Dewey County advocate. [volume] (Timber Lake, S.D.) 1910-1913, 1912-02-09
ATTACKED
e. 3. LINNEN, INTERIOR DEPART
MENT OFFICER, SAYS RED
MEN vIcTIMIzED.
SEVERAL ARE ABSENT
Congressman Mondell Would Resign
From Subcommittee Now Here
Favoritism Charged to Simon
MicheIet While Agent.

Minneapolis, MINI. The tempo
rary absence of several witnesses who
are wanted by the representatives of
the department of justice for testi-
mony relating to the four township
timber sales at Crookston in 1900 and
the alleged combine of bidders there,
gave new turn to the departments
case at the Indian hearing before the
congressional investigating committee.
l The department representatives un-
dertook to show that congressional
legislation since 1900 had in its chron.
illogical order given lumber interests
an opportunity to increase their grasp
On reservation timber.
That it gave opportunity for unfair
treatment Of part of the Indians on
the reservation was a superstition adj
vanced and supported by report of
Edward B. Linnen, an interior depart
ment officer, which had never before
been made public.
In the report old charges we're re-
vived against Simon Michelet, former
agent of the White Earth reservation.
Gus Beaulieu and Ben Fairbanks were
declared to have failed to discriminate
between mixed and full bloods in max
ing purchases of timber, and other
employees of the agency were charged
with questionable practices, J. E. Per-
rault and ]. T. Van Metre being
named.
Charges Against Michelet.
The charges against Michelet were
that he had favored Indians, whom the
report did not name, in the allotment
of the additional 80-acre tracts under
the Stevenson act; that he had sold
government lot on the reservation
on which a reservation was situated
Tor $35; had sold copies of government
records and made copies of tract
books showing all lands and allot-
ments on the reservation; and that
he had allotted the government saw
mill reserve on the reservation to ia
vored individuals.
Voluminous correspondence between
officers and men of the reservation
and officials Of the department of the
interior was read to show the course
Of action taken by the department and
its inspectors with regard to the res
ervation scandals. particularly the
charges of fayoritism to individual In
dams in the making of allotments fol-
lowing the Stenerson act. A report
by Inspector James Mclaughlin to the
secretary of the interior commencing
the conduct of Michelet at the time
Of the sale of timber under the Steen-
erson act, was read by Mr.. O'Brien..
Mr.. Burch said after the hearing that
an endeavor would be made to i'm.
peach the report.
Mr.. Graham made public a letter
from Representative Frank w. Mon
dell of Wyoming, in which his resig
nation from the subcommittee sitting
in Minneapolis was offered. Mr. Ora
ham replied that he had not the power
10 accept the resignation, but must
leave it to the entire committee
a, Michelet Denies Charges.
Simon Michelet was disinclined to
discuss at length the statements made
in the investigation, pending COM
pletion of the hearing, except to en-
ter an emphatic denial.
II don't know that care to discuss
the matter" he said. TT is easy, by
insinuation, to bring mems names into
case and in such way that re-
lection is conveyed. There appears
to be a disposition to drag in every
body and everything in order to make
:p case, regardless of whether the
statements can be substantiated or
not. So far as l am concerned, the
records show for themselves. When
the testimony is all in, It will be clear
there is nothing to these insinua-
tions."