The Mena weekly star., 1908-04-09
LAND FRAUD TR|ALs|
HEARING OF FOUR WESTERN CASES HAS BEGUN IN
 WASHINGTON.
UPWARDS OF 200 WITNESSES PRESENT
The indictments AIIege Conspiracy Against F. A. Hyde, John A. Benson, E. p. Dimond and j. H. Schneider A Brilliant Array of Counsel Are Engaged In the Case.

Washington, Apr. 2.-The trial of the land fraud case against Frederick A. Hyde, John A. Benson, Henry F. Dimond and Joost H. Schneider, ia. volving an alleged conspiracy to de fraud the United States out of valu. able lands in several western states. was begun here Wednesday bafore Justice Stafford in criminal court No. l. Upwards of 200 witnesses from 14 states in the west where the alleged fraudulent requirement of lands was effected. are here for trial.
 This case has been on the dockets of the courts here and in California for the past four years, the trial hay. ing been postponed from time to time. One of the delays was caused because of lack of funds to pay witness fees and other expenses. An appropriation of $60,000 was made by congress at It's present session to cover the cost of the trial. It Is believed that the trial will continue for at least three months.
 The indictments against the four men charged a conspiracy, matched in this city in 1901 to defraud the United States out of many thousands of acres of public lands in the west. It is al legged that these men, operating through the names of fictitious per sons, acquired school lands in Oregon and California, by false entries and forged signatures, by entries later transferred with the help of informa- tion from subsidized clerks in the general land office.
 Benson, who is San Francisco mil lionaire, resisted extradition from California, as did his co-defendants, who are alleged to have done the ac- tual work in the field and later carried the case to the United States Supreme court. where decision unfavorable to them was handed down.
 Binger Hermann, commissioner of the general land office at the time, and later representative in congress from Oregon. sent special agents Hell singer and Magee out west to investi- gate The report was submitted to Hermann, who, it Is alleged, held 1t up. Finally 1t was brought to the at tention of former Secretary of the h. terior Hitchcock by McGee. The for mer detailed secret service officers and attorneys of the department of justice on the case. Their findings led to the indictment of the defendants.
 The governments side of the case Is represented by District Attorney Baker, special assistants in the de- partment of justice, Arthur B. Pugh and Francis J. Heney. The four de- fendants are represented by A. s. Worthington, B. Golden Donaldson and A. A. Birney of the Washington bar. and Joseph c. Campbell, of San Francisco and W. J. Van Deyere, of New York.
 Promptly at the opening of the trial three of the defendants. Hyde, Dimond and Schneider. pleaded not guilty and plea in bar was entered as to Ben son. The attorneys for the defend ants first offered plea in abatement and District Attorney Baker, repre- senting the government filed demur- Ter to the plea, which was sustained by Justice Stafford. Hyde, Dimond and Schneider were then arraigned and counsel for Benson entered the plea in bar. The jurors were dis missed until 1:30 while argument was heard in bar It Is said that new panel will have to be called from which to select the jury.