The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1910-09-29
THE TOWN LOT CASE
ATTORNEY FOR THE GOVERN
MENT MAKES OPENING STATE.
MENT AT McAlESTER.
GOV. HASKELL WAS DENOUNCED
s. R. Rush Told the Jury the OKLA
homa Executive Was "a Conspirator
to oefraud the Government and
Greek Indians"

McAlester, Ok. Sept. 2S-Describing
Gov. Haskell OF Oklahoma as con
spirator who sought to defraud the
United States government 5. X.
Rush OF Omaha, assistant to the at.
torney general. formally presented to
Jury the governments charges In
the Muskogee town lot cases.
Mr., Rush's declaration was in the
form OF an opening statement TO the
jury lie said the prosecution was
prepared to show that Gov. Haskell
knowingly and willrully entered into
conspiracy TO defraud the government
and Creek Indians and to violate the
regulations of the Department OF the
Interior"
Mr. Rush said il would be shown
that by false registration Gov, Haskell
and others Illegally obtained about
500 lots in Muskogee at one halt the
appraised value, thus defrauding the
Indians out of one.half of the money
they should have received. The regu-
lations OF the sale had provided that
not more than two lots should be sold
to any one person at one'haf the APP
praised value, and this should apply
only to such persons as held occu-
pancy right,
Names Falsely Registered,
To defeat this arrangement, he said.
the government would show that SAID
Gov, Haskell and his associates false
ly registered the names OF people liv
ing in various states. After the pat
ents to the land had been issued to
these persons, ii was set forth. Gov.
Haskell notified the new owners and
offered TO buy the deeds for nomi-
nal sum. Most of the persons had not
known their names were registered
it was alleged, that not having been
put to any expense, readily accepted
the money. In this way. Mr., Rush
said, 1t would be shown, deeds to
about 600 lots were turned over to
Haskell and his associates.
To carry on the conspiracy, Mr..
Rush declared, what Is known as the
Southwestern Trading and Contract
ing Company was formed. Haskell
was made president, Charles Duffy
OF New York, vice-president and the
treasurer, w. T, Hutchings. attorney,
and Walter R. r. Eaton, secretary.
Hutchings and Eaton are codefen.
dants in the present trial.
Were Non Residents.
The persons whose names, Mr.
Rush declared were falsely used,
largely lived in Vermont, New York,
New Jersey, Michigan, Ohio, Tennes-
see and Texas. These persons knew
of the land transactions until
they were asked to give quit claim
deeds to Haskell, Mr. Rush declared.
Haskell, it was asserted, confined him.
self mostly to the use of names of his |
friends, living in Ohio. Mr.. Rush read |
a letter alleged to have been written
by the Haskell Company to a man in |
Ohio. The letter said:
Perhaps you don't know that you
are the owner of property in Okla
homa, but such is the case" Then the
letter went on to make an offer OF
purchase of the deed, Mr.. Rush con.
tended
Twenty-eight residents of Danville,
Va. refused to give quit claim deeds
after the lots had been issued to them,
Mr.. Rush said.
James A. Webb, an attorney of st.
Louis, Mo-, the prosecutor asserted,
had been employed by Haskell to fur.
1ish list of persons in st. Louis to
whom lots might be issued.