The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-01-09
He stated in nnference

investigation. He stated in Inference
to this circular:
i have not bought any land any
where in the west nor undertaken TO
buy any. have made some inquiries,
as one naturally would in roaming
; through the west. 1 simply want the
lpeople of the country to be put on no.
tice that this swindIer at Portland has
no warrant whatever for endeavoring
to inveigle others into his game
81 enclose the circular referred to,
Office inspectors under date of July
p, 1908, as exhibit G, This is con-
fidential report of a type usually NOT
furnished, but in this case the matter
is so serious that feel should put it
before you. I enclose you also as ex-
hibits d., DIP, D-3, D-4 and Do,
/ Photographic facsimiIes of letters ana
envelopes and kilograms from Sena-
tor Tfllman and his agent, William
Lee 1t appears that on October 10,
1907. Senator Tillman wrote a letter,
exhibit D-3, to Messrs. Reeder and
Watkins of Marshfield, Ore, who We're
| attorneys representing people who
were applicants for the purchase
| of certain wagon road grant land. Dorr
was a land agent making his hnngs
| through Reeder and Watkins. Sena-
tor Tillman's letter runs in part as
! follows:
"I wired you from wausau. Wis,
as follows, and wrote to confirm 1t:
/ ''William A. Lee, my agent, will see
you about land. / want nine quarters
reserved viii forward signed appli-
cations and money at once. Members
Of my family are entrymen Letter
| follows. (Signed) B. R. T."
Il write now to say I wired Mr.
Lee. who resides at Moscow, Idaho,
| to go at once to MarShf1eld and see
you about the land, to locate quarters
for the seven members of my family.
who are of age, and one for my pri-
vate secretary. ]. B. Knight, whom I
desire to let into the deal, and of
course he wants a quarter for him
self
\ Good Gamble.
''The letter continued, stating in
detail what was to be done in order
to enable the senator to get the land
The William B. Lee, to whom SEN
agent wrote to Reeder & Watkins
under date of December 4 a. letter,
Photographic copy tof which is here
with submitted. marked exhibit D-4.
In this letter Mr.. Lee explains that
he had written Senator Tillman fully
as to the status of the land matter,
advising him that it was "a good
gamble but that the senator was
lecturing so that he did not get Mr..
Lees letter until a week and a half
later. The letter continues: In case
Senator Tillman goes IN on this deal
for the eight quarters we want, am
satisfied that he can be of great help
in getting matters started from wash
ington and cause the government to
get busy and do something along the
line you desire. He will set up such
a howl that it will be impossible to
do otherwise. This will be very i'm |
portant for your whole scheme to
have a man of his influence here to
aid you at this end of the line. By
all means save a lot of good land for |
u.s. as we intend to be of more value
than any one of the others in this |
matter.
ION February Is, Senator TilIman |
wrote to Messrs. Reeder and Watkins. |
A, photograph of his letter is also at |
tached as exhibit DIS In it I call |
your attention to the fact that he
speaks again of Mr.. Lee as his
agent and of the correspondence |
carried on through Mr.. Lee. He
states that what he has done in |
stirring up the question of the Oregon
land grants to railroads has been done
entirely apart from any personal in
terest he has in the matter and adds: |
attention called to it but for the in |
vestigation as set on foot in connec- |
ton with the proposed purchase by /
me of some of the timber land in |
question. OF course if I decided to |
make the tender and go into the law |
suit I will bear the proposition in |
mind but I would have you under /
stand that nothing I do here in the |
senate will be done because of any
personal purchase of the land. If L
can succeed in causing the govern
ment to institute suit for the re-
covery of the land and make it easier
for others as well as myself I shall
do it without regard to the dealings
with your firm. I still want to get
some of the timber land if it is pos
sible and as it is probable that Mr.. /
Lee or some other representative of
mine will be in your country in the
next two months, we will leave the
matter of payment for the initiatory
steps and subsequent proceedings in
allegiance for the present. Any con-
tract we nightmare will be entirely
apart from and independent of my
work here in the senate. I will be
glad for you to hold in reserve eight
of the best quarter sections of which
you have definite information and 1
will in the meantime press the in
vestigation and other work here
which will facilitate the final pur-
chase and in effect obviate the
necessitating of your making any
case in the courts at ALL |.
This letter in which Senator Till
man requested that eight of the best
quarter sections be held in reserve
for him was written Just four days be-
he had not undertaken to buy any
land in the west. 1t is unnecessary
to comment upon his proposal made
in this letter. to use his influence as
senator to force the government to
institute a suit which would make it
easy for him personally to obtain
some of the land. This letter purely
pertaining to Mr.. Tillman's personal
and private business was sent in a t
ranked envelope of which I attach
copy marked exhibit 1
D-5.'
-'The assault by Senator TiIIman {
upon Mr.. Dorr was, according to the {
report of the inspectors, a wanton Io
assault made to cover up Senator
TiIIman's own transactions. II
at call your attention to the letter
of Mr.. Dorr to the postmaster gem