The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1904-04-02

- - This. contest Of legal strategists in the
great hand fraud hearing has become
- ? game cf prima fscie cases, in which
- a. Oh: side is seeking. at the least cost
4 to:. itself to force the other 10 show
ITS hand. Commissioner Heacock's rul-
ing on Thursday that the introduction
:. ~ the indictment found by the Grand
q jerry at Washington. d. c., without
r otker testimony 10 support it. estab-
lrshe9. presunptive- evidence of the guilt
+ Of Defendants Hyde and Dimond was
followed yesterday by the attempt Of
%:1sle defense to make such q case as
4: VIII contradict that presumption and
D.: warrant new motion for the discharge
6f. the defendants. In this msneuver.
p -. y hich is likely 10 consume several days,
s<1he.. Governments witnesses are being
.ccalled and questioned with the object
/, of showing that Hyde and Dimond did
-nething unlawful. or if any public Of
: Gense. was committed by them il oc-
.stErred. in California or oregon. where,
5,sther than in Washington, they should
: be tried. -'...
i. cists- or clerks. in the General Land
" office, were yesterday sent TO the stand.
:. where. they were handled by Messrs
s Nc EnerneI and knight Of cOusel for
The defense as gingerly as il they had
+ been cans Of dynamite. The problem
+ of asking just the questions that viii
elicit the information desired without
starting an explosion that may blow
:up,their. clients was indeed a delicate
+. one and. worthy the masters Of legal
fencing who had the game in hand.
50 slowly, so cautiously did they pro-
coed that. the short day is- court was
comparatively barren Of results.
BENSON TO Walk.
The only noteworthy addition to the
pDblics stock OF Information came from
William z. Walk, principal examiner in
she General, Land Office at Washing
ton, who is alleged TO have been in
Benson's pay, and who yesterday let
out the fact that the defendant Dimond
came to him with note Of intro
duction from Benson, saying: This
man Dimond represents me and he is
All right" Just WHY. the defendants
HYDE and Dimond. who are alone in
Nolved in this proceeding. should have
brought out this fact is uncertain One
Of the Governments representatives,
however, declared last evening that it
was evidence OF the fact that Benson
and Hyde have parted company in their
defense to the Indictment in which they
are Jointly accused and that each Of
them as looking out solely for his own
. interests.
John H. Fimple. the Assistant Com
missioner of the General Land Office
NJ Washington, was questioned at
length by NcEnerney as to the meth
DDS in vogue there in expediting lieu
land selections and also regarding the
duties Of subOrdinates who are here
IS witnesses for the Government
Fimple said that approximately 1000
selections were on file in the depart
ment under the forest reserve act OF
1897, and that these covered more
than $1,000, 600 acres, which the Sc
lectors were seeking TO substitute for
their holdings in fifty-seven forest re-
serves scattered all over the West.
Many OF these ELECTORS appeared by
their attorneys, he continued. and the
appearances were made by letter SINH
ar 10 those OF Dimond's that are set
;orth in the Indictment as having been