Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-07-16
PROBE FOR WICKERSHAM
House Will Investigate Charges
Against the Attorney General.
BIG FRAUD AGAINST GOVERNMENT
Alleged that He Permitted statute of
Limitation 60 Run Against the
Agents of the Alaska
Syndicate.

General Wtckersham deliberately permitted q
the statute OF limits tions to run against
agents Of the Alaska syndicate. who de-
frauded the government through perjury /
to the extent OF 5000. the house committee /
on judiciary has determined TO report IA /
vorably resolution OF inquiry offered by /
Delegate Wiekersham.
The resolution would call on the attorney 4
general to furnish the house with all docu- (
ments, affidavits and testimony In his pos /
session relating to an affidavit submitted to |
him more than a year ago and sworn to
by II. J. Douglas. former suditor Of the
Alaska syndicate. in 1905
Delegate Wickersham startled the com
mittee when in executive committee he
produced copy Of an affidavit relating
80 an alleged criminal act committed by
Captain d. H. Jarvis OF the Alaskan syn
dseate. and formerly prominent in the gov
eminent revenue cutter service. who com
mitted suicide in Seattle on June p. the
DAY following the introduction of the Wick
ersham resolution. calling for the produc-
ton Of the papers I'm the case, and by
John II. Bullock Of the John J. Sesnor
Coal company of Nome.
Through connivance Of these men. IL was
charged that the government de-
frauded coal contracts and that evil
dence to that effect was permitted to re-
main Enacted upon in the attorney gen
erals office for more than year. until
the statute of limitations expired last May.
says Government Defrauded.
DeleG~e Wlckersham furnished the com
mittee With Photographic copies OF a let
ter Of an attorney for the Alaska syndi-
cate to d. II. Jarvis. admitting the ex-
penditure Of money to control government
witnesses in the Hazey murder trial In 1905
wherein an agent of the Alaska syndicate
was accused of numbering laborers en-
ployed by rival interests during the con-
sfruction OF a railroad in Alaska.
A photograph of an expense account Of
tl.1S3.D of NJ B. Morrisey, employed by
the syndicate, II is alleged, to entertain
government witnesses and jury men in
that connection, also was submitted to
the committee. This evidence, Delegate
wickersham declared. also Is in the pos
session of the attorney general. Delegate
IS wickersham told the judiciary committee
of the Douglas affidavit involving the
representatives Of the Northwestern Com
mercial company one of the Alaska syn
dictate concerns, and the Sesnor Coal COM
pany.
.On MAY "a 1910" he said. Il sent to
Attorney General Wickersham a copy OF
the affidavit. calling his attention to the
fact that the government had been de-
frauded Of $4,000 by perjury and com
bination Of these two corporations in the
sale of coal TO the government for mill
tRry posts IN Alaska
II asked him to make an investigation
and prosecute those persons for the crime
committed In that transaction. received
a letter OF acknowledgment May 81, 1910,
and we had considerable further corre-
spondence and on June Is, 1911, more than
year later. / received letter from the
attorney general saying that the statute
of Limitations had expired"
The correspondence. including the final
letter of the attorney general, was read
into the record
statute of Limitations Run.
81 read the last letter" continued Del
egate Wickersham, Ito show that the at
torney general now says that the statute
OF limitations has run against the Prose
cution of these men who committed per-
Jury and defrauded the government They
submitted false affidavits to the govern
ment and committed fraud in April and
<fEay, 1908 and the statute OF limitations
did not expire until May, 1911 I sent all
the evidence to the attorney general q
year previous and he failed and refused
TO prosecute these people for robbing the
treasury and he permitted the statute OF
limitations to run in their favor"
Ibid you send he attorney general evil
dence enough to indicate where witnesses
could be found to render an Indictment
asked Representative Webb OF North Car.
DINA
Undoubtedly" replied the territorial
delegate, and I furnished him with evi.
dence of other crimes. The Alaska syndi
cate is an organized crime"
what is Alaska SyndicateI
what do you mean by the Alaska syn
dicate?" Chairman Clayton inquired
u refer 10 the Alaska syndicate com
posed of ]. Pierpont Morgan. the Guggen
helm Bros. Kuhn, Loeb q Co.. Jacob II
Schiff and Graves"
''who do you mean by the Guggenhein
brotherC?" asked Representative Norris o
Nebraska
Senator Simon Guggenheim and his 81,
brothers"
'who is Graves?" asked Representativ
Graham OF Illinois.
He represents Close brothers, the Eng
Iish syndicate, and other English capital
lists"
Captain Jarvis" added the delegate
was the confidential agent OF Morgan ii
charge Of the syndicate interests in Sc
attic. lie committed suicide immediatel
following the introduction of this resolu
ton you now considering. He kney
that this resolution would bring out tn
facts.
,he douglas affidavit charges that Whe
the War department advertised for bid
for coal TO supply the Alaska militar
posts. Jarvis, treasurer Of the Northwestern
company and John IL Bullock OF the ses
nor Coal company. a rival Of the syndi
cate agreed to submit bids which woul
insure the award OF the contract to on
company or the other. there being no othe
competitor. agreed to certain nghterag
charges and fixed upon a division OF N
profits.
Coal Price Too High.
The Sesnor company got the contract I
furnish 1900 tons OF coal at SIS a ton,
price which Douglas claimed was nearl
twice too high, and the profits were divide,
Douglas himself entering s. 100 from III
Sesnor company on the books OF the NORTH
western company as the latter's share {
the profits. Both Bullock and Jsrvi
Douglas swears, made false affidavits
the government that no one but the con
pany which each represented had any II
terest in the contract
The evidence submitted. indicating an q
tempt to control government witnesses,
fac-simile copy OF q letter written by job
4 II g. -