The Great Benton County Gas Scam

Trouble has been stirred up in the recently opened gas fields of Benton county and it came to a head yesterday in a suit filed in the local superior court. The action is one brought by the Walla Walla Oil, Gas and Pipeline company against J. B. Valentine, J. D. O'Brien and the Spokane-Wyoming Oil Gas company to gain possession of leased property in the Benton district, which it says is being unlawfully withheld. The complaint sets forth that the company engaged Herbert C. Harris to secure a number of leases, which he did in his own name. He then refused to convey them to the Walla Walla company. The Walla Walla company then secured the services of J. B. Valentine to secure the leases from Harris, the complaint says, upon his representation that he would immediately convey them over upon securing them. 'He shook hands with Henry D. James, treasurer, and Daniel W. Zimmerman, secretary, of the Walla Walla company, as a solemn pledge that he would convey the leases when they were secured,' reads the complaint. 'He brought in lodge affiliations as evidence of his good faith.' He did secure the leases from Harris and then flatly refused to convey them, the complaint states further. Superior Judge Hurn set a hearing on the show cause order for April 26.