The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-09-14
LOGGERs ARE DEFENDANTS.
Important Suits in Which Uncle Sam
Is Complainant Are Begun.

The second floor of the Federal build
ing presented a strange appearance
yesterday morning. The corridor was
filed with men, some leaning against
the ratings or wall, others standing
about talking with one another, while
here and there in groups were a num-
Der sitting on the floor. The majority
of the men were dressed in strange
fashion, with long black hair and black
sombreros and their faces were Of q
copper hue. They were Indians called
as witnesses in the case of the United
States against the Pine River Logging
and Improvement company. There
must have been 100 all told. They
could not all get in the court room
where Judge Lochren presided, and so
had to occupy the halls.
This case is the largest and most i'm
portant which has ever been tried in
this part Of the country. 1t commenced
several years ago in the United States
district court before Judge Riner, but
was dismissed The government ap-
pealed the case to the circuit court of
appeals, and that court reversed the de-
ciSion of the district court and ordered
a new trial. This is the one now being
held. The case is brought by the gov
eminent to recover the value of logs
which it is alleged the defendants cut
off the land owned by the government.
The logging company had a contract
to cut off all dead and fallen timber,
and the authorities allege that the
company went beyond that and cut Off
good timber. They sue for $467, 474.34,
which is the value of 100000 feet of
logs which was cut off of 126 sections
on the Winnebigoshish Indian reserva-
ton on the Mississippi river. The COM
pany denies that the timber cut was
nd 1rfh worth
the amount set forth in the complaint
They ask that in case verdict is
rendered against them that they be
allowed for the work of driving, cut
ting and converting the logs into lum-
Der, and all other expenses in the case.
The case promises to be hard
fought one, and the government has
special attorney to handle it. Attor-
ney General Olney appointed John E.
Stryker, of ST. Paul, to look after the
matter. The defendants have retained
John B. Atwater, A. LELAND and Eu-
gene Hay as their attorneys.
The empaneling of the jury occupied
all the morning and was made much
longer owing to numerous challenges
which both the plaintiffs and defend
ants attorneys entered against some
of the men drawn. The list was finally
completed as follows: Perley B.
HhOQeS, James WdfWIch, NlHLedpolio,
William F. Dickinson, Redwood Falls;
Frank E. Brown, LIE Roy; Edward P
Fifeld, Preston; A. B. Cline, Anoka;
William Spencer, -Aitkin; Amos Worth
ington, Hastings; John M. Campion,
Eyota; James Caylor, Kingston; Mar
tin Strate, Blooming Prairie.
The afternoon session of the court
saw the opening of the case with the
first witness put upon the stand by the
state This witness was H. d. Tall
man, deputy United States marshal.
He told what he knew of the land over
which the defendants had cut. He said
that it was mostly equal green and
dead timber. DR.. James R. Walker,
government inspector at the time, but
now of the Pine Ridge Indian reser-
walton, also testified as to the timber
upon the land. The last witness called
was William L. Maddy, another dep
uty marshal.