Albuquerque citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1907-1909, 1907-10-26

El PaSO. Tex, Oct. 2b.-Ine EVEN
ing Times of Thursday said:
THAT court officials were removed
at the instigation of assistant United
States attorneys, and that grand
Jury was chosen at Santa Fe prlmar-
lily for the purpose OF securing men
who would act implicitly upon the
suggestions of these special agents
of the government in returning in
dictments; that suggestions were
made about their testimony to pros
pective witnesses by these attorneys,
and that the savage attacks upon
men who are known as foremost in
the world of science and charity, is
in keeping with the sensational mode
of procedure in a morbid desire 10
purchased lands from the territory
of New Mexico. is the substance Of
statement made in this city last
night by Judge w. A. Hawkins, coun-
sci for the Phelps-Dodge interests.
Judge Hawkins returned yester-
day from Santa Fe, N. NJ. He was
requested by the Times to make a
statement with reference TO the in
dictments found against certain par
ties alleged to be employees of the
Phelps Dodge company, and also
against the members of the firm, re-
Gently at Santa Fe. In reply 10 this
request, Mr.. Hawkins stated:
"'In this instance l am going to
depart from the usual rule which
governs all attorneys under which
they do not fight their law cases in
the newspapers. i am going to do
this because of the fact that these
indictments constitute an attack up
on the character and reputation of
many prominent men, who for
great number of years have been
known as foremost not only in busi-
,faF nriC htIf m
charity and advancement of the
highest class of citizenship. and the
preservation of the laws of the coun-
try in every way possible.
Men of Highest Character.
az refer to the members conSpos-'
ing the firm of Phelps Dodge and
company. The Indictments also con-
stitute an attack upon the character
and reputation of such men as DR..
James Douglas and DR.. l.. ID. Rick
etts, who are eminent in science and
who are most directly known to the
people of this section of the country
in the great development work
which has been carried on by them,
as the lieutenants and officers of the
Phelps-Dodge company; and also an
attack upon the character of a great
many young men of Arizona, who
have affiliated with these gentlemen
in their work--to say nothing of the
embarrassment and unjust notoriety
given to the names of the ladies of
DR.. Ricketts, family, including an
aged mother and an invalid sister
"'By these indictments, also, it
is sought to involve one or two attor-
neys, land surveyors and others,
whose connection with the whole
matter was as remote as possible,
and who have acted in this instance,
as has been customary in thousands
of similar instance in which the
development of coal fields has been
made proof or statement, the truth
of which the government questions.
Coal Land Laws.
"In order that the public may un-
derstand upon what statement of
facts these indictments are predict
ed, it is necessary to refer to the acts
of congress which provide the meth
Cd by which coal lands upon public
domain may be acquired, and also to
refer to the facts which must exist
before coal deposits, under the laws
as they exist. can be developed.
In the first place, every citizen
of the United States is entitled to
locate 100 acres of coal land. 1t must
be locatd for his own benefit and at
the time of location he must make
proof that he is not acting for the
Interests of any other person in
seeking to exercise his right. II Is
well known fact that the coal de-
posits of New Mexico, and generally
wherever found in the mountain re-
gions, are remote from railroad con-
nections, and it is impossible TO in
any way develop the same or handle
the output until a railroad is built
to such fields. 1t is a fact that hun
dreds OF thousands of acres Of well
known coal lands exist in solid bod
les in various parts of New Mexico,
and that nobody Will enter them be-
cause no capital can be gotten to-
gether to build a railroad to them.
The government requires that $40
per acre shall be paid for these
lands whenever entered, If the same
are more than Is miles from a rail-
road and $40 per acre II within Is
miles.
Makes Land Valuable.
Whenever a railroad is promot-
ed to build into hitherto unoccupied
coal fields, for the purpose of bring
ing out the coal, the same becomes
OF some value.
The friends Of the promoters i'm
mediately see prospect ahead OF
being able TO profit in event OF To-
cation OF such coal fields, and II is
not an unusual thing, but quite the
regular order, for those who have
inside information as 10 the proba-
bility of the construction of such
railroads to Immediately make fl
ings on such coal lands. Some per-
sons may be acting more or less in
unison and with an idea and plan Of
dispOsing of their entries to the best
advantage after such railroad Is
constructed. and they frequently
club together, employ an attorney.
In fact, who thereafter furnishes all
proof the government requires Ia
the interests of each OF the entry
men. Every man who makes his coal
entry in this manner undoubtedly
has the belief thatahe will profit by H.
No individual can work a cnaI ming