Salt Lake Telegram | 1919-08-29 | Page 5 | Land Fraud Suits Against Road Dismissed

D FRAUD SUITS AGAINST ROAD DISMISSED Sil gil Dollar Billion ion Dollar Oil Land Case Gase 2 Ends in Victory for forY Y Southern Pacific By Associated Press LO A ANGELES GELES Cal Cat Aug 23 23 folding that the tho evidence of fraud I as Judge Benjamin F. F l. l in the United States district ourt o r dismissed six consolidated suits filed b by the government against the Southern Pacific company and thEr companies and individuals seek- seek aside to ng to ij tO have set patents alu le oil lands in the San Joaquin he litigation rogation atlon involved acres f. f toil 11 bearing lands valued at iTlie to government alle alleged ed the South- South rn pacific company obtained patents o the land on affidavits declaring it ito o m chiefly valuable for agricultural first suit was filed by the gov- gov in 1912 additional suits being ile i from time to time since then h cases being before the federal o ts pra practically continually EVIDENCE REVIEWED ItE hIs opinion Judge Bledsoe rel re- re l wed the evidence declaring that h he surveyor had returned h he lands in question as earing and that for several years q Southern Pacific company sold ies les cese lands at prices ranging from to 5 5 an acre These se points point Judge Bledsoe held as ass strong evidence of ot the absence of ot au aud in the Southern Pacific com com- anys anY s application tion for patents i Counsel for the government took eption to the dismissal and indi- indi ted t d an appeal would be taken to States circuit court of I fl The he six cases case were known as the billion dollar dollar suits because of the lalue lu of land involved and an ac- ac of ot all proceeds of the sale TOil taken from the property during t period rod of twenty years T property involved extended 90 o g S' S the west side of the San uin valley for a distance of Th sections section affected were patented o IJ railroad under the congressional tt t f 1866 giving it the odd num- num erea sections ea each ch side of ot the track or r. r 1 distance of twenty miles MOVABLE VABlE ABLE COURT tT Mfg cases were tried before Judge who personally heard all of he moving movin his court from fromIa la Ia to place for that purpose an anany any Uon tion in federal practice t con n was tak taken n in New v York Wash- Wash ion up-ion San Francisco Los Angeles and covered a n. period of to han a year About pages f to lImonY were WIE taken and several exhibits exhIbit introduced h hi government contended that the road selected the lands with an I aG l knowledge on the part of Its i and officers that they were were i alua le oil on lands landH not and cairn actual fraud was committed here hes officers C P P. Huntington Le- Le hiS Charles CharlE's Crocker own- own i rs 19 nd A. A N. N Towne manager J Jerome Madden l gent and William Singer Jr Yr nd md were all dead at the them them m m the She suit was filed lied All their rc ing associates denied dented there was knowledge In the statement duct of f the officers accused duct Conduct