New-York tribune., 1911-03-18
FRAUD IN ALASKA CHECKED
...ol | ands Protected by Com
WI missioner Dennett's Work.
ruousAND CLAIMS HELD UP
,,ves.igation, Interrupted by
Ballinger- -Pinchot Contro-
versy, Resumed.
rr-,m The Tribune Bureau

.,,p-or. Marcu 4t--SV NlN"i'"Hi. ""1
commissioner OF the General Land Of
% ,ssn prosecuting those who have
~ ''rcs, fraudulsntly to obtain title to Alas
- ,oal lands that. with the nine indict-
returned in Chicago Yesterday the
n'"'. ,o,ives Of go. out Of total of ap-
' ..,,stely 1000 locations on these lands
ou under Indictment The remaining
s.,d I'D on suspicion. most of them
- az sse,cA against them which indi-
N hat. If not fraudulent IN the sense
ese' ,oca+ors can he indicted. they are
tS. technically in violation OF the law
20, there Is little probability the
will secure patent-that Is. title 70
tca;ors VIII
u" Rallinger-Pinchot Investigation al
nv :. accomplished nothing, stopped all
''ose =. an investigating character while Y
To'h according 70 Commissioner Den
eoh''" that practically year was lost
rs't ..o,.s-rr7ent: but since it closed the
..s been prosecuted vigorously. as
Vo'H 5o~,lv demonstrated by the indict-
.o,rrned and the evidence collected
,'.. ..,,bish technical if not criminal vi
.,.,s ~ the law. 1t is in this latter case
,la Cunningham claims will probably
r. found. ,...- ,ss,,o, 80 q sir-,e
- Alaska coal land. and there is no
nv -. that any will issue as result OF
Y,.,-,s now on file while the filing of
' .I.ir,s is precluded by the withdrawal
-. lands from entry. In view OF the
snnplv OF coal only waiting 20 he
~ the needs Of the people of the
,s. -" Coast. and of the navy in the Pa
i-a y view Of the fact that President
I. s,s declared himself unequivocally
alienation by the government OF
- orv of these lands. II is obviously
~ duty OF Congress 10 enact legislation
-,i,,'ng the leasing Of these lands. as
=, bssn so earnestly recommended by the
President. .,.,o,o .s- e
.-.s-ciallv valuable coal lands in Alaska
- - sve-v acre OF which is vested in the
-.~,-,-,ent-a fact. b. the way. which dis
- tho assertion of James Wickersham.
,..,,, DELEGATE. who asserted recently IN
80 vouse that title II practically all the
..,,,be coal land had passed TO the rail-
-. As has been said, the locators OF
s.a on, Of the total OF 1000 have been in
s.,ad Adverse rcpo~ts have been mace
=, 40 more locations. leaving only 80 re-
-ar5i,s which any doubt whatever exists
"a ,bsre Is q strong probability tnat every
-. NJ that number viii be cancelled. The
o,v reason many have not been cancelled
,l-ss5v IS that new evidence concerning
,be-, has come 90 light, and final de-
csson cannot be rendered until al such evl-
Ss,ee has been weighed. This is the case
v,b the Cunningham claims. as was
,o,p,ed out recently n these dispatches,
and the fact that such new evidence is Of
s.-ogatorv character makes it not the less
i-,e-at!ve that it be duly considered. even
,hough that already gathered is sufficient
10 warrant cancellation.
Ts4 work preliminary 10 cancellation.
which had been interrupted by the Balm
gsr.Pirchct investigation, was resumed IN
tlpe. 1910. and resulted IN the first Indictment
ysured in Spokane early in October This
.,volvsd the claimants in what are known
as the Dunn and Doughton groups on
October y indictments were procured n
Tacona AGAINST the claimants 10 the
Stacey. Christophe- and Simmonds groups.
soon thereafter the Jpokane Grand Jury
-e,urned true bill against the principals
rs,resented bv ar agent named Brown, and
he next indictments brought in were those
against the locat0rs Of the Detroit ana the
Watson groups this month, the first at De
roi, on March and the second at Chicago
yesterday