The sun., 1909-02-28
LAND FRAUDS IN new MEXICO
DISCLOSU RES THAT GIVE A
BLOW TO STATEHOOD.
In, cstIgstors Handicapped by Territorial
Onicers ana Rough Riders Said to
Be involved In the Frauds Who
Had Influence In wasaington.


nttee on Territories to-day. The oppo-
'r'on became less perfunctory and in
TACT became hostile on the part Of a prob
able majority Of the committee, led by
senators Beveridge and Nelson. Reasons
we're assigned for not recognizing the
claims Of New Mexico to become State
from which 1t was made to appear that
there had been lot Of land frauds in the
Territory. that men who were now Terri
toiial officers or had been were mixed up
in them and that Rough Rider pull at
Washington had held back the work OF
'nvestigation which was set on foot q
Year ago
II was said Ivy some OF the Senators
vho have faith in the statements that have
ben made to the committee by those
charged with the duty of carrying on
INVESTIGATIONS In New Mexico concern
.rg the work Of land and timber pirates
that some Of the boomers for Statehood
who have come on to Washington have
lsen affiliated with the crowd that the
Department Of Justice suspected Of con-
lection with great land frauds These
senators declare that the depredations
could not have been committed except
hy the connivance Of some Of the Terri
torial officers. and some OF the highest
mon officially are mentioned in q COM
plaint OF Government employee who was
'onoemed In the investigation which was
N hal init tasaf frY. ita nj
tJ-day.
II was laid thai when rmhy Ncr arg
VAS sent to New Mexico. last July by At
torney General Bonaparto TO invests
cate frauds in the disposition Of timber
lands and coal lands he was harassed
from the moment he set foot on New Mex
ican soil by every one with whom he came
in contact. including Territorial officials
little and great. At that time a change
was about TO be made in the Governor
ship Of New Mexico. and the then acting
Governor. Fagerman. was forced 20
resign. II was then that George Curry.
Rough r Rider with Roosevelt in Cuba
was brought from the Philippines. where
he bad been a Captain in the army. and
made Governor Of New Mexico. This
vas just the time that Mr.. McHarg found
his efforts TO get information from
which 10 institute prosecution for fraud
were icing blocked from sources from
which he had reason to expect assistance.
Names are given In the written state
ment OF the Government employee that is
in possession Of the committee. and il
il said that high official Of the Territory
who has been In Washington with other
or cials trying TO force Statehood leg
rlation through Congress directly noti-
fed Mel arg when lie was down there
last yeaE,thst he would have TO desist
from his Inv esti cation OF altered coal land
frsrds. which Attorney General Bona
rarte had, expressly asked Mr.. McHarg
10 look after. also that in the event OF his
fail ne TO do 40 influence would lie brought
10 bear to have Mr.. Mch arg recalled to
Nashncton.
The statement was a little more explicit
than that. in that il sail that this high .
pf7cer Of the Territorial Government told .
AlcHarR that he must not involve this
high officers friends. that he must not
investigate them or he woull be removed
from the Territory. What purport- to be ,
history il then reci.ed. in that il is alleged
raj A. B. Fall and other Government
ohicn!s and Rough Riders went to Wash
NQton and few days after their arrival.
when the Governments case in New Mex
% was ready for presentation to the
Grand Jury. Mr.. McHarg received tele-
rram from Attorney General Bonapart@
aging that the Department was informed
hat there was no use Of investigating
md that Il would disturb matters In tho
Territory. Mr. McHarg was ordered to
s''sronI investigation II "a related by
this witness. and II 10 said that Mr.. McHarg
irSe 4 substantiates Dr intends TO sub
''nEtiate before the committee each Of
ilp statements OF the witness who had
iHen his assistant in New Mexico. that
\lr, McHarg sent telegram TO the At
torney-General in reply to his suggestion.
i hich was in effect that he would not
spend his prosecution Of the cases and
that he understood II was the policy Of
tho Government TO prosacuts wherever
oTdence Of deliberate fraui was uncov-
red and that personal. political or social
Prominence would not exonerate. In bis
telegram Mr. McHarg declared that he
had found abundant evidence Of deliber-
ate fraud and that he would conduct
prosecutions for II unless he was per-
withdrawn from the Terri
tory by the Attorney General.
In answer TO this il Is alleged that the At
,"rr rey-General told McHarg to 60 ahead.
ard then It Is said that when Mr.. McHsrs 4,
convened the Grand Jury a meeting Of
citizens was held in Santa Fe the same day
that the Grand Jury was got together,
The citizens meeting being ostensibly for
the purpose Of discussing statehood, but
in reality for the purpose Of fixing the
Jury 1t was found difficult TO sequester
the jury. and the commit'ee's informant :
tald that the jury was constantly being !
with. but Notwithstanding this
fourteen indictments were eventually
returned.
When McHarg went 10 Washington to I
report this informant Of the committee
ays, Gov. Curry Judge Fall and Major
LIewellyn. who was then Attorney Cen !
'rdl, and lot more Rough Riders followed ~
dcHarg there and lodged charges against
them, but after much conflict McHarg
'ucceeded in having Major Llewellyn re-
moved as United States Attorney in New c
leNico Then. it is said. Solicitor Gen
'ral Hoyt was sent by the Department Of
Justice TO investigate the whole mitter,
mi mis- report to the Department