Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-20
SENSATION IN THE
LAND FRAUDS CASE
Former Department EmpIoye
Admits Supplying Data.
ADMISSIONS BY HARLAN
Says He Was Paid by Benson for
D;vulging Information.
DELAY IN PROCEEDINGS TODAY
Attorney Worthington Causes
Laughter by Reference to "crook
County''-Details Of Testimony.


Although the session of Criminal Court
Hyde Benson. Schneider and Dimond on
charge Of conspiracy to. detraud the sov-
ernrnent of valuable public lands In the
states of California and Oregon was ex-
nished the greatest sensation yet pro-
duced by the government. Woodford d.
Harlan, for nearly ~two.score years .
clerk in the general land ONCE. was the
fession of receiving many hundreds os
dollars to expedite lien ands selections.
and to dtvuIge information relating to the
boundaries OF proposed forest reserves.
1t was also stated that william z. Walk.
another land once clerk. received q share
Of the money. The examination and
cross-examination Of Harlan probably
viii require all Of the session this after
noon and also part Of that Of tomorrow.
Because of important business calling
both Attorney worthington and Attorney
Donaldson into other courts this morning.
Justice Stafford consented to q recess I'm
the Hyde -Benson-S -Schnetder-Di -Dimond trial
from 10 o'clock. the regular opening hour.
until 11:So o'clock
At the latter hour court reconvened ana
Woodford d. Harlan. one OF the most Inn
portant witnesses for the government,
was called to the stand. ASKED his occu-
patton. Mr.. Harlan said he ID land at-
torney. but he twas connected With the
gauarat land ef1ee during most Of his Me
and down TO 3 little less than . year ago.
Witness said he was first sRgeinted 20
the f4nd -ofilce In 1886. and he held his
position until 1857. when . change in the
administration resulted In his separation
from the service. and appointed again tn
1897. Mr.. Harlan was chief Of the sps-
ciai service. division from 1897 until ieos.
fourth-class clerk. and he was dismieoed
from that post April %. 1907. Asked II he
knew William E. Talk. Mr.. Harlan re-
piled aflirmatively. and said Walk was .
1897 until 1901. and after 1901 Walk was
transferred to,the newly created forestry
division. .rt
do you know John A. Benson?" United
States Attorney Baker asked.
Yes" Hariand said. He detailed the
manner OF his meeting with Mr.. Benson.
Meeting With Benson.
"A young man met me on 9th street.
he explained, land told me a man was
in an ONCE in the Atlantic building who
wanted to see me. went to the place
and Mr.. Benson and I introduced our
selves. and he told me he was interested
In some forest lien selections which
would soon be coming through the land
| 0fYlrp IN cnnSi6era h1o niIn4hQr and hA
wanted them to go through without delay.
told him Mr.. Walk was In charge OF the
forestry division Of the land once and ir
would be necessary to see him. When
went back to the Office told Walk about
It, and he afterward told me he had seen
Mr.. Benson after the Office closed at
o'clock"
Harlan declared Benson asked him IL il
could be arranged to expedite the heu
selections. and that he replied afffrma-
lively and suggested q rate Of Is cents
an acre.
He objected to this rate as too high"
Harlan continued, land as I recollecc it,
there was no definite rate agreed upon"
and address: ''R. l. Smith, Box 1s2.' 1a-
koma Park, D. c. and Benson gave his
own address: ''John A. Benson. 507 Com
mercial street. San Francisco. Cal"
did you ever receive anything from
Mr. Benson" Mr.. Becker. asked.
"A letter came 20 me addressed to r.. I.
Smith, and { contained a 800 bill.
did Mr.. Walk get any OF thiST
II gave him portion. probably so or
$40"
"were there any other COMMUNICATIONS
from Mr. Benson?
Receives Letter With 800.
Yes, another letter came. 1t contained
q blank tablet Of yellow paper. ana IA II
was another hundred-dollar bill
this money!
II think l simply returned the blank
tablet. l did not write anything on II"
Did Walk get any Of thfs?
THE same as pefo:e--s2o or So Soon
after this latter remittance INwrote to
MIR. Benson that Walk was dissatisfied
with the money he was getting out OF II.
cases. That ended my connection with
this part Of the business" -
"whsn did you next see Mr.. Benscn7"
Mr.. Baker continued.
October g. 1889" Harlan said
How do you fix the date?"
1T was the day Dewey was received in
Washington. received q note. by nes-
senger Think. telling me Mr.. Benson was
at the Arlington Hotel. and 1 went to his
room. He told me nc wanied to ascer-
tain the boundaries OF several proposed
forest reserves.
Mr. Harlan said he had insisted on
knowing whether MIR. Benson had part
ner or partners, and that he made the
arrangement that all transactions should
be with Benson directly and solely in
currency. not. in drafts or checks. Fur
ther concerning the interview at the
Arlington Hotel, Harlan said he sent to
Mr.. Benson maps Of various sections OF
northern California. with the lines OF the
then proIApsed reserves outlined on them.
Witness said he had marked the bound.
aries of the reserves himself. and that fog
this work he received another hundred
dollar bill from Benson.
1T think also sent him o map OF the
proposed Rogue river reserve" added
Harlan.
Suggests "Crook County"
WAS that In Crook county? Attorney
Worthirgton inquired. and Harlan re-
Piled seriously: EFT was Iva the south %
Oregon while the attorneys. jurors ana
x-,ilnHd 1uGfic icf. SRI.