The Washington times., 1909-04-21
TELLS Of SELLING
OFFICIAL SECRETS
Woodford D. Harlan Testi-
feS of Leaks in Land
Information.
SAYS HE GOT $500
FOR INSIDE TIPS
Details Given Benson and Other
Western Men, Witness
Asserts.

Woodford y. Harlan, formerly chief
Of the special service division of the
General Land Office, today in open
coGr- -"counted the alleged details OF
how he sold Government secrets to
John A Benson. the San Franciscan,
now on trial charged with bribery.
The defendant is specifically accused
of having pGid Harlan an aggregate
Of $500 in an effort to learn the contents
Of the reports OF special agents VINO
were, In 1908, investigating the alleged
land frauds which terminated last year
in the trial Of Frederick A Hyde, Joost
II. Schneider, Henry p. Dimond, and
Benson, and which resulted In the ac-
quittal Of Benson and Dimond OF the
charge Of conspiracy brought against
them.
Harlan declared that he met Ben
son IN San Francisco in 1897 and
again on October 3. 1893. Benson re-
quested some information concerning
the opening Of forest reserves. Har-
Ian said he furnished Benson with
tracings of several reserves including
the Mt. Chester tract. and that later
Benson sent him 500 in an envelope
addressed to r. !. Smith, Takoma
Park. and that later he RENTED an
OlheT IKE amount.
Washington Meeting.
"After receiving the 5000 from Ben
son when did you next see him?" Dis
trict Attorney Baker asked.
81 saw him on May 2S, 1909, at the
Willard Hotel in Washington. He
informed me that he had an agency
in this city, but 1 told him didn't
care TO do business with more than
one man and 1 would not see his
agent. I then told him 1 had certain
information that would be of value
to him, and that I thought it was
worth $500.
II told him they were going to en-
large an Arizona forest reserve and
] could give him the details. He told
me was too late; he had the informa-
was acting in good faith he would
send me 5000.
Gets More Money.
"I told him they were going to en-
that 1 was hard UP. and Eo told me
would find sometI ing in the bed in his
room. After Benson had left the room
1 looked on the bed. Fifty dollars were
there and I took possession of it."
any money!" the District Attorney
"After this interview, did you receive
asked
Yes; he sent me 500 from San Fran
CISCO"
The witness then told the jury that
in November, 1902, he wrote 20 Benson
and told him of an investigation of the
office Of Hyde & Co, which had been
set afoot by a report OF S. j. Holsinger,
q special agent, and which was carried
on by Inspector Pugh and Special
Agent Steese. Harlan said that later
he asked Steese for a copy Of his re-
port, and that the agent told him that
Mr.. Pugh had all the memoranda
Tells Of Correspondence.
'I wrote Benson regarding this inter
view," continued the witness. II told
him I was trying to get a COPY OF this
report, and that ! would Leep him in
formed. Some time later he sent me
three envelopes, all addressed TO r. /.
Smith. TakOma Park Two Of them
contained 500 each, and the third 800
In the letters concerning the report,
did you say anything about money!"
II told him I thought he work I
had done in trying TO get the report was
worth five or six hundred dollars" "