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Show RIGID INVESTIGATION 10 BE CONDUCTED Montana Mine Owners Make Serious Clfares of Fraud Against Northern Pacific. HELENA, Mont., March IS. Upon statements made to President Roosevelt Roose-velt by a Bpecial committee from the Montana Mine Owners' association concerning the alleged fraudulent das sicatibn by the commission appointed under the McKinley regime, in relation rela-tion to the mineral land-, of the North-em North-em Pacific rail r bad, the President has instructed Secretary of the Interior Garfield to make a thorough investiga tion of the charges. J. A Ftowand, who was chairman of tbo committee which called at the White House) said tonight that Secretary Secre-tary Garfield assured him that a com mission will be appointed to conduct an investigation during the coming summer at some central point in this State. Sixty instances of alleged fraud wore proscuted to Ihe federal officials of-ficials b the Dlinittee, and upon his return to Helena Mr. Rowand Found t v'ont y-t liree others. Title to millions of acres of Montana land, the value of which is almost inestimable, and whose possession has been claimed by tin Northern Pacific, is now brought into question. Mine owners from all over the State have combined lo defeat the claim of Hie railroad to these lands, and thej are making special efforts to secure evidence in those cases where ihe rail- j road was victorious before the former classification commission iu contentions nilh resident, claimants. Startling disclosures dis-closures have already been made, aud the operators are jubilant over the assured as-sured Bupport of too administration iu their fiht. |