The San Francisco call., 1901-11-06
GLIB WITNESS
FOR THE JUDGE
Cochran Says Nome Mil
itary Men Had a
Price.
Gives Some Ancient His
tory About Mining
Claims.

| lighful moments at the close Of the after
noon session of the Nome contempt in
quiry yesterday. That glib witness, M j.
Cochran, one of Judge Noyes' pet ap-
pointees, was on the stand He said the
military could be induced to violate the
! law of the district for a price before
Judge Noyes came into the country, es-
pecially when approached by any of the
corporations. He even specified which cor
poraticns, meaning the Lane crowd. This
| it was that angered Mr.. Pillsbury and
forced him to drive the witness.
What do you mean by a priceH' asked
| Pillsbury.
81 mean that the military could be in
duced to violate the law of the district
and pose as preservers of the peace when
ever a certain class used its influence,
responded the witness. Then he specified
time, place and circumstance When
Major Won Orsdale arrived, according to
Cochran, all was good and pure. Lieu
tenant Craigey was the bad man, he said.
The days work closed with Pillsbury
still on the hunt for the price. He'll try
animation continues. The witness had
other things to tell of during his stay and
Metson came in for fair share.
Cochran Enters.
Billy Metson, terror of Nome gun
fighters, figured in another role in the far
of gang of Swedes as well and with
! this backing and the moral support of a
small and select coterte, proved quite a
power when the time came for action.
Such is the testimony of Cochran. I'm
der MCLaughlins guidance Cochran went
way back to times long ago. He gave a
dissertation on mining and social condi-
tions at Nome He spoke of William H
Metson and one Herrin, not the great Will
liam F., but plain BILLY" Herrin, who
was of the Lane crowd that organized
the SUadich N claim in bo
vicinity of Nome. Cochran certainly en-
joyed his position. He talked for hours
and when the time arrived for adjourn
ment he looked longfngly at Commissioner
Heacock and his eyes begged for more
Cochran was put on by the respondents
to weaken the testimony of w. T. Hume,
After his direct examination Bafe Pence
was put upon the stand, but little time
was consumed over him. When the ami
Gus curiae reached Cochran he went at
him with earnestneSs and persistence.
Metson occupied his old post that of
paSSer Of yellow slips, these slips bearing
questions. His fingers became cramped
during the last minutes of the afternoon
session and his advice was then bestowed
upon the amicus curiae by word OF
mouth.
So absorbed was Judge Mclaughlin in
the examination of Cochran that he forgot
to go before the Circuit Court of Appeals
to ask for an examination of Judge Noye5
before the court. This will be done, how
ever, this morning, and in all probability
Noyes will testify in his own behalf this
afternoon.
vawter Against Noyes.
Major Thomas Turnbun was the first
witness to take the chair. He overheard
a conversation between Marshal Vawter
and several others in the Palace in which
the Marshal threatened revenge.
do you remember hearing Vawter say
in presence of a number of people in the
Palace Hotel that he would get even with
Judge NoyeS?" interrogated Mclaughlin.
He said he would get even with him
yet,'' was the answer.
What was the manner of Mr.. Vaw-
ter?"
"He was quite earnest"
That was all there was of the direct
examination. On the crosS-examination it
developed that the witness overheard the
conversation casually, and one day as he
listened to Marshal Vawter giving testi-
mony in this case he recognized the
speaker in the Palace. He then wrote
note to Judge Mclaughlin acquainting
him with the facts.
Quick work it was and then NJ. ]. Cock
ran was placed on the stand.
He was appointed by Judge NoyeS as
commissioner of the Kaugarok. The first
questions led up to the Park versus Over
man case, in which w. 7. Hume and
Cochran were both connected.
This was the case in which Hume testi-
fed that his efforts were unproducttVe
until Cochran came into the litigation,
and as a friend of Judge Noyes moved
things swimmingly. Cochran's testimony
was to the fact that Park, the plaintiff,
insisted tldC ne SnOulQ go lQIO the case
on account of Hume'S conflict with the
court, and that it had already cost HIM
SIS, ,OOO Hume seemed glad to have Coch-
ran in the case.
To Repudiate Hume.
"Did you hear Hume make hostile
threats against Judge Noyes?" asked Nc
Laughlin.
''Yes, every time we met and Judge
Noyes' name came up he said he would do
all he could to injure him. l remember
that when Senator Mitchell of Oregon was
elected Hume said that now he would
have Noyes removed
Then the witness delved deep into the
deplorable Nome conditions, social and
otherwise. AS far as he was concerned
he was of the opinion that things were
greatly exaggerated and that really it
was very much like a peaceful New Eng
land village" He was satisfied with
everything but the "sour dough- ele-
ment-the miners who could not be
miners.
Lafe Pence, the quondam Colorado Con-
gressman and attorney for Mrs. Nettie r.
Craven, took the stand at the call of the
amicus curiae. Pence said adieu to the law
Awhen the Nome fever reached the city
and since then has been several kinds of
a miner He testified as to the facts sur
rounding the receivership, the arrest of
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