The San Francisco call., 1910-01-10
OREGON LAND
FRAUD TRIAL
BEGINS TODAY
Former Congressman Binger
Hermann Must Answer
Conspiracy Charge
Great Legal Array on Both
Sides and Hard Battle Will
Be Waged in Court

PORTLAND. Jan. e.-Binger Her
mann. who for Is years represented the
state of oregon in the national house
of representatives and for several years
was commissioner of the general land
office al Washington. tomorrow in the
United States district court will face
The charge Of conspiracy to defraud the
United States government OF a part of
the public domain
The Indictment under which he is to
be tried was returned February l5.
1908. and the conspiracy, it alleges
was the most stupendous in conception
of all The Oregon land fraud cases
Hermann was Jointly indicted with the
late United states Senator John H
Mitchell. former state Senator and for
ner Deputy United States District At
torney Franklin Pierce Nays, former
state representative Willard n. Jones.
. George Sorenson. a professional poll
tlcian. and Il. A Smith, deceased. Of
these Mays Jones and Sorenson were
on september u. 1906. convicted as
charged in this Indictment.
MITCHELL AND SMITH DEAD
Senator Mitchell was convicted and
afterward died. and Smith died with
out coming 10 trial; Congressman
Williamson was convicted under an
other indie, ment. and. following the
procedure or cEc government prosecut-
ors ID lfe Oregon land fraud ca ases, was
nor tried on this Indictment. Her
mauns trial under this indictment has
been postponed year after year, some
times ~ f.~ ovn request and sometimes
hT tre rahi'it. for various reasons.
OF Francis j. Heney TO conduct the
trial
Al He tris- # Nays. Jones and Sor-
0uSar. .V1o rero convicted under this
indictment. witnesses testified that they
co0sT rcd 10 have SeI apart as a forest
reserve 2o9.oe4 acres Of land in Oregon
ann other states.
IN this state the reserve was TO be
known rs The Blue Mountain forest
reserve" ard comprised 10000 acres
I'D The eastern part OF the state. This
land according 10 witnesses, was tim
nered mostly by sagebrush and bunch
grass. The testimony showed that
AlaEs. Jones and SorensOn sought TO
I-uent by securing the ~, 600 acres of
state school lands embraced within
A.-r ttNF-i " lflCll AneI proposed 10
use as base" for exchange for xalu-
able timber land located in other parts
q the state privilege granted by the
act of congress approved June 4, 1897.
EXCHANGE ACT REPEALED
Tie reserve was finally bIished.
lut before this occurred the act of
congress OF June 4. 1897. which pro-
Nided for the exchange of state school
lands included in government reserves
for government lands located outside
The reserves, was repealed and the
fraudulently acquired base" was use
less The case was the most bitterly
contested Of all the land fraud cases
In oregon, and the trial was the long
est- bur Mays. Jones and Sorenson were
convicted as charged. Likewise the
array Of counsel was most imposing
Even more prominent are the coun-
sci who VIII try and defend Hermann
on the charge Of connection with this
conspiracy, and it is predicted that
this trial viii be as long and every
whit as bitterly fought as the former
one. Facing each other before United
states District Judge Charles z. VOL
verton viii be on behalf of the gov
eminent Francis J. Heney, special
prosecutor and senior counsel. the man
who secured the convictions in the
previous land fraud cases in Oregon:
John McCourt. United States district
attorney for oregon, and Tracy c.
Becker. assistant 10 the attorney gen
eral OF the United States. Hermann
viii be represented by Colonel A. S
Worthington OF Washington. D. C, who
secured his clients acquittal on
charge of destroying 30 letter copy
books alleged to have been the prop
erty Of the government land office in
Washington, and former United States
a of
one Of the most astute lawyers in
Oregon