Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-10-15

Washington, Oct 15.-After months
of secret effort the officials OF tle
general land office announced the IN
dictment of number of claimants co
valuable coal lands in Alaska The en-
tries involved mum Der 154 and cover
almost %. 600 acres of land, all Of which
lies in the Behring straight district, III
which the Cunningham claims are 10
Gated. They are what are known as
the English or Strategy and the Chrls-
TOPPER Simmonds group, the former
containing eighty and the latter severn
ty-four claims of LEO acres each. Inc
deposits covered by these claims are
believed to be as rich as those OF lile
Cunningham mines, which cut cor
spicuous figure in the Balingef-P lh-
chot controversy.
The indictments were handed down
in the United States district court SIT
ting at Tacoma and the information
that they had been returned was con-
veyed in two kilograms received yes
terday by Commissioner bennett from
Special Agent Christensen, in charge
of Alaskan matters to whose efforts
the findings are especially due.
To issue Warrants Soon.
The first telegram contained the an
pouncement of the action against the
English group and steted that inoicl-
ments have been returned against y
F. Monday, A. H. Stacey, Archle w =
Shields and E. Siegley.
A few minutes later came the second
telegram telling of the indictments OF
Cornelius Christopher, George SIM
monds and Mortimer c. Sweeney OF
the second group. Mr.. bennett added
that warrants would be issued as soon
as the indicted men could be appre-
hended.
The first group Of defendants takes
its name from the fact that NUMBER
of people in western Canada are sup
nosed to be interested in the claim
taken up by this party. Stacey Is a
resident of Vancouver and is charged
with being instrumental in making
some of the locations. Monday is a
prominent attorney OF Seattle.
The charge against the indicted men
is that the entries were made IN the
names of dummies" Most or the
entrymen were residents of Washing-
ton and their claims are said TO nave
been located with an agreement tlae
the claims should be assigned or oeeoeo
10 third parties as soon as parties VIII
ing 10 become Interested could De louho
bv the locator There is said TO nave
been a further understanding that the
locator should receive large perceh-
tage of the sale price.
Different Kind Of Fraud.
The charge differs from the charge
made in the Cunningham claims IN
which there was no allegation that the
e,tryren took the claims for persons
other than themselves. but. rather that
a work
ar dispose of their claims as unit.
II is said that very few of the claim
ants in the new cases ever saw the
land on which cir names were used
for locations.
Both groups of claims figured TO a
considerable extent in connection with
the Ballinger- Pinchot inquiry. Charges
Of fraud in connection with the entries
were made two years ago and 1t was
asserted that Investigation had been
STAYED by the land office. supposedly
for some sinister purpose
Meeting this allegation with the
statement that the services Of the Iand
office force were imperatively required
elsewhere and that there was no
statute of limitations TO run against
these cases. 1t was conceded that they
were not pressed for a period. Since
last May, however. Mr.. Christensen has
been giving the major portion Of his
time to them, with result over which
the land office and the entire interior
dena rtnent confesses itself much graft
I flied.
It also is known that another fed
eral grand jury sitting at Spokane in
|connection with the district court of
the eastern district of Washington, is
considering still other charges OF
| fraudulent coal entries in Alaska and
| that results are expected from these
| investigations. similar to those OBJ
| tanned at Tacoma.