The Minneapolis journal., 1901-10-04
THAT HITCH OYER HEMP
TESTIMONY OF COLONEL HEIsTAND
No stock of the Company Went to
Buy Influence of Govern
ment officials.

Washington, Oct. 4.-The cross-exam-
inatiOn of Major Hawkes. was continued at
the Heistand investigation.
Mr.. Needham, attorney for Mr.. Heistand,
endeavoret to fix dates relative to the
delivery Of the ITO whom it may concern"
letter. The witness was not clear as to
dates. Major Howard, who had charge of
making copies of the Heistand corre-
spondence turned over to Hawkes., said he
had no recollection Of the letters. How
ard said the copies were made at the
request Of Hawkes. and turned over to
him. He also said that Hawkes. wanted
the copies to protect himself, as he was
| afraid he would not be fairly treated by
the government.
Lieutenant Colonel H. o. S. HeIstand,
the principal in the case, then took the
stand. He detailed his acquaintance with
Hawkes. and explained how he began ne
gotiations with him as to the hemp COM
pany.
At meeting of several persons inter-
ested he (Heistand) had said that he
wanted some friends to have an oppor-
tunity Of taking stock in the company,
mentioning the names of General Corbin,
Assistant Secretary Meiklejohn and AS
sistant Secretary Allen. Major Hawkes.
mentioned the name of Assistant Attorney
General Boyd AS to the list of names of
Heistand thought he wrote the list as
Hawkes. mentioned the names.
Witness broached the matter to General
Corbin, who then seemed to think favor
ably of the proposition, but subsequently
told the witness he could not go into the
company. General Corbin had said that
1t would be all right for him (Heistand)
to go into it, but he did not think it would
be proper for him (Corbin) to do so.
Mr.. Allen had told witness that If the
plan of organization was all right and
proper he would take some stock. As
sistant Secretary Meiklejohn had re-
sponded to his proposition in about the
same manner. Mr.. Heistand mentioned
about $4,000 worth of stock taken by
each one approached. They were assured
their names were not to be used for
advertising purposes and there was no
intimation that they were to secure the
stock for nothing.
Witness had one further talk with Mr.
Meiklejohn in which he (witness) had
shown him statistics which Hawkes. had
prepared. Colonel Heistand then related
his recollection Of the ITO whom it may
concern" letter. how it was written and
how the signatures were obtained. He
said the letter did not contain the titles
of Meiklejohn, Boyd and himself. This
letter, he said, was not the same as that
presented by Major Hawkes.. Witness said
he went to Hawkes. and obtained the letter
because 1t was being used in New York to
indicate that government officials were
promoters Of the enterprise. When he
withdrew this letter from Major Hawkes.
possession witness had considered the
hemp incident at an end.
Senator Cockrell questioned Colonel
Heistand closely regarding his relations
with Hawkes. after the letter of intro
duction from him. Colonel Heistand said
he had told Hawkes. that he wanted moth
ing more to do with him or the hemp
company. Hawkes. came to witness Of
flee several times. He wanted to see Mr..
Meiklejohn, but witness would not present
him.
The cablegram which Heistand sent to
General Otis asking about a site for a
hemp factory, it was shown, had been sent
as an official dispatch and the reply, also,
came as an official dispatch, both paid for
by the government Colonel Heistand said
the fact that hethad not paid for these
messages was the only matter in the whole
transaction that gave him any concern.
He intended the message to go as priv
ate dispatch. He had shown 1t to Mr..
Meiklejohn, who told him it was all right
If sent as a private message.
Colonel Heistand was asked about the
division Of the stock and asserted that
none Of the stock was to go to any Of
fcials Of the government for influence
they might use in promoting the interests
Of the company.