New-York tribune., 1910-02-22
NOT SOLD 10 STATE
LUTHER TALKS .iBOUT
LIND PURCHASE.
Intimates That He 4cted for
Prominent Haiert0scn -ftfor-
ney-4 Thorough Inquiry.
IBy Telegraph tc The rribune,l J


Albany. Feb el-Quetly gathering ma
terial for The coming investigation Of The
affairs of the Forest. Fish and Game De
partmeut and forest land purchases. Roger
p Clark. Governor HugheSs counsel. ana
II Leroy Austin, his associate commits
sioner have been going over reports of
that department and in the Controllers
Office since midnight of the evening on
which they were appointed. This prepa
ration Of their case viii he supplemented
by the inspection of maps and the search
ing of little records. and perhaps by per-
sonal visits 10 parts Of the forset pre-
serve before the actual examination Of
witnesses Is begun.
Some indication OF the gravity Of this
proceeding is given b the fact that these
commissioners who are Governor -uGhes's
personal Representatives. viii hold public
sessions when their formal inquiry is be
gun This never has been done before in
any Of the invest ieations conducted by the
Governors representatives under the
MorcIaud Law Nor indeed. has there been
any investigation of such Importance un-
Der that statute. the nearest approach 20
il probably being the examination of the
Metropolitan Bureau Of Flections recently
finished by William II Wadhams. Poll
ricians here are awaiting developments in
this Investigation .iih the kecncst inter
est and some anxiety.
This inquiry viii take up the affairs of
the old forest purchasing board. of which
Safe Chairman WCodruT as the head
for several wears. and without doubt will
be brought down through The years when
John = o'Brien. of Clinton County; John
& Wsllcnmeier, of Erie County. and other
well known Republican politicians were
on the board, and James \ Whipple was
- the head Of the Forest Fish and Game
Department. Al The direct command Of
Governor Hughes. every transaction about
which the slightest question could he
raised viii he probed TO the bottom II is
10 secret that Governor Hughes is deter
mined 90 show whether or not the present
rumoTs and suspicious regarding graft in
The sale OF forest lands to TIE state and
improper use Of the forest preserve by in
ciNiduals are based on f. /
Nen in his confidence say he considers
the acquisition OF forest lands and the
maintenance OF the forest preserve intact
Tor future generations one of the most i'm
porTant policies ever embarked on by the
state. It i very close to his own heart
snd he has made il plain TO every body
here that if corruption has existed there
n past years. il must be exposed and prop
e. steps taken 10 prevent its recurrence.
L i expected that one of the first trans
actions to he investigated viii be the pur-
chase several years ago OF some five thou
sand acres Of forest land at q tax sale
BY Leroy Luther. now a clerk in the office
OF the Secretary of State. Luther at that
time Was q clerk in the law office of Fran
Cis NJ Hugo ROW Mayor OF Watertown,
for hCm he was supposed to he acting.
Nj Hugo was partner of Senator Elon II.
Brown. one of the famous insurgent Sena-
tors who at vorious times acted as special
counsel for tie Forest. Fish and Game
Commission. searching land titles and
dong similar work.
n Luther to-day Issued formal state
uent regarding this transaction. in which
he said that none Of this land was ever
so1d 10 the state. He WAS distinctly IN
communicative Nfen asked whether he
tools over the land for himself or for some
loay else In answer ia specific questions
ne said that he did not act for Mr.. Hugo
o. for Senator Brown.
II guess I acted for Mr.. Lansing If /
actei for anybody" he said His formal
statement MAS as follows:
believe IT was in the year 1901 a num-
her Of parcels Of land were bid IN tor me
- tax sale held by the state ControIfr.
Some Of the land WAS located IN the forest
ur. serve bat the greater portion OF IT was
lot The land which WAS located IN the
forest preserve was afterward redeemed
y its owners, and not an acre OF the iaho
--S ever SOLD 10 the state.
never received the Controllers : deed OF
snv a. the land and about SIX months
after the TAX sale I assigned all OF my
interest I'm The Controllers certificates OF
sale TO John Lansing a prominent a1'oi-
~ Of Natertown- The land WAS bid III
ee an investment with the hope that some
timber lands could be secured from wiiiGn zen
r,uITuood could he cut and uNed IN !he
r,zrer r7a king business. Upon investigation
/ was found that very little OF the lahc
uaS valuablc. and ! never realized 4 cenI
on the an-aCtion- As for the state. as L
g II never bought acre OF the Ianu
The -Ssale 10 the state Of lands pur-
based at tax sales viii he taken up for
thorough Investigation This practice is re
r,or+ed 10 have been very extensive at one
-lr,,e So far o. mas been shown here. the
t-area .t5ons we're within the letter or the
law although they netted a fat sum for
The persons who sold tho lands TO the
state. one Of the men who figured i'm many
4r,.usa ions Of that sort was Lou En-
e-son ex-ConCressman and brother Of
Senator James Emerson. Of Warren Coun-
n The two men now have extensive hold
rlss of land in the Adirondacks
-.erorts of private occupancy Of state
land Wiz he run down by the commits
rioners It has been reported that Senator
latham p. Aids has built TWO cottages on
an island in Little Loon Lake owned by
The state Senator Aids at one time was
Srecial counsel to the land purchasing
hoard He says he and mis- friends bought
the island from private owners and can
show good title.