Page:Looters of the Public Domain.djvu/457

 With this plan for a working basis, it is charged, the Eastern men operated through representatives in Oregon with whom they were closely associated. Besides the Alpena men and Stone, those who are said to have figured as principals in the illegal transactions are the members of Elkins & Co.. of Prineville. and of E. Dorgan & Co., of Albany. The other men whose names are mentioned, although in many cases men of considerable capital and prominence, served in the alleged scheme in subsidiary capacities, such as procuring men and women who were to file on the claims and expediting in one way and another the fraudulent entries. Over 400 claims, taken under the timber and stone Act of Congress, are involved in the alleged plan to steal the wealth-producing forests of Uncle Sam. Of this amount 150 are mentioned specifically in the indictment returned by the grand jury through the efforts of District Attorney Bristol and Special Inspector Thomas B. Neuhausen. The total tract in the alleged theft covers the immense area of approximately 201,600 acres. The land lies entirely within Lake, Klamath and Crook counties, and borders on the headwaters of the Deschutes River. The description of the claims cited in the indictment covers six large typewritten pages. The territory which the big land sharks are accused of trying to gobble up in disregard of the Federal statutes, is one of the richest timber sections of Oregon. Nearly the entire area is covered with the most excellent yellow pine timber. Placing the low estimate of 2,000,000 feet to the quarter section, the land would be worth at least $2000 a claim, or $800,000 for the land involved. The value is probably close to $1,000,000.

F. W. Gilchrist and Ralph Gilchrist are said to be in the millionaire class. Patrick Culligan is worth about $600,000, and James G. Macpherson is also a man of means. Elkins & Co., charged with being closely allied with them in the conspiracy, are men well known throughout the entire state. The firm's business is money lending and general financial business. The company is said to have put up large amounts of money and to have otherwise assisted in the plot.

Almond C. Palmer, who is among the men said to have been brought within the toils, was formerly United States Commissioner at Prineville. He is accused of using his position to assist in the acceptance of fraudulent proofs and illegal filing of claims. He had trouble with the Federal authorities upon a previous occasion, but was acquitted. Judge M. E. Brink, of Prineville, Oregon, is accused of using his power of attorney in the same illegitimate way, as is also J. W. Hopkins, of Vancouver, Washington, and W. W. Brown, of Seattle.

Dorgan & Co., of Albany, who are included in the list of principals to the dealings, is a firm of timber cruisers and locators. John J. Collins, who was subpoenaed as a witness in connection with the case, refused to produce the books of the firm in accordance with the order of the court, and as a consequence was confined in the Multnomah County jail for a period of four months upon order of Judge Wolverton. It is believed by the government representatives that Collins received good pay for his action from the other men who were indicted, as it is supposed that the records of the firm contain incriminating evidence in connection with the present charges.

All of the Eastern men involved have paid repeated visits to Oregon during the past few years, and it is believed that upon each occasion they acquired title to a number of the fraudulent claims. Sometimes, it is said, one would come, sometimes more, but each visit is alleged to. have been in connection with the proceedings for which they now stand indicted. It is said that persons were secured in large numbers to assist in the operations by filing upon the claims. It is alleged that they were taken to the land as many as 20 at a time, and that immediately upon receiving title from the Government, they transferred it to the men who were engineering the deal, in each case taking payment far below the true value of the land. These persons, for the most part, came from Albany, Shaniko, Morrow, Prineville and Mitchell. They figured as witnesses in the grand jury proceedings, between 100 and 200 of whom being called before that body.