The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1910-10-15
LAND OFFICE ALLEGES THE USE
or DUMMIES" TO SECURE
LOCATIONS.
GRAND Jury |ND|CTS
Alleged That Few Claimants Ever Saw
the Land on Which Their Names
Were Used for Locations-claim
Figured in Ballinger. Pinchot Con-
troversy--Sevcral Men Arrested.

Washington. Oct. 14.-After months
or secret effort and patient waiting
officials of the general land office were
able ID announce today the indictment
OF number Of claimants to valuable
lands III Alaska The entries involved
number ia and cover almost 1000
acres Or land, all of which Hes I'm the
Eering strait district, IN which the Cum
ningham claims are located. They are
what are known Az the English, ~
Stracny, and the Christopher Sim
nonds groups, the former containing
a0 and the latter "a claims Of 100
acres each The deposits covered by
these claims are believed to be as rich
as those Of the Cunningham mines
which cnt n conspicuous figure in ~.
Ralllnger- Plnchpt controversy.
Seven Are Indicted.
The indictments were handed down
IN the United states district court sit
ting at Tacoma. wash. and the In
formation that they had been returned
was conveyed In two kilograms re-
ceived today by Commissioner bennett
from Special Agent Christensen, In
charge of Alaskan matters. To whose
efforts the findings are especially Que.
The first telegram contained the an
nuuncement of the action against the
English group. and stated that indict-
ments had been returned against g.
i. Munday. A. H. Straeey. Archie w.
Shields and Il. Il. Siegley.
A few minutes later came the Sec
ond telegram. telling of the indictments
of Cornelius Christopher, George Sim
monds and Mortimer G. Sweeney OF
the second group. Mr. bennett added
that warrants would be issued ns soon
as the indicted men could be apprc-
henael. The first group of defendants
takes its name from the fact that a
number of people In western Canada
are supposed 10 be interested In the
claims taken mp by this party.
dummy" Locations.
Stracey IN resident Of Vancouver
and Is charged with being instrument
tal In making some of the locations.
Mnnday IL Il prominent attorney OF
Seattle The charge against the In
aicted man Ii thnt entries were made
In the names Of dummies" Most OF
the entrymen were residents of WASH
ington and their claims are said t1
have been located with an agreement
that the claims should be assigned q
Il 4. .t,,1 ut n
persons willing to become interested
could be found by the locator. There
ii said to have been 4 further under,
standing that the locator should re-
ceiye a large percentage Of the sales
prices.
II IL said that few claimants In TIN
new cases ever saw the land on whlel
their names were used for locations
Roth groups of claims figured to
considerable extent IN connection
with the Ballinger-Pinchot inquiry
Charges OF fraud In connection witt
the entries were made two years aBH
and 1t was asserted that investigation
had been stayed by the land office
supposedly for sinister purposes
Charges Made Long Ago.
Meeting the allegation with the state
ment that the services of the Ian
office force were needed elsewhere, an
that there was no statute OF limitation
To run against these cases, 1t was con
ceded that they were not pressed 10.
period. Since last May. however. MI
Christensen has been giving the maJn
norton of his time to them, wit
n result over which the land nffle
and the entire interior department. pr.
fesses itself much gratifled
II IL known that another feder;
grand jury sitting at Spokane Is cor
siaering other charges of frandule1
coal entries In Alaska, and That II
suits are expected from the inyestigs
,ians similar 10 those obtained at II
coma.
Arrest Three.
Seattle, Oct. 14.--Gharles +. Mnnda
George Simmonds and Cornelius ehri
topher, all prominent Seattle me
were arrested here late today on II
dictments returned by the Taeon
grand jury. charging conspiracy to q
fraud the government In Alaska 70
cases. They were taken before Unite
states Commissioner w. d, Tnlen ~
were released under bonds of SIS
each,
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ON JUDICIAL CANDIDATES..