The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-04-04

leader, I feel it is a duty to again en-
| phaslze Ihat under no condition VIII I
| nave anything whatsoever 10 do with
you or your gang, and / hereby expressly
repudlate and cancel any and all agree
ments that may ever have entered into
! with you.
1 shall not dwell upon an the many de-
| talis of the gigantic scheme TO which 1
nave been subjected. Suffice IL for me TO
| mention only few Of the abomnable
features Of the case, that but for the
! Wide-awakeness of my attorney. Fischer
Hansen. would have led me to everlasting
ruin and despair Thus, fer example. you
| were introduced to me as a former Unit
ca states congressman. and as such en-
| titled to the title O. honorable which
| 1 always took the pains 20 use.
"Acting For the Administration"
You stated to ne that you we're acting
| Tor the administration, and that 10 was
I in compliance with the wishes of Presi-
/ dent Mckinley and Secretary BAY and
| for the benefit Of my plans that a GER
/ tain bill was introduced in congress by
/ Congressman Gardner, looking TO the
! purchase OF the West Indian islands.
You told me further that you were one
| Of the leading spirits in the Associated
| Press and that as the country demanded
/ the islands, you would permit your bu-
| reeu to express that sentiment. On the
/ basis of all this you succeeded in extort-
/ ing from me a contract, not to speak OF
| moneys that your cO-cOnspirat0rs and
/ you have gotten away from me at the
l various times.
OF course my plain duty would be not
/ only to reDudiate my contract with you.
| but to proceed against you criminallE L
/ do the first now, or rather affirm my
/ reputation 90 YOU of last Saturday; the
/ latter 1 am prevented from doing by rea-
/ son of the fact that ] leave for Europe
/ in the course Of a few days.
/ Mr.. Hansen said the copy Of his let
/ ter which he placed in evidence was ID
1 Captain Christmas handwriting.
! IN reply to Mr.. Hit, Hansen said he
/ had never received anything from
/ Christmas and had loaned him $500
when he was hard up which had not
/ been repaid. There was much laugh
| ter and the inquiry took a rather ludi-
/ crOUs aspect as Mr.. Hansen told Of
Christmas promises TO various persons
| On one occasion, Mr. Hansen said.
Christmas met C. W. Knox in a dining
room and told him he had some islands
TO sell. IA kncE saiI be knew d man
who knew Senator Hanna. AS a result
Christmas was to pay Knox $4,000. In
/ mi-humOroUs vein Mr.. Hansen told
Of S. being paid on this promise.
They Net in a Saloon.
On another occasion, Mr.. Hansen re-
lated, Christmas met in a saloon one
Nelkin 7. Walberg and told him he
had some Islands for sale"
Hansen said Walbsrg replied that
was just in his line Later, Hansen
said. Christmas let WaIberg have
small sums-S4O, SIS and SIS. dr. Han
sen said he did not know Walberg and
knew nothing of his connections with
an international press association.
Representative Hit asked if this was
supposed to be the basis for charges
affecting the American press. Mr.. Han
sen said it was, that Christmas only
connection with the press was with
this WaIbeTg."
Mr.. Hansen also told of a contract
with a Mr.. Reinert by which the latter
was to receive $4,000 for services as
counsel He produced a recent letter
from Christmas. dated March 2, stating
that he had offered TO make a public
declaration that no one in congress
was interested in the sale and in gen
eral repudiating the allegations on
which the inquiry is based.
Mr.. Richardson's cross questions
sought to develop that services were to
be performed for the various contracts.
The witness explained that il was the
service Of explaining and assisting
along the transfer by every legitimate
means, and he read from the contracts
to show that this was the object.
Press Not In It
He stated with much emphasis, in re-
ply to Mr.. Hit from all his knowledge
Of the subject he was positive that no
senator or representative ever had any
personal interest in the negotiations or
ever was approached. and he made this
disclaimer broad enough to cover every
one in and out of congress. excepting
the specific cases heretofore cited.
Melville E Stone, general manager OF
the Associated Press, next testified. He
stated that he had general charge Of
all news matters Of the association and
had fun knowledge Of all contracts and
business affairs. in response to Mr..
Dalzelrs inquiries. Mr.. Stone said ne
had never met Christmas, had never
seen him, and his only knowledge OF
the man was from the general gossip
on the subject recently appearing. Ar.
DalzelI asked if Christmas ever had
any contract with the association. Mr..
Stone said there was no such contract,
there could not have been anything Of
the kind without his knowledge. the
idea Of such a contract was absurd.
He desired to protest. Mr.. Stone add
ed. against the Juggling in of the Assoc
ciated Press, which he considered most
impairment. He also showed a cable
gram from Copenhagen. saying an Of
fetal note was issued today sating that
y
with Christmas and refused to see him
or to receive q copy Of his report.
No Work and No Pay.
August r. Reinert. a New York att
torney, told Of meeting Christmas and
agreeing TO act as counsel in the sale Of
the islands. Mr. Reinert said he never
did any work and never received pay.
Richard p. Evans, an attorney Of
this city, was next sworn He said he
first met Christmas through Waiberg,
who was described as a music teacher,
newspaper man and translator. Christ
mas desired 20 employ Evans service
in connection with the Danish matter
and Evans said that a contract was
made and a copy Of the contract was
produced, reciting that contingent fee
OF $4,000 was 10 be paid upon the sue
cessful conclusion Of the negotiations.
The witness said he had never offered
any inducement to any one in congress
in connection with the matter, and in
twenty-five years experience he ueVeE
knew such a thing TO be done.
There was absolutely no truth, the