The San Francisco call., 1904-04-15

Going back to his meeting with Ben
son in May, 1902, witness asserted that
Benson then told him of an agent in
Washington who was employed to. for
ward the Hyde Benson lieu selections
and whom he wanted Harlan to meet.
This evidence is important because of
Walks testimony that the defendant,
Henry p. Dimond, had come to Wash
ington shortly before the date named
with a card of introduction from Ben
son, saying Dimond was his agent and
'all right" Harlan's story was as fol-
lows:
Benson said he had an agent who had desk
room in the office OF Britton & Gray, the
Washington land attorneys and that he. want
ed me to meet him. ! declined saying mad
no desire TO deal with more than one man.
Then he told me that this agent was then IN
the bathroom adjoining and that If / would
out. 1 entered the closet and closed the door.
In minute / heard some one come. out of
the bathroom and go into the hall.
No Benson did not tell whether his
agent was Dimond or not. He did not say.
whether the agent was man. child.
This ended the grilling of Harlan.
McEnerney next called another Gov
ernment witness, Walter K. Slack, the
San Francisco land attorney, who was
before the Federal Grand Jury at
Washington. Heney did not cross
examine him. Not a single new fact
was brought out, the witness mere
ly telling that he had been a
clerk in Fred A. Hyde's office dur
ing the years from 1899 and 1902,
describing the routine of the office
work, and denying that he had knowl-
edge of any crooked work in land mat
ters. Benson and Hyde had a joint
account, he said, for the Oregon
school lands, which they owned in
partnership. AS to their other oper-
ations they contributed base lands in
equal shares when making applica-
tons for lieu selections. The witness
could not remember that any forged
instruments were used in obtaining
title to these school lands. Dimond
had been in the Office for several
months while Slack was there, but
the witness had not discussed Office
matters with him.
AFFIDAVIT FACTORY AGAIN.
Then came Charles Augustus John
son, formerly Office boy to Hyde.
Charles Augustus was another of the
San Franciscans who got free trip
! to Washington at the expense of
Uncle Sam, in order that the Grand
| Jury of the District of Columbia might
have the benefit of their testimony.
He was called yesterday by McEner-
ney and apparently had no hesitation
in telling all he knew. His story fol-
| lows:
! / am IS years old and now employed in
the Southern Pacific Companys train
for fifteen months ending January. 1902
Among my duties / had to carry deeds. afh-
davts and powers of attorneys to the notaries.
| Generally | did not read them. The notaries
| employed Thomas s. Burns Henry p.
Tricou Harry ]. Lask. John Lyons and Frank
Ford.
| 1t very seldom happened that any one ac-
! companied me when took the papers to the
notaries. They just put their jurats and
he
! whose names the papers bore. this
done every day and was the only person in
/ took as many forty non mineral afd-
| davits to Notary Ford at a time. This hap
! pened at least twice. At other times / might
! take one paper half a dozen or more
/ The papers were sometimes given by Hyde
velope slack Herbert Clark. Miss Doyle or
! Miss Farwell generally gave me the deeds or
affdavits to take out. They never told me to
take the signers before the notary. In fact.
! when l sent out there was generally no
one in office except the regular employees
! fore Notary Burns No one ever Went with
me to Trasks office when that notary affixed
his jurats acknowledgements. / was pres
ent and saw this done and know that the
/ signers never came before the notary to ac-
knowledge their signatures or take the oath.
General Of California. and his son and deputy
Frank Wright. Frank was often in our Office
! would spend an hour at time with Hyde in
the private office of the latter. j. p. Prior,
| the special agent OF the General Land Office.
was often there. too. and Fred English the
chief clerk OF the local land office. came In
| occasionally.
We had cabinet file in the office in which
/ were kept the blank forms used In applica-
tions for lieu land selections. l remember
| that some of these were signed In blank bv
/ Crawford w. Clarke. When they were needed
/ Herbert Clarke the clerk would fill in the de-
! scriptions and send me with them to no.
| tary who without seeing the signer. would
| complete them with his signature and official
seal.
Did you ever tell Dimond of these
deeds and affidavits signed in blank? ?'
asked Wheeler.
mo" replied Charles. He was al
| lowed to go back to the railway com
pany, but the thrifty lad did not de-
| part until he had exacted a promise
from McEnerney to pay him for at
tending as witness