Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1907-03-28
CRAWFORD MUST EXPLAIN.
Interior Department Demands
Reply in Sixty Days.

Will be given sixty days in which 10 dis
prove charges recently made public by
Representative Mann, of Illinois, to the
effect that title to the governors land
CLAIMS were procured through fraud.
Must Give Explanation
This decision was announced last week
by Commissions Ba!linger of the gen
eral land Office, who will notify Gov
ernor Crawford to that effect. The gov.
ernor will also be notified that unless q
satisfactory answer is given in the time
limit mentioned, his patents will be
cancelled.
Charges Against Crawford
Representative Mann makes several
charges against Governor Crawford, all
of which are contained in the report of
a speech Published i'll the Congressional
Record, but which was not delivered on
the floor of the house. Publication was
permitted by the house. The speech
was a discussion of the public land
question, in which Mann took a lively
interest at the last session. He alleges
among other things that Governor
Crawford is guilty Of premeditated
fraud through the exercise of political
influence.
AHidavits Back CHARGES
Mann presents affidavits of agents Of
the interior department and others in
support Of his charges. He states that
Crawford deliberately hired young men
to make entries under the homestead
laws for government land inside his
ranch, and that it will appear from the
record that the entries were made not
only for the purpose OF obtaining unlaw-
full possession of lands, but with intent
of f~raudulently acquiring title thereto.
The lands, he says, were within a fence
in violation of law and he also paid his
hired men 800 each for making the
entries.
Alleges Political Influence
The speech refers TO an examination
of the records made by Mann at the
department of justice. which, he says,
he was not allowed to publish. A copy
of a letter is also presented. 1t was
written by the attorney general TO the
secretary of the interior, June 5. 1906,
which states that the cases appeared to
present. such fragrant violation of the
law, and that failure to secure an indict-
ment could only be explained by the
unusual political situation in South
Dakota, caused by the operations of the
Crawford Elliott and Gamble combine.
Continuing, the letter says:
"All the cases except two will have
been barred dy the statute of limitations
on the first day of the coming month.
One of the remaining two will be barred
in August, and the other in November.
Garfield Wants Explanation
The case has been under consideration
by the department of the interior for
some time past and recently Secretary
Garfield turned the matter over I o Com
missioner Ballinger with Instructions
to 60 further into the matter and call
upon the governor of South Dakota for
an explanation. This resulted in the
commissioners decision to act at once. |
Crawford Denies Charges.
In response to q request for a state
ment regarding the charges. the COVER
nor to-day telegraphed the following
statement.
Huron, s. d.. March All gave the
facts relating TO the charges referred
to in your dispatch to the public one
year ago IN regard to my attempting to
scenic title to government land through
third parties. / made no agreement Of
that kind, either direct or indirect, no
matter what Congressman Mann or any
other man may say. AS TO q filing made
by me. the facts are that five of six
years ago ! fled a homestead entry upon
. quarter section of land In Walworth
county. That fling was made In good
faith and with an honest intent. and as
. citizen of the United States I had n
right to make II. I afterwards abapd.
oned the claim because I concluded it
would cost more to take the time to
make the settlement than the land was
worth. Il was simply q case Of aband-
onment by me Of q lawful entry, which
the government may OF oourse cancel.
The charge Of fraud 10 unfounded and
10 being exploited by political enemies,
against whom il will react to their
v humiliation"
(9igned) Coo I. Crawford.