The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-03-17
||NE IN NET
/ Of j. s. JURY
,deraI Grand Jury Returns IN
dictments for Alleged Coal
Land Frauds.
|EN ALL PROMINENT
IN BUSINESS WORLD
,al Lands Said to Have Been
Fraudulently Obtained Are
in Alaska.

.CHICAGO, March l6.-Nine men, in.
|uding a former railroad president
.nkers, brokers and 6nanciers, were
1icted by the federal grand jury to-
" In the Matanuska river coal land
"a. The men are charged with con-
ring to defraud the United States
verument out of 10000 acres of coal
Ids valued at S10,000,000.
Those indicted are:
IA G. Frost, former president OF the
sska Northern railway, former presi-
<nt and promoter of the Chicago Il
||;Iwaukee Electric road and vice pres
Int of A.. C. Frost G. Co.
George M. Seward, Chicago, receiver
A, c. Frost 6 Co.
Pierre G.. Beach. Chicago, former sec.
|ary of the Alaska Northern railroad,
|&d secretary and treasurer of the
|0st company.
Ffank Watson, Spokane, Wash
George A. Ball, Muncie. Ind, said to
! financial hacker OF Frost.
duncan II. Stewart. Seward, Alaska.
|<merly manager OF the Southern bank
i Toronto, Canada.
Larry c. Osborne, Toronto.
3Fynne L. Francis, Toronto.
francis n. Stewart, Toronto.
The last three are bankers and brok
1here are two counts in the indict
md. which is drawn under what is
|IoTn as the conspiracy STATUTE. The
|Ua1ty provided is a fine of $4,000 or
|Iorisonment for two years on all
|0nts.
The land which the men are charged
Ikh having consplred to gain is To-
Led on the Matanuska river, in Alas
4 Extending east from the Chicka-
Id river to Kings river, and land on
- north side of the Matanuska river
ID in the vicinity of Moose creek.
|1eYe are two separate tracts, known
: The Watson group of coal claims
ID the Matanuska Coal company
|onp-
Story Of Alleged Conspiracy,
he conspiracy began at Chicago April
Dos, according 10 the indictment. and
o3t, Ball. Osborne and Gwynn l.. Fran
we're To have been the chief benc-
5ries. The acquisition OF the land, the
|/|cfment reads. was to he effected by
nIawful. fraudulent, false and collu-
locations for the preferential rights
purcbase and final entries and loca
|ns under the coal land laws"
|/ontinuing the indictment states:
That by cunning, persuasion and
|1ulBeS OF pecuniary reward and other
uupt means, divers persons. qualified
NV TO make location upon and entry
4 purchase of coal lands should be pro-
ed to mako unlawful locations osten-
~ for exclusive use of claimants. but
|[rdth and fact for the benefit of the
Izpirators"
All is declared to have acted as a
agent for Frost. and is named in the
>lctment as having induced several men
NE claims in the Cook inlet district
March 30. 1910.
hiking up the charges against Frost.
: lndictmcnt contains a copy of 4 let
+ written TO P. NJ. Mullen. at Juneau.
Eka. setting forth that Frost had
ied applications for patents TO thirty
w whom Ball is alleged to have in
70 to file them. Other letters contain
Ist OF men and claims which Mullen
asked to investigate for Frost,
mother letter acknowledges tho re-
Ft OF applications of several so-called
mmy' claimants.
Charged With Perjury.
atson Is charged with having sworn
Qptly to an agents affidavit" OF
'ng notices and plats Of claims be-
n notary public OF Chicago and in
ard. Alaska.
ward is charged With having cor
|t|uy subscribed to a deed OF convey
r. whereby George w. Miller pur-
ted to convey 10 p. c. Ellsworth the
nta Rita coal claim No 2oa.
nsf second indictment is brief and sets
cnat IN pursuance of thu conspiracy.
Y. Frost on May II corruptly ad-
zsed letter TO T. NJ. Mullen as fol-
tcar Mr.. Mullen: Referring 20 my
h -, INC ,th IT has just occurred TO
|lI metanuska valley could have tho
s wired 10 you direct To the First
Io1sl bank Of Juneau or b. NJ. Bchr-
nank and Will thank YOU To advise
Il, IN. wm'ccn IN would be the most satisfactory
-,s lctter is written on a letterhcad