The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-03-05
MUST FACE A JURY
TRIAL OF CHARLES N. HASKELL
TO PROCEED NEXT MONTH.
Governor of Oklahoma Is Under In
dictment Charging Him With Con-
spiracy to Defraud the Govern
ment in Land Transactions; What
the True Bill Recites; the Hearing.
Especial to The Free press.l

Muskogee, Okla, March Gov
ernor Charles n. Haskel's prelimi
nary hearing Oh the indictment charg
ing him with conspiracy to detraud the
government takes place today Mt Vim
tia. He will plead mot guilty" and
it is likely that the case will be sci
for trial at Tulsa next month.
Oklahomas first chief executive
who was a prominent figure in the
last national campaign and was forced
TO resign as treasurer of the demo
cratic national campaign committee
ON account of charges made against
him by William X. Hearst, was in.
dictcd on the land fraud charge by a
federal grand jury here early this
month Six other prominent Okla
Romans were also indicted The gov
crnor alleges that the charges are the
result of prosecutions" by Hearst and
Roosevelt and declared his entire inno-
ccnsc of all the crimes laid at his
door
What the Indictment ReciteS.
The indictment of Haskell first re.
cites that the United States has al
Ways exercised official functions in the
matter of protecting Indian tribes in
The enjoyment of the lands set apart
for their use, supervising the selling
OF such lands and also taking care of
the proceeds for the Indians, and then
the act of March /. 1901, is referred
to.
lots in the townships i'm Muskogec or
the Creek nation reservation at auc-
ton to the highest bidders at not less
than their appraised value. The act,
however, contained provision in
favor of persons already in occupancy
of the lands within the tOwnsitcs in
that it permitted such persons to pur-
chase not more than two lots at one
half OF their appraised value.
Under these circumstances it is
charged the defendants in violation of
section 5,440 of the revised stututcs of
the United States conspired to manage
matters by means of dummies" so
that they finally would come into pos
session of many valuable leases in
Muskogcc at onc-half their appraised
value.
They were first to schedule with the
townsite commission the names of all
the persons they could think of in the
different parts of the United States,
and SO set the government machinery
in motion which would finally result
i'll the issuance of patents in those
names.
Some of the Allegations.
While the machinery was grinding
the defendants would secure quitclaim
deeds from those prospective paten-
tees. Having secured the record title
the defendants would then hasten to
dispose of the lots to innocent third
parties. The suit of all this is ar
gucd rs Il fraud upon the United States
and also upon the Greek nation, wards
of the government.
Overt acts TO the number of forty
seven in the first indictment, thirteen
in he second, and ninety-two in the
third are set forth as having been
committed by the different defendants
These overt acts consisted in the writ
ing of letters, signing of deeds, and
then making of payments and accept.
ing patents from the government.
In cases where dummies" refused
a., .1.if al MI a,
money, it is charged forgery of deeds
III their names was resorted to to com
plete the claims of title.
The indictments charge that the con
spiracy was started in May, 1901, ant
ended February ), 1909. This pre-
vents Haskell from setting up thu
statute of limitations us a defense.