The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-06-05
GOVERNMENT FRAUD
IN OREGON CASES2
detective Burns Affected, 1t
Is Understood, by Re-
cent Disclosures.

WASHINGTON, June 5.-The caus-
es which controlled President Taft in
granting an unconditional pardon to
Willard N. Jones, convicted in the FAM
'ous Oregon land fraud cases, have
Just become known, and it was learn
ed that, based upon the same charges
of unfair and improper methods by the
United States Governments prosecu-
ton of the alleged frauds, which STIR
ed the country six years ago, applica-
tons for the presidential pardon OF
two other men are being considered
by the Department of Justice.
Consideration of their appeals for
executive clemency will be based up
on the investigation which resulted in
Jones pardon. These cases have not
yet reached the President.
"The Oregon land fraud prosecu-
tions were conducted almost wholly
along political lines, and yeritable
reign Of terror existed were the
charges submitted to Attorney-General
Wickersham in brief by Henry II.
Schwartz, former chief of the Fi0.a
Division of the General Land Office,
and James s. Easily Smith, attorneys
for Jones. in the pardon proceedings.
Scores Methods Of Burns.
The methods of Detective William J.
Burns, who developed the Govern
ment's case, and others of the prosecu-
tion were severely attacked in the
brief
The whole jury-box list of over 500
iot, tho r,afit
juries were drawn, was determined
and selected, it was alleged, by the
government prosecutors and detec-
tives and the political enemies and as
sistants of Jones along political lines,
with the purpose and result of Sc
curing men who were prejudiced and
who would convict"
The brief also charges that witness
es were intimidated into giving false
testimony against Jones under threat
OF indictments.
1t was alleged that Burns and the
political enemies Of Jones and other
defendants investigated, interviewed
and then selected or rejected men in
making up the jury box in 1906"
from which the Jones jury was drawn.
Picked Their Jurors Beforehand.
The Government, it was charged,
procured copies of the jury lists be-
fore they were placed in the box. AL
legged records of the reports of Gov
eminent detectives or agents upon the
qualifications of the men whose names
were in this list are cited. Some of
these are alleged to refer to the poll
nd 1ity;o re
and contained such descriptions as
''convictor from the word go, would
convict Christ" and yellow dog Demo-
crat who would convict any Republi-
can on sight"
Men regarded as unfavorable, it was
charged, We're referred to by that
most obscene of all obscene epithets."
The jury box was filled August II,
1905, on which date, the brief alleged,
Detective Burns sent the following
telegram to w. S. Scott Smith, pri-
vate secretary of the late Secretary of
the Interior Hitchcock:
Jury Commissioners cleaned out
old box from which trial jurors are
selected and put in 500 new names,
every one of which was Investigated
before they were placed in the box.
This confidential. Grand jury was
drawn today and is composed of splen--
did men, in within we have the very
greatest faith
Dummy" Was Tried With Him.
AS an instance of how Jones was
"jobbed" into accepting as trial jur-
ors men who had already expressed
themselves as being convinced of the
defendants guilt and as being for con-
viction. the brief charges that the gov
eminent prosecutors indicted man
Jointly with Jones and Immediately
put that man on the secret payroll of
the government and promised him i'm
munity"
BY joining Jones in indictment and
trial with a dummy defendant, who
betrayed his defense, his witnesses
and his attorneys, counsel and secrets
to the prosecution, the brief declares
that the government took an unjust,