The Coconino sun., 1919-06-27

Hints of dire conspiracy in which gang tactics and $10,000 slush fund were used to defeat the referendum against the land bill are contained in charges which E. O'Brien Mann says he will lay before the county attorney and possibly the attorney general, with the demand that criminal war rants be issued against number of well-known and wealthy men said by him to be guilty of kidnapping, at tempted bribery and other crimes.
 Mann is secretary of the Fucker Canyon Dry Farmers Association of Cochise county, and ever since the passage of the land bill lifting the acreage and time limitations on the leasing of public lands has been work ing assiduously to withhold the opera tion of the law until such time as the people may have opportunity to vote on it.
 Peculiar Accident
 Mann is just recovering from the effect of peculiar accident which occurred on the night of June 12, the last day for the filing of referen- dunn petitions. Just what happened to Mir. Mann on that eventful night is still matter of deep mystery. The only facts established in connection herewith is that he appeared at the office of the secretary of state late on the evening of the last filing day, in sad physical condition. Both feet were badly bruised and he had been apparently badly shaken up by con- tact with some powerful outside force. He filed few names but the petitions were found to be several hundred names short of making the referen- dunn effective.
 The next day he gave out story to the newspapers to the effect that he had been run down by a mystery car in the business section of the city. He could remember none of the cir cumstances connected with the acci dent, he said, for he was struck with out notice or warning.
 Another explanation of Mann's con dition is made in a rumor which has gained wide circulation. This is to the effect that MT. Mann was travelling in a high-powered machine at night with three other men when he suddenly decided to leave the car while it was going at the rate of 35 miles an hour. It is hinted that the car was bound for the Superstition Mountains, sev- eral miles distant, and that for some reason, best known to himself, Mann declined to journey farther.
 "The Bale of Hay"
 Mann does not care to explain at this time why he was in the car talk ing the night ride or why he jumped out. He does not deny, however, an- other story to the effect that he was domiciled in a certain cottage at 1n- gleside on the morning of the 18th. Rumor has 1t that he was lured there by a peek into certain hand grip, containing a roll of something cov- cred with two twenty-dollar bills and purporting to represent S3,00O This arrangement is said to have been jocu- larly referred to by the conspirators as the bale of hay"
 Was Mann there in connection with d possible bribe, or for trapping the bribers is question which will have to be decided by the courts in the event that he files the charges which he says he is going to spring. In this connection a hint has been dropped that Mann had recording phono- graph concealed in the premises and that his purpose was to record the conversation of the conspirators when they offered him the money.
 Feared Trouble
 For some weeks before the last day for filing, Mann was apprised of the fact, so he says, that certain inter ests were out to defeat the land bill referendum by fair means or foul. One report came to him from Cochise county that $4,000 had been offered for names which had been gathered there. Other lieutenants are said to have been intercepted before they had reached Mann with their petitions. In all S10000 is said to have been avail able by the agents of the persons who sought to bring about defeat.
 Whether any of these charges can