The Detroit times., 1911-03-07
SEVEN INDICTED FOR LAND
.FRAUDs-F0UR GIVE BAIL



tarily. Tuesday morning. without wait.
ing for the official warrant from the
court. They were arraigned before
Judge Swan and each furnished ball
In the sum OF $4,000 for his appear
once when wanted. Judge Swan hxed
$4,000 as the bail to be required OF
each OF the seven defendants. The
six arraigned stood mute.
Clarence A. Black was bondsman
for Holmes. c. ii. Spalding went on
Mr. LeBeau's bond, while three men
offered TO stand responsible for the
appearance of Mr.. Andrus. Among
them was William III. Irvine, OF lr-
vine q Wise, real estate dealers In
the Moffat building. who was fore
man OF the grand jury that brought In
the indictments. The others were
James ID. Mckay. OF the jury commits
sion, and Edward !. Stimson. real es-
tate man. Daniel Wells and Free
man b. Dickerson, former postmas-
ter, became sureties for Mr.. Meal
pine. The bondsman for Ross Is VIM
s. Thomas, while 4. K. Gallogly and
ID. M. Newbro went on the bond OF
Roehm.
Il hated to bring In an indictment
against Mr.. Andrus know him so
WELL. said Mr.. Irvine, foreman OF the
grand jury. But had to do 1t, be-
cause they would have known who
Il was that stood out II We hadn't
brought in the Indictment We're
all In the same building. He has his
ONCE right next to ours. He's fine
man."
a. axytA
to convict the men against whom you
returned indictments?" was asked OF
Mr.. Irvine.
"Oh, couldn't say about that" he
answered.
Mr.. McAlpine, one of the indicted
men, was indignant over the indict-
ments being returned.
"Blg Farce" Says McAlpine.
"The whole thing Is big farce"
he said. I'VE did nothing wrong at
all. We acted at all times In ac-
cordance with the advice of federal
officers. helped to locate most Of
the land, with the aid Of United States
surveyors, and know that every
thing was perfectly regular. / have
documents to prove that We acted
lawfully, and I'll produce them at the
proper time"
Mr.. Andrus and Mr.. LeBeau also
represented that the company acted
in good faith in all its dealings with
the government, and that there could
be nothing of an illegal nature shown
In any of the transactions.
All Of the four defendants arraign-
ed appeared lighthearted, giving the
impression that they were simply go
ing through a formality with ultimate
exoneration assured. No date has -
yet been set for the trial OF the
cases. The bonds are good until
June 6 OF this year.
Roehm, also indicted, telephoned
District Attorney Watson that he
would be in court during the day and
furnish his bonds.
Arthur l.. Holmes, one OF the six
Detroiters indicted, says that the mat
ter OF investing In Alaska lands was
first presented to him y 1905 by A J.
M. Hosom, of Seattle; j. M. Bushnell,
OF Chicago. and Wilbur w. McAlpine.
Of Detroit. He paid the promoters
$500 for a location certificate and he
was to pay the government $1O an
acre for such lands 'astwerei patented.
Afterwards the gMichigan-Alaska De-
velopment Co. was organized by the
promoters and Mr.. Holmes was later
elected president Of the corporation.
Mr.. Holmes declares that the oper-
atoms Of the company have always
been open and above board; that
there was at no time any desire or
attempt on the part of the Michigan
Alaska Development 20. to defraud
the government or any individual. The
company, he says, courts the fullest
investigation Of the matter and has
nothing to fear from results. Mr..
Holmes also adds that he personally
employed two of the best lawyers in
Washington to investigate the land
question and that they found moth.
ing irregular.
George w. Ross and Albert H.
Roehm also said they have nothing
to fear that the company did nothing
against the laws of the country.
A dispatch from Chicago says Bush.
nell Is In Seattle.
The investigation which led up to
the returning of the indictments was
started by the United States govern
ment four years ago. but has been car.
ried on with greater vigor during the
past lew mOutnS. ~. n. bdluuBeT was
secretary of the interior when the In
Quiry was begun.
The grand jury also returned in
dictments In the following cases
Thomas White and George Collins,
charged with robbing postoffice in
Leslie, Mich; John Creighton, charg-
ed with robbing postoffce in East
Lansing, Mich, and Anna Fraser,
charged with coming into the United
States after being deported. Four
others were also indicted, but their
names and the offenses charged were
not given out, as the defendants are
not yet In custody
Test Of Indictment.
In part, the technical charge In the
indictment, 10 as follows:
The grand Jurors find that VIII.
bur w. McAlpine, Albert III.
Roehm, George w. Ross, Frank d.
Andrus, Arthur l.. Holmes, Nc
Curdy G. lie Beau and John NJ
Bushnell did, on March Is, 1908,
unlawfully conspire, combine, con-
federate and agree together with
other persons unknown to the
grand jury TO defraud the United