The San Francisco call., 1908-10-02
WEALTHY MEN
INVOLVED in
LAND FRAUDS
Officials Investigate Transac=
ton That Includes Over Mill
lion Acres of Timber
Believe Consolidation of Water
. Sites Is Being Made for the
Benefit OF Hartman
Will S. Tevis and H. A. Jastr0
Mentioned in Controversy
Over Grants
SPECIAL DISPATCH TO THE CALL

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1.-The in
terror department and the department
of justice are concerned over the pub
lie land situation in California and
adjoining states and quiet but thor
ough investigation is in progress. The
utmost efforts are being made by Of
ficials here to prevent publicity at this
time. 1t is feared that if great frauds
have been perpetrated, as is now sus-
pected, the parties implicated may
take alarm and cover their tracks.
Information reached the general
land office over year ago which re-
suited in, the Immediate dismissal of
one of It's trusted special agents work
ing in the California field His sue
cessor was. directed to make a search
ing inspection of the land titles and
transfers in several California coun-
ties, including Kern and Inyo, and be-
fore this work was completed reor-
ganization was made and another spe-
cial agent appointed with Jurisdiction
over California. These steps were
taken for the purpose of breaking up
any possible conspiracy.
MILLION ACRES INVOLVED
An official of the general land Office
said today that it was possible that a
million acres of land had been fraudu-
lently obtained from the government
before the reorganization was. effected.
He added that tl< Office was certain
that no frauds mad been perpetrated
during the last year. The history of
older transactions is to be looked. into
carefully, particularly those In which
the names of certain corporations ap-
pear. The acquisition of water and
power sites is also to be scrutinized
on account of the insistent rumors
from California that a consolidation is
about to be effected which will give
E. II. Hartman control of 100000
horsepower on the streams in that
state.
TEyIs is CLAIMANT
One of the claimants to extensive
water rights and power is Will S. Teyis,
who entered a protest with Secretary
Garfield against the granting of Lake
Eleanor and Hetch Hetchy to San Fran
cisco on the ground that he could offer
the city a better system if the govern
nrent would not favor the municipality.
Tevis and his business associate, H. A.
'Jastro are understood to be in con-
troversy with the government over
certain lands in the. Elephant Butte
reservoir site, New Mexico, and the title
to this land Is to be investigated.
The department of Justice has signi-
fed it's desire. to cooperate with the
interior department as soon. as the
agents In the field collect sufficient
evidence to justify the prosecution OF
any Jiersons suspected of acquiring pub
lie lands by fraud: It1s intimated that
the difficulty of the investigation is
increased because the operations under
suspicion were conducted under various
corporate names.
SAN FRANCISCO PROTECTED
At. the time the Hefch Hetchy appli-
cation was before Secretary Garfield he
was asked whether an investigation
was to be made of the extensive filings
controlled by Jastro. Tevis and others.
He replied that the only Question be-
fore him was the right and duty of
the government in. its relation with San
Francisco.
1t now appears that the time has ar
rived for the investigation OF these
and all other questions affecting public
land and water acquisitions in Califor-
nia Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico.
The scope Of the investigation and the
names of persons and corporations in
volved are matters which the depart
ment officials refuse to discuss.