East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1909-09-08
GOODS FOUND ON
COAL SYNDICATE
DUMMY ENTRYMEN ON
CUNNINGHAMS JOURNAL
John f. Lathrop Says That Chief of
Special Agents Has Given Testimony
Showing Dummies Were Used.

Reports come to Washington that
certain claimants at Spokane and Wal
la Walla connected with the celebrated
Cunningham coal lands cases arising
in Alaska and involving Ballinger and
his assistants, assert that no dummy
entrymen were used in any of the
Cunningham claims filed, says John
E. Lathrop special correspondent at
Washington for the Oregon Journal.
Inquiry reveals that Henry H.
Schwartz, chief of special agents, re-
peatedly testified before a congression-
al committee that dummies were used
in making these filings and a con-
densation of the records in the cases
show that Immediately after resign
ing the commissionership of the gen.
eral land office, Ballinger, now secre-
tary of the interior, became attorney
for the Cunningham group Of claim
ants and other claimants in Alaska.
Evidence in Cunningham journal.
AS such attorney he filed an affl-
davit made by Cunningham, dated
September 4, 1908, in which he at
tempted to explain certain evidence
contained in private journal belong
ing to Cunningham, a copy of which
L. r. CLAWS procured as chief of the
field division of special agents. This
journal showed that the Cunningham
claims were initiated by three men,
one of whom was Clarence Cunning
ham, and that they used the names
of dummy entrymen, from whom they
obtained power of attorney to locate
and select lands.
Puts Goods on the Syndicate.
The Journal showed the substitu-
ton of the names of responsible peo-
Pile, later, for the names OF these
dummies. 1t also showed that the
expenses of examination of these
lands. and other expenses, connected
with locating, were born by the Gug-
genheim syndicate. 1t is understood
that this act is regarded by the law
yers in the case as most damaging
to Ballinger in view of the fact that
evidence of fraud has already been
adduced. 1t is asserted by good
judges of evidence who have had ex-
perience with the oregon land frauds,
that the evidence in the Cunningham
vincing than in the oregon cases,
vincing tina in the oregon cases,
in which convictions of many defend
anYa Uara nrOnprad
Honest Men I'm the Case.
If honest men have become mixed
UP with these claims they will ap-
parently have to lay their troubles to
some one who sought to use them.
Il is believed that many perfectly hon
est men were connected with deals
in the manner indicated, but that ir-
regularities were unearthed none now
denies, Every one admits them in
connection with the Cunningham
claims. The official record teens with
such proof, which is documentary
and does not rest on any one mans
assertions.
Great sympathy is expressed for in
nocent men, If caught in this net.
But that certain men sought to vio-
late the law, that some of these men
were high up in the business and So
cial world, that the Guggenheim,
Morgan and Standard Oil combine
was striving in every possible way
to procure complete control of AL
aska's copper, coal, timber and rail-
road enterprises, besides already pos
sessing absolute control OF all lines
OF water transportation leading to
Alaska, with local telephone, tele-
graph and lighterage concerns, re-
mains no longer in question and is
a notorious truth here.
Combines Political Power.
Added is the well known fact that
every political appointment for AL
aska nowadays must have the o. K.
of this combines agents before 1t can
get past its guardsmen.
Another established truth is that
local politics in the state of Washing
ton has largely been controlled by
the same combine. Nothing has ever
been done here by any representa-
tive or senator from Washington to