The presumption was, when the Government officers became cognizant of what was going on, that the Mealeys advised the entrymen to report to Fred. Kribs in Portland before appearing before Heney and Burns, and these deductions proved to be correct.
It was also ascertained that the entrymen from Roseburg first called upon John Givens, of that place, who was acting there in a capacity similar to the Mealeys in Sweet Home—that of handy man for Kribs, who, in turn, was Smith's right hand bower in the matter of the fraudulent acquisition of timber lands.
When the Sweet Home and Roseburg contingents arrived in Portland, they immediately reported to Kribs at his residence, 24th and Irving streets, as was suspected they would do. each remaining in consultation with him from one to two hours. These visits usually took place some time during the evening, immediately preceding the day they were expected to appear before Heney, and in this way they were known to have gone there in groups of from one to six at a time, and in some instances as high as eight or more were entertained by Mr. Kribs simultaneously.
As rapidly as they appeared at Heney's office, they were turned over to the tender mercies of Detective Burns, who would proceed in a good-natured way to draw out of them what purported to be the facts connected with their location of the timber claims. This sympathetic feeling was all assumed by Burns, however, for the purpose of leading them into a trap, as he was perfectly aware from the very beginning that they were making false affidavits, and it will be shown subsequently how their own statements under oath were used as a leverage to force them to tell the truth.
Burns would proceed by asking them to state their name, age, residence and occupation; how they first came to file on the land; if it was through their own knowledge, or information they had gained from some other source, and if the latter was the case, by whom they had been located. He would then ask them if they had entered into any previous contract under which they were to sell the land to anybody after the issuance of final certificate; if their own money had been used in making payment, and if not, from whom the money w'as obtained, and if, in event of its being borrow^ed, they had in any wise incumbered the land; also, if they had taken the land up expressly for their own use and benefit, and for the use and benefit of no other person or persons whomsoever.
They were next asked if they still retained title to the land, and if not, to whom it had been disposed of, and for what consideration. Also if they had appeared before any Special Agent of the General Land Office after making final proof for the purpose of making affidavit regarding their entry, and if so, before whom they had appeared, and the nature of such affidavit.
These questions being asked, and the answers given, were each in turn taken down in shorthand by Irvin Rittenhouse, Mr. Heney's private secretary, and were later reduced to typewritten form. In the meantime, each affiant was directed to appear again later in the day for the purpose of subscribing to his affidavit, and being sworn.
Upon their return, Burns would hand each witness his statement, with instructions to carefully examine same, and note that every answer therein was true and correct, as it would become necessary for all to be sworn, as well as appear before the Grand Jury and answer these questions under oath.
Before permitting the entrymen to attach their signatures and be sworn, however, Burns would invariably read them the law relating to perjury, and the penalty for such crime as prescribed by the United States Statutes, at the same time cautioning them not to attach their signatures unless each statement was absolutely true. It is a fitting commentary that not one of them hesitated in the slightest degree to attach his signature to what he knew to be a tissue of falsehoods.
In the meantime, Mr. Heney was on the anxious seat for results, and it was plainly apparent that he was disappointed in the progress being made by Burns
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