The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1907-03-09
fcontinued from page Three.)

(Continued from Page Three.)
that was his understanding.
81 then obtained from Mr.. a. A.
Keen, Commissioner of public lands,
and Mr.. =. M. Shearon, Stenographer
in Mr.. keen's Office a sworn copy of
a memorandum of conversation be-
tween Mr.. A. A. Keen and n. 3. Holt
as reported by Mr.. Shearon on Janu-
ary 81, 1906, Wherein Mr.. Holt, when
asked if it vas the purpose of the ap-
pIicants to transfer the land as soon
as the deeds were delivered, to one
Individual, replied:
"tNo, not to one individual but it
is all to be transferred to a company"
NThe report then sets forth the
statements of five residents of Las
Cruces, who signed the separate appli
cations, all stating that they did it
at Hollis request, and because they
nad confidence in him and did not
hin he would ask them to do any
thing wrong Two of these persons
we're women The report continues:
Il then called on Mr.. Holt at his
office, but did not find him in. Later
in the day Mr.. Holt called on me.
8 = . Mr.. Holt very briefly stated
that after consulting with his partner
he had decided to inform me that
each of the applicants to purchase
mad, at the time of signing the appli-
cation, also executed a deed in fee to
James S. Delameter, trustee, and had
given same to Holt to hold in escrow,
and that the deeds were still il his
possession.
81 told Mr.. Holt that his statement
did not correspond with his previous
allegations, as ! remembered, and had
recorded in substance in our two pre-
vious interviews
After setting forth further details
of the investigation at great length.
the report concludes:
The facts disclose IN attempt to
evade the restriction of the act of
1898. under a colorado compliance
with the terms of the federal and ter
ritorial statutes, a scheme in all re-
spects similar to that used by the
Trinidad Coal and Coki1g Company
to obtain title to public lands, n
declared fraudulent by the supreme
court of the United States. = = = =
The sale has not been contaminated
and it is within the power of congress
to enforce the conditions of the grant
Respectfully submitted.
e. P. HOLCOMBE,
Detailed Clerk"
General Land Office"
The report hen carries as exhibits
copies OF conversations with Holt re
ferred to in the body of the report,
showing that Holt, in these several
interviews, made statements directly
contradictory to each other, and also
copies of the affidavits of the Las
Cruces men setting forth the condi-
tons under which they made applica-
ton to purchase.
1t is interesting to note the connec-
ton with this report that Mr.. Holt is
n of those who voted for the house
resolution, to investigate Governor
Hagerman's connection with the Penn
sylvania Development Company land
deal. a deal which was consummated
down to it's final detail before Cover
nor Hagerman came into office, the
house resolution having contained
among other things the following:
Whereas. it appears that the sew
eral territorial institutions in behalf
of which said lands were selected,
have been ~defrauded of their rights
by virtue of h totally inadequate
price at which said lands were sold"
The price of the land transferred
in the Pennsylvania Development Co.
deal was SO an acre. The price at
which Bonham & Holt sought to OBJ
tain 5000 acres of the institutional
lands from the territory, by practical
ly the same means. was S1.50 an acre.