLLEY'S TESTIMONY.
Harry Anderson was represented by
Il. w Senior and w. d. Livingston as
attorneys. Senior had been subpoenaei
rs Witness but asked to be relieved
on account Of hts position as attorney
The important feature of Woolley's tes-
tinony was drawn out IN a question by
Benner X Smith, Did you have n
conversat ton with Harry s. Anderson
relative to certain lands which are here
designated as the sorensen lands?'
II did" was the anwer, during the
latter part of July"
PLEASE relate the circumstances
yes; late in July on August OF last
year. Anderson was examining our
list: said Mr. Mueller owned the Old
Arm Chair summer resort. He wanted
10 file on some lar@ UP there, had
put his brother-in law On TO the fact
that Mueller was after the land He
said his brother-in-law would have TO
'divYy' with him In the transaction.
Anderson told me that he had met his
brothGr-in-law and told him that Mr.
Mueller was establishing summer re-
sort In Mn Creek canyon, which would
make land in the vicinity valuable and
that Inc had put him on 10 H. In add-
zion to what p. A. Sorensen filed on.
there was 100 acres left, and Anderson
said he would have to take care of this,
too. Hans p. Sorensen came in n day
on two later and filed on this land.
LOOKED SUSPICIOUS"
at looked suspicious to mo when he
told me that he had put p. A. Sorensen
onto the piece. and that he would have
TO take care OF the other tract.
Here" said the witness, II desire
to make statement. / hate to do II,
but duty compels me TO. | am not here
as a voluntary Witness asked not to
come; i'll fact, ! positively refused 10
come before the board and say TO II
what / am about to say to this commit
tee
~ understand in January of this
Sear that Anderson was an applicant
for secretary OF the board of land COM
missioners, j went to the governor and
told him he was not a III person to act
as secretary OF the board.
THE governor said this Is CONFIDENTIAL
and shall be SO respected. Mr.. Dickson
notified me that j was wanted by the
board on Wednesday. ! gave what
knew of Anderson 10 the governor in
confidence and L would not appear
against him voluntarily.
81 would not be here today but for
the fact that ! was subpoenaed. have
known Anderson all my life and ]
thought II he was not considered in
NplutGlioH Win IlllS appointment ne
would know the reason and profit by II
and his good name would NOT suffer-
The testimony OF Mr.. WoolIey lent a
distinctly dramatic color to the inquiry.
lie was acting, he thought, In the best
interests of life long friend, and when
he flrst went TO the governor It was
with the hope OF keeping his friend
from additional temptation,
f. b. STEPHENS STORY.
Frank b. Stephens was the first wit
ness. He testified that on July 20,
1905, he went To- the land office With
n couple of contracts drawn up for
client, and showed them TO Anderson.
lie then asked II the land was open 20
entry. and Anderson after looking over
the books, said IL was. A short time
lator the contracts With the deposits
made We're returned to Mr.. stephens
with the information that the land was
not open. The records OF the United
States land Office showed that 1t had
been filed ON July 2s, the land being
known as the 6rst Sorenseu entry.
DID you disclose 20 any one that
these lands were selected by you?'
~ did not disclose 10 any one that
these lands had been selected"
Mr. Anderson requested us 10 pre-
pare applications for other lands. That
these lands were selected by another
before our application WAS filed. After
wards j found they had been selected
by Sorensen. Two or three days after
we iiled the papers they were returned
10 ny. 1 did not know the reason for
Sorensen's precedence at that time.
Sorensen's application was filed be-
tween the time ! FIRST visited the office
and the time OF fling the papers. which
was some "a hours"
JOHN DE GREY DIXON.
John De Grey Dixon, secretary OF tho
land board. was the second witness.
He was kept on the stand "A long titns
detailing the methods OF procedure IN
the Land Office, and the duties OF varl-
Gus clerks. He stated that applications
when received were not dated az II
was the custom not to consider them
as applications until II had been ascer-
tanned from the plats OF the u. S. land
9itlce, That the lands were open to en-
ny, Harry S Anderson was entrusted
with the work taking the papers over
TO check up on the plats. Anderson
niso stood al the counter 10 meet tho
public, and receive applications. Some
times he allowed number OF applica-
ions 10 accumulate before taking them
over 10 the federal land office.
Bonner x. Smith introduced the two
applications OF w, H. Dorcher which
Anderson had marked 20. r." signify
.ng that the land had been found open
70 entry Any member OF the board,
the witness explained, could find out
ihe name OF an applicant before the
checking up was done at the federal
and office, and a aillng In that office