The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1907-09-06
Bristol Is to Be Dropped by
the Next Legislature
HENEY NO MORE IN OREGON
A Hundred Defendants Who Are Still
Untried Will Never Be
Brought to Trial.

Prosecution of the Oregon land frauds
isat an end. says the Portland Journal.
With over 80 indictments still pen d.
ing and over 100 defendants still un-
tried, the government has tacitly call
ed off the dogs of war. Francis j.
Heney. the most redoubtable prosecutor
who ever came to Oregon, and Will
liam j. Burns. the famous sleuth. will
come 20 more to this state to carry
terror into the hearts Of violators Of
the land laws.
United States District Attorney
William @. Bristol. upon whose shoul-
ders the mantle Of Heney was to fall
in the further conduct of the prose-
outions, is slated for removal from
office and his political foes are already
eagerly debating the choice of euc-
cessor.
No incumbent of the Office has ever
worked harder or more zealously than
Bristol, but when congress convenes
next December he will be without a
friend in the Oregon delegation to urge
bis continuance in Office and there is
the strongest reason to believe that
President Roosevelt will not even send
in his name to the senate for reap
pointment.
When Bristol was placed in office it
was with the distinct understanding
that he would continue to hold it until
the land fraud prosecutions had been
disposed of in the trial courts and to
this plan President Roosevelt was
supposed to be definitely committed.
But powerful political influences have
been at work ever since Bristol's ap-
pointment. with the twofold object Of
ousting him from Office and preventing
the resumption by Heney of the pros
ecutions. With the presidential cam.
aign close at hand. it is believed that
Roosevelt has abandoned Bristol to bis
fate.
The bitter feud which existed be-
tween the president and Senator Full
tonfs virtually at an end and amicable
relations have been reestablished.
Fulton has been after Bristol's
scalp for more than year and he is
now actively aided by Bourne, who
expects to name the next appointee to
the Office. And Roosevelt is expected
to acquiesoe in Bourne's choice.
It was not easy 70 jar loose the bull
dog grip of Frank Heney, but this,
too, has at last been accomplished.
II is year since he tried the Blue
Mountain case, the last of the land
fraud prosecutions in Oregon to be
brought to trial, and ever since that
time rumors have been current from
time to time that be was soon to re-
turn and resume the work of sending
offenders against the land laws to the
penitentiary./ But the months have
slipped away and still he did not
come.
The explanation has at last come to
light. Though willing and anxious
to resume the prosecutions, Heney
found himself suddenly stripped of the
means to carry on the fight. From
Washington came the significant in
formation that the department of ius-
tice had no funds with which to carry
on the trials. Then Heney found that
bis own charges for the services al
ready rendered in past land fraud cas-
es had been hung mp indefinitely. II
be resumed the prosecutions, it would
be with the strong probability that he
would not receive a cent for his SER
vices and might even find himself
without the aid Of the secret service
men and land agents who have played
SO large part in procuring the evil
denoe in past cases.
In word, the munitions of war had
been withdrawn. Inspector I. B.
Neuhausen, formerly assigned to the
duty Of aiding Heney and Bristol in
the prosecution OF the land frauds, has
been instructed to confine himself to
the ordinary duties Of his position. He
no longer occupies offices with District
Attorney Bristol, his headquarters
having been removed to the custom
house building, and his corps of spe-
ciai agents now devote their attention
solely TO the routine examination OF
everyday land office business.
Much Of the evidence upon which
pending indictments were based has
been scattered to the four winds OF
heaven. Some Of il is in the posses
sion OF Neuhausen. some is In the
hands Of Heney and Burns or Irwin
Rittsnbouse. some Of it is held by
Bristol But scores of witnesses whose
testimony would be essential have