Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-04

all times resided in Council Bluffs. Iowa.
He Is engaged in the wholesale grocery
business, his store being located in
Omaha, in the wholesale district there.
He is reputed to be quite wealthy. Stew
arts attorneys are Harl &, FINLEY of
Council Bluffs. Iowa, who are also the
attorneys at that place for the Omaha
and Council Bluffs Street Railway Com
pany. in which company Harl holds con-
siderable stock. Stewart being also a
stockholder and possibly a director Of
the company. He is also represented in
Omaha by w. ]. Connell one of the at
torneys there for the same COMPANY
Stewart is also represented in his per-
jury case by "Bill' Gurley of Omaha,
Neb., who at one time was quite closely
connected in political way with the
=. r. X r. Company: Stewart is also
closely associated with c. B. Hazleton
postmaster at Council Bluffs Harl &
FINLEY and HaZleton are all members Of
the same losge. Another close personal
friend OF Stewards is Ed Hart, alias
Wdterworks'. Hart. president of the
Council Bluffs Water Company, and in
terested in the street railway. Stewards
1ather was interested in, and practically
owned and controlled during his life
time. large ranch along the u. p R.
r. In Nebraska and did a great deal of
business with that road.
7 Concerning this case the United States
attorney at Omaha states: There are
three cases against Stewart, one for fenc-
Ng, one conspiracy, one perjury, all good
eases ana chances of conviction good.
Nebraska Prosecution.
In connection with the Nebraska prose-
cution the government has by decree Sc
cured the return to the government of
over a million acres of grazing land: in
Colorado of more than 1000 acres of min
erai land, and suits are now pending in
volving 10000 acres more.
All these Investigations in the land
cases were undertaken in consequence of
Mr.. Hitchcock. the then Secretary of the
Interior. becoming convinced that there
were extensive frauds committed in his
department and the qualifications of the
frauds were so far-reaching that he was
afraid to trust his own officials to deal in
thoroughgoing fashion with them. One
or the secret service men accordingly re-
signed and was appointed in the Interior
department to carry on this work. The
special agents division or corps of de-
tectives Of the land Office Of the Interior
Department was largely under the control
OF the land thieves; and in consequences
the Investigations above referred to had
TO be made by secret service men,
II the present law, for which Messrs.
Tawney, Smith and the other gentlemen
l have above mentioned are responsible
mad then been in effect. this action would
have been impossible. and most of the
criminals would unquestionably have es-
capped. No more striking instance can be
imagined of the desirability of having
central corps of skilled investigating
agents who can at any time be assigned,
II necessary in large numbers, to investi-
gate some violation Of the federal stat
utes, in no matter what branch of the
public service
In this particular case most of the men
investigated who were public servants
were in the executive branch of the gov
eminent. But In Oregon, where an enor-
nous acreage of fraudulently alienated
public land was recovered for the govern
ment, United States senator, Mr. Mitch
ell, and q member Of the lower house Mr.
obtained by men transferred from the
secret service, and another member of
Congress was indicted.
Hundreds of Convictions.
From 1901 to 1904 a successful investi-
cation of naturalization affairs was made
by the secret service. with the result of
obtaining hundreds of convictions of con-
spirators who were convicted of selling
fraudulent papers of naturalization. Sub
sequently. Congress passed very wise
law providing a special service and ap-
preparation for the prevention Of naturali-
cation frauds; but unfortunately, at the
same time that the action against the
secret service was taken, Congress also
cut down the appropriation for this special
service, with the result of Gripping the
effort to stop frauds in naturalization
The fugitiyes Greene and Gaynor, impli-
Gated in peculiarly big government con-
tract fraud. were located and arrested in
Canada by the secret service. and thanks
to this they have since gone to prison
for their crimes.
The secret service was used to assist in
the investigation of crimes under the
peonage laws, and owing partly thereto
numerous convictions were secured and
the Objectionable practice was prac-
tically stamped out. at least in many dis
tricts. The most extensive smuggling of
silk and opium in the history of the
Treasury Department was investigated
by agents of the secret service in New
York and Seattle and successful prose-
cution of the offenders undertaken. AS
sistance of the utmost value was rendered
to the Department of Justice in the beef
trust investigation at Chicago prosecu-
tions were followed up and fines inflicted
The cotton-leak scandal in the Agricul-
tural Department was investigated and
the responsible parties located. What was
done in connection with lottery investiga-
tions is disclosed in a letter just sent to
me by the United States attorney for
Delaware. running as follows:
The destruction Of the Honduras Ma
tional Lottery Company. successor to
the Louisiana Lottery Company, was
entirely the work of the secret service |
This excellent work was accom-
plished by Mr.. Wilkie and his subordi-
mates. l thought it might be timely to
recall this prosecution
Moran Wins Promotion.
Three hundred thousand dollars in fines
were collected by the government in the |
lottery cases. Again, the ink contract |
fraud in the bureau of engraving and |
printing "a bureau of the Treasury De-
partmenD was investigated by the secret
service and the guilty parties brought to
justice. Mr.. Tawney stated in the debate
that this was not investigated by the Sc