The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-02-08
COAL LAND FRAUDS
CHARGED IN WYOMING

Special to Tho Tribune
CHEYENNE, Wyo., Feb. SIXTY
four defendants in alleged coal land
frauds against the government were tc
appear today (Feb. y. before the United
States land othce in Lander. Wyo., in
government for the cancellation of their
TITLES to coal lands which arc said to
be the most valuable in the state, the
case being one of the most important
heard before land office officials fo1
many wears. Pending the decision on
the injunction case against the Ow.
Creek Coal company the hearing set fol
Cod2y was postponed,
The cases involve $500 acres of rich
coal lands which the government al.
leges were filed upon by false and
dummy entrymen, contrary to law, for
the benefit of the Owl Creek Coal com
pany and the Northwestern Coal com.
pany, which are controlled very largely
by wealthy New York capitalists. These
two companies are rumored to he asso.
ciated with the Burlington railroad.
Lands Worth Millions.
The lands lie in the coal mineral dis.
trict north of Lander, Wyo., and they
have beeu appraised by government
mineral experts at a value of $50 An
acre, the total value Of lands involved
being nearly Sl,500000. These cases
arc commonly known as the "Gebo Coal
Land Fraud Cases. ms Samuel w.
Gebo, George W. Daily. Rufus P. Ire
land and others were said 10 DO in
strumental in securing the titles to the
lands involved.
alleged land frauds have been under in
veshgation by federal land agents for
three years, and various actions have
been brought in court, A recent IN
junction case was brought before the
United States court in cheyenne by the
government asking that the Owl Creek
Coal company he restrained from opcr-
ating coal mines at Gcbo. Big Horn
county. which nrc said to be producing
700 tons of coal daily. A temporary re.
straining order was granted by the
court, and over 1000 coal miners were
thrown out of work.
William T. Adams, the registrar. and
Robert r. Heron. the receiver. of the
United States land Office at Lander are
disqualified to act in their official capaci-
ties in hearing the Geho cases. under
the act of congress OF January ii, 1894,
as they are both called as witnesses in
these cases
The men who will officiate as receiver
and registrar and hear the cases are
John A. Williams. u law examiner Of the
land office, who has been appointed TEN.
porarY receiver, III place of William j,
Adams; and Captain George n. Hair,
chief of the field division of tho land
Office at Salt Lake City. will act as reg
istrar. The Lander court house has been
rented by the government for the hear
ing of the cases.
1t is said that about forty witnesses
will be summoned in the cases. large
part of them being called from New
York City. There viii be large array
of legal talent on both sides of the case,
among the attorneys who viii probably
be present arc: United States District
Attorney IT. T. Burke and Assistant Ed.
7. Clarke Of Cheyenne, Attorney G. w.
Burdick Of Cheyenne, Attorney l.. l..
Dclafeld and Attorney Scow of New
York City. Attorney H. Burrell and Sen
ator Q. f. Goddard Of Montana, and
Judge NJ. B. Camplin Of Sheridan, Wyo,
The following are the siXtyf four de-
fcndants who are named in the civil
eases which come ND for hearing to-
day in the Lander United States land
Office.