The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1908-06-27
HYDE IS
GUILTY
JURY CONNECTS PRINclpA,
PENDANT IN cALIFopm.
LAND CASES.

0ovem.
ment-J. A. Benson and H. p. NJ
mond Declared Not eulty-Ju..
Was Out seventy-Two Hours
Washington, June 22.-F. A. Hv,.
and J.,H. Schneider were found vr,,.
and J. A. Benson and Henry P. Dimo,,
were acquitted by the verdict .,
Jury returned this afternoon befo,.
Judge Stafford in the criminal cou,.
The four men were indicted mo,,
than four years ago for alleged ~,
spiracy to defraud the United state.
out of large tracts of public lands u
the West.
The jury, which retired to consido,
the case at / o'clock Friday Afternoon
reported to the court at 11:22 o'c]oct
this morning that it could not reach an
agreement.
The court instructed the Jurors IL
make one more effort to reach com.
mon agreement, and if they could not
then agree he would discharge them
from their responsibilities.
Justice Stafford spoke of the imnor.
lance of the case to the government
and to the defendants and asked the
jurors if they would not go back to
their room and lay aside all their pre-.
vious opinions and listen to one an.
others views and see if they could not
arrive at an agreement The Judge
said that he did not wish to modify Or
take back any part of his instructions
to the jury.
Jury Retires Again.
Immediately after receiving the
courts request, the fury again retired
in a further effort to come to some
agreement, and as consequence it ar
rived at verdict this afternoon. Upon
the announcement of the verdict, the
court thanked the members of the jury
and Immediately released them from
any further service.
Benson and Dimond were acquitted
on all Of the forty-two counts in the
indictment. Hyde and Schneider were
convicted on all but ten Of the counts
Benson and Dimond were immediate
ly released from custody. All TOUR
men have been under $4,000 bail.
Hyde's bail was increased, under the
jury's verdict, to $4,000 and Schnei-
der's to $12,50O.
The trial of the case started in Wash
ington City on April 1. Nearly three
months were occupied in presenting
evidence, principally of a technical ma
ture. Hundreds of records from the.
land office in California, Washington
and Oregon were placed In evidence,
and much time was consumed in their
Identification by witnesses. It is es-
timated that the prosecution has cost
the government 100000 or more.
The indictments charged generally
that the defendants. from October,
1901, to February, 1904, in Washington
City, unlawfully conspired to defraud
the United States out of large tracts
of public lands in the West.
Charges Against Hyde.
It was alleged that Hyde and Ben
son secured title to school lands in
state forest reservations by alleged
fraudulent methods, and that these
titles were then assigned to the Unit
ed States government for selection
purposes under the act of 1897, secur-
ing, the government attorneys allege,
100000 acres in this manner.
Schneider, who was charged with
securing titles to school lands in Ore
gon, was in the employ of Hyde for
many years. The prosecution endeav-
ored to prove that D:mond, who was
an attorney-at-law in San Francisco,
was aware of the alleged overt acts OF
Hyde and Benson.
WOodford D. Harlan and William E.
Walk, formerly clerks in the general
land office in Washington City, were
witnesses for the government and ad-
mitted on the stand that they received
money from Benson for .expediting bis
land selections.
During the trial Benson barely es-
capped committal to Jail for contempt
OF court by refusing to answer certain
questions after Justice Stafford haa
informed him that 1t was his dutyto
do so.
The presentation Of evidence was
finished June IL, and most OF last
week was occupied with closing arga-
ments OF counsel. Judge Staffords
charge to the jury occupied three hours
Friday morning.