Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1909-08-13
COAL LAND FRAUDS
UNEARTHEO IN
ALASKA
Alleged Two Hundred Thousand
Acres Containing Rich De-
posts Have Been Filed on by
Dummy Entfymen,


IBy Morning journal Speeial Leased NreI
Denver. Aug. 19.-Withln a month
a hearing will begin in Seattle, Wash,
that government officials claim will
disclosed proof of gigantic frauds in
connection with coal lands in Alaska.
This Investigation will be followed by
similar hearings to be held in a score
of cities throughout the country.
The best Goa engineers and lawyers
connected with the general land office
have been assigned to duty in connec
ton with the hearings and special ag-
ents who have been working quietly
for months securing evidence, Will take
The stand as witnesses.
The fact pertaining to the alleged
frauds are known to secretary of the
Interior Ballinger, and Fred bennett,
commissioner of the general land Of
flee, and they ave given the word to
their subordinates to proceed against
persons responsible for the alleged
frauds. Commissioner bennett stopped
off In Denver several days ago, on his
way to the coast, and held IA lengthy
conference with the chief of the field
division of the general land office with
Headquarters here when instructions
were given as to the method of proceed
ure.
That more than 200, 900 acres of rich
coal lands in Alaska, some of them
having veins 90 feet in thickness have
been filed upon by dummy entrymen,
nrocured through agents OF six large
corporations. the land office has m
pie evidence to prove, according to IN
formation made public tonight. Pow
erful interests have sought to force the
department of interior through finan-
ciaI political and even social pressure
to patent these lands, a great deal Of
which was filed upon more than two
wears ago. This pressure was resisted.
however. and when congress passed the
law of May, 1908, providing for asso-
Citations of four or more individuals to
develop Alaskan coal lands to the eX-
tent of 1850 acres for each combina-
ton. the interest back of these dummy
entrymen tried to get these lands
through to pantent under this law.
Commissioner Dement'S view OF the
matter is that all entries found to be
fraudulent, which, he believes, VIII
prove to be at least rs per cent of the
100000 acres referred to, should be
cancelled at once.
The governments interest lies in the
wich to have the great Alaskan coal
fields opened for the purpose of sup
plying coal for the ships of the navy
stationed in the Pacific. 1t is said that
the opening of the Alaskan deposits
Will give the United states control OF
the commerce of the Pacific ocean by
reason of its ability to supply tuel'
from a field almost "inexhaustible.
one of the coal companies involved
in the alleged fraud is lo ated in Sc
cattle. another in NV York. and still
others in san Francisco, Omaha ana
Chicago. The so-caIled dummy entry
men were recruited principally from
the docks of Seattle, the mines o
Butte. Mont, and from the laborlng
classes of Chicago. in many instances
according to the evidence in the hahds
of government inspectors these men
never saw or heard of the the entries,
although they were described in the
filing papers as members OF a corpof-
alton organized for developing sections
of Alaskan fields. The evidence also
shows, in many instances, that the
name of the person ostensiblY flllhS
upon land was fictitious ana in many
cases the person signing the papers
were paid a small sum for doing so
and knew nothing whatever of the i'm
port of the document to which they
were attaching their signature.
The government officials claim that
they have traced the authors OF the
fraud in several cases directly to pald
representatives of corporations m
volved.
1t is limited that further action than
cancellation of patents Will be taken IN
the shape of criminal prosecutions.