Page:Looters of the Public Domain.djvu/50

 Upon arriving in Washington. I received a telegram from Mr. Smith, requesting me not to see Senator Eddy or Mr. Betz, or take any further steps in connetionconnection [sic] with the entries, as other arrangements had been made in Portland.

Returning to Minneapolis. I was informed by Mr. Smith that he had received advices from Frederick A. Kribs to the effect that George F. Wilson, another Special Agent, had been sent out from the General Land Office to make further investigations of the claims, and that it would be useless for us to attempt to do anything in Washington until this Agent's report had reached headquarters.

It developed later that Special Agent Wilson was a brother to the Republican "boss" of Providence, R. I., and that he owed his Government position to the political pull enjoyed by his relative with Senator Aldrich, of that State.

It is also interesting to know that Wilson fell an easy prey to Kribs as soon as he reached Oregon, and is no longer in the service of the Land Department on that account.

Upon my return to Portland. I had an interview with Kribs, who gave me full particulars regarding Wilson's visit, and how he had disposed of him. However, Kribs still felt more or less perturbed over the delay in securing patents, and I, too, was ill at ease, so I suggested that he call on F. P. Mays and solicit his aid in adjusting matters.

Later Kribs informed me that he had made an arrangement with Mays, whereby the latter was to receive $50 each for his services in getting the patents on the thirty-three entries.

Sometime afterward I met Kribs again, and found him in a disturbed frame of mind, as he could not understand the delays incident to the issuance of final evidence of title to the lands, expressing the opinion that Mays was procrastinating in the matter. I then informed Kribs that United States Senator John H. Mitchell had just returned to the city, and suggested that he consult with the statesman upon the subject. Kribs did as I advised, and a few days later reported the result of his conference with the Senator.

According to Kribs' statement to me, which has since been confirmed by court proceedings, he succeeded in entering into an agreement with Senator Mitchell, whereby the latter was to receive $25 for each patent issued in connection with the thirty-three claims. Although the arrangement only applied to these entries. Kribs took advantage of the situation and made a further agreement with the Senator, whereby he was to look after his interests in the matter of expediting all land patents he might have in future before the Department, for which the Senator was to receive the stipulated sum of $25 each.

It might be well to note here that the part taken by Senator Mitchell in the matter of expediting the issuance of patents for Frederick A. Kribs was the direct cause of his subsequent conviction, as Kribs settled with the law firm of Mitchell & Tanner through checks drawn on the Merchants' National Bank, of Portland, Ore., of which a full account will be given in another chapter. Page 44