New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-05-10
SENATE COMMITTEE
HAS NOVEL INQUIRY
Investigating Representative
. William Kent, of California,
and Charles w. Cobb.
CATTLE COMPANY INDICTED
Kent Is It's President and Cobb
Has Been Named Assistant
Attorney General for In
terror Department.
From The Tribune Bureau

Washington. May 9.-That the dis
tinguished Representative Of the 2d Dis
trict Of California. William Kent, popu-
larly known as Billy" Kent. who has
been one Of the most ardent Pinchotites,
one OF the severest critics Of ex-Secre-
tary Ballinger. and one Of the most con-
spicuous purists in the La Toilette band
wagon. should find himself in the same
box with Clarence Cunningham. ct al,
claimants 10 Cunningham coal LANDS
or perhaps in a tri1e worse fix. is ore of
those anomalies Of private and political
life in the West which may be Incidental
10 new country.
That this same distinguished Repre-
sentative should go so far as 70 seek 10
rlace in the Department Of the Interior a
lawyer who might he, as the protege or
/ Mr. Kent. peculiarly favorable TO the IN
terests of that individual, is an anomaly
so extraordinary as 10 attract attention
Of the Senate Committee on Judiciary,
which is Investigating facts in connec-
| ton with the nomination Of Charles W.
Cobb. named by the President for AS
sistant Attorney General for the Interior
/ Department For, be II known. the COL
conda Cattle Company William Kent
now Representative Of the % California
District. president has been actually m
oicted for Illegal fencing OF some 400
acres Of the public domain in the state
~ Nevada and maintaining such fenc-
ing 70 the exclusion Of all honest cltl-
zens who may have desired 70 pasture
their cattle there for period approx
mating twelve years.
Now. Representative William Kent does
not want this criminal prosecution 10
nroceed further. Therefore. he has
through his attorneys. made a PROPOSE
non 10 the government for compromise
whereby the case may be settled on civil
grounds either 10y payment Of a sum
eqiiaI ~ the injury supposed % have been
inflicted on the government by such
Illegal fencing or by the satisfaction ol
a fine. the amount Of which to be hXed
in advance and based on an agreement
Of said Golconda Cattle Company. salu
Billy" Kent. president 10 plead guilty
10 the criminal charge Because OF the
prominence Of the said Billy" Kent IN
his community. be IL further known ne
was not himself personally indicted. but
only the cattle company. Of which ne
was the president. and which company
aid in violation Of the federal statute
fence said public domain to the extent
fof the aforesaid :. 40 acres.
And further be 1t stated that If SAID
charles w Cobb. who also halls from
the fair state OF California. who is now
the protege Of said William Kent, and
yvno was the law partner OF Francis j.
Ienev. should be confirmed as Assistant
Attorney General for the Department oil
tho Interior for which the President has
named him. on the recommendation oi
walter |. Fisher Secretary Of the In
terror and ex-vice-presldont OF the Ma
,ional Conservation Association. IL Will
presumably. become the bounden duty OF
said charles ". Cobb 10 pass upon the
merits OF the compromise proposition
which his patron. the said Billy Kent
has made 20 the government with the
perfectly natural hope OF escaping tht
u Continued on second page.