The record-union., 1894-08-06

Write a Statement In Which He
Falsely Accused an Attorney for
the Prosecution With Having
Offered Him Money for His Testi-
mony-Strong Testimony of Engi-
neer Lightner.
From the RECoRD-UNIoN's Special Corre-
spondent.l
WOODLAND, Aug. 5.-At the opening OF
She court yesterday Mr.. Cook arose and
said: "Your honor, since the adjourn
ment of court last evening, certain ru-
mors have reached my ears regarding
statements alleged to have been made by
witness Lesher. l am informed that
certain matters in connection Herewith
were brought to the attention OF the court.
This morning while at the hotel L was
sent for by Mr.. Lesher, who said he de-
sired to see me. He informed me that
while he has been in Jail he had been
confined in the room with these defend
ants and in the same cell with some of
them. While there, some of the defend
ants, together with some visitors,
COMPELLED HIM TO WRITE A STATEMENT,
In which be falsely accused Judge Arm
strong, one of the attorneys for the prose-
cution, with having offered him 5000 for
his testimony. Lesher stated to me that
he wrote this at the instigation of the de-
PENDANTS, and that his statement was IN
every respect false, except that 1t was
true he had become somewhat mixed IN
his dates. In order to clear up this mat
ter. the prosecution is willing that pro-
ceedings stop for time and the witness
be placed on the stand and questioned as
TO all that has occurred since his testl-
mony was given in this trial. We desire
TO state positively that no offer was made
to him by Judge Armstrong or any one
else connected with the prosecution of this
case, but that his So-called statement was
obtained through fear OF the defendants
with whom he was placed"
Mr.. Clark addressed the Court, saying
that he felt it due TO himself to say that
he knew something about this matter.
He had talked with Lesher this morning,
and had asked him: "Is it true that you
have made a statement in which you
have implicated Judge Armstrong;"
Lesher told him that Hatch and, / think,
Hatch's father had been In cell with him
and had compelled him to write this
statement, and that he had disclaimed 1t
to the Sheriff before he signed it. Il say
that any man who says this prosecution
has attempted to place any man on the
stand who will make any statement other
than the truth is either misled or speaks
what he absolutely knows TO be false"
MIR. Gaddis stated that he was informed
that there had been no communication
between Lesher and the other prisoners.
Lesher had been confined down stairs
and the others up stairs. He desired to
speak to them, and it was in accordance
with his request that he was granted per-
mission. AS I am informed the charge
that has been made against Hatch and
the others is absolutely untrue.
Mr.. Hart expressed surprise that the
prosecution should feel aggrieved at a
statement made by Lesher, which, he
said, was merely a continuation of the
story told by him when upon the stand.
"At the time when he confessed to being
corrupted by the hope of reward he was
unacquainted with any of the defendants,
and il does not come with good grace, ]"
he said, ''to charge his corruption now
upon men who didn't know him them.
We will have nothing to do with him.
We despise him as wretch. We will
not associate with him and share in the
odium which his touch brings. He was
not coerced by Mr.. Hatch when he told
L. L
his testimony. That man was corrupted
before he took the witness-stand, because
he confessed it."
Mr.. Cook replied to Mr.. Hart. 1.-THE
defense has made quite a speech in re-
sponse to the offer of the prosecution to
let them do what they desired to do. This
witness when he was on the stand never
accused any man of having offered him a
cent to testify. The record OF his testi-
mony will prove that declaration. As the
defense did not care to examine the wit
ness, he proposed to go ahead with the
case.'
MARTIN HALLoRAN ON THE STAND.
The Judge thought so. too, and Martin
Halloran was called to the stand. He is
yardmaster at Sacramento. His duties
were the moving of all cars and engines
in the yards. When the wreck occurred
he got up a relief train and went to the
scene of the disaster. The day following
the wreck, in consequence OF letter re-
ceived by his daughter, he went to the
headquarters of the American Railway
Union.
THREATENING LETTER.
The witness was handed letter and
identified it as the one which caused his
visit
'Did you see Knox at that timer"
es, sir.n
OtQ you ask ull1l dDOut A6bL6Es
''Yes, sir, and he told me- that he wrote
it."
The letter was offered in evidence, and
read as follows:
SACRAMENTO, July IL, 1894.
Martin HdLtoron-DEAR SIR: Our ad-
vice to you is to stop making up trains in
the Sacramento yards. because if you still
keep making up trains when this thing is
settled you won't have any job, and then
another thing, you will be classed as 8
''scab," and that is not very nice thing
to have thrown in the face of your fam
lily. Now. consider this well before you
90 any more work. Yours respectfully,
STRIKERS.
twas anything said as to what would
happen if you didn't stop work ?"
'Well, Knox said / wouldn't receive
any trouble at his hands, but when there
were so many men in strike as there
were there, be couldn't tell what would
happen"
"What else was said?"
SWEENEY WOULD BE A DEAD MAN.
''Mullin asked me who was going oui
on No. 20. told him Tom Sweeney wa:
going out. He said he was sorry for that
for Sweeney would be dead man before
he went ten miles,"
''This was said in the presence Of Knox