The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1910-10-18
SEVEN INDICTED
lTliv Bills Found Against
Alaskan Land GrdbberS.
l54 CLAIMS ARE INVOLVED
Dummies" Were Used in the En-
tries on the Two Rich Coal
Groups, Claims the
Land Office.
l54 CLAIMS ARE INVOLVED

Washington, Oct. l5.-After months
OF secret effort and patient waiting,
officials Of the general land Office were
able to announce the indictment OF a
number OF claimants TO valuable coal
lands in Alaska. The entries involved
number 1854. and cover almost $4,000
acres OF land, all OF which lies In the
Boring Strait district. in which the
Cunningham claims are located
They are what are known as the
English or Stracey and the Christie
pherSimmonds groups, the former
containing so and the latter "a claims
OF 100 acres each The deposits COW
cred by these claims are believed to
be as rich as those OF the Cunningham
mines. which cut conspicuous figure
In the Balllnger Pinchot controversy.
The indictments were handed down
In the United States district court,
sitting at Tacoma, Wash, aud the in
formation that they had been returned
was conveyed in two kilograms re-
ceived by Commissioner Dennet from
Special Agent Christensen. In charge
of Alaskan matters, TO whose efforts
the findings are especially due.
Both Groups Indicted.
The FIRST message contained the an.
nouuoemont OF the action against the
English group and stated that indict-
ments had been returned against C..
+. Munday. A. II. Stracey, Archie w.
Shields and r. +. Siegley. A few min
utes later came the second telegram
telling OF the indictment Of Cornelius
Christopher. George Slmmonds and
Mortimer C. Sweeney. OF the second
group. He added that warrants would
BE- issued as soon as the indicted men
could be apprehended.
The first group OF defendants takes
its name from the fact that number
OF people In western Canada are sup
posed to be interested in the claims
taken up by this party. Stacey, one
Of the men indicted. Is a resident OF
Vancouver and Is charged with being
instrumental in making some Of the
locations. Munday is a prominent at
torney In Seattle.
The charge against the indicted men
is that the entries were made In the
names OF dummies. Most Of the en-
trymen were residents Of Washington,
and their claims are said to have been
located with an agreement that the
claims should be assigned or decided to
third parties as soon as parties willing
to Gecome interested could be found
By the locator There is said TO have
been a further understanding that the
locator should have a large percentage
Of the sale price.
Never Saw Their Claims.
The charge differs from the charge
made in the Cunningham claims. in
which there was no allegation that the
entrymen took the claims for persons
other than themselves. but rather that
they had a previous agreement to work
or dispose OF their claims as a unit. It
Is said that very few Of the claimants
In the new cases ever saw the land on
which their names were used for loca-
tons.
Both groups OF claims ngured to a
considerable extent In connection with
the Balllnger-Pinchot inquiry. Charges
Of fraud in connection with the en-
tries we're made two years ago, and 1t
was asserted that investigation had
been stayed by the land Office. sup
posedly for some sinister purposes.