The San Francisco call., 1904-03-13
INTNHDATEs WITNESS.

INTINIIDATES WITNESS.
Francis testified that he had had a
conversation with District Attorney
Summers relative to testifying before
the Grand Jury in the case of Diet
rich. Batty then asked for the par
ticulars of that conversation, but be-
fore he could reply Senator Hoar in
terposed an inquiry as to the purpose
of the examination.
I'VE want" Batty replied, "to show
the pressure that the District Attorney
puts upon witnesses in these cases;
that he told the witness that if he did
not testify he was himself liable to
prosecution and imprisonment
Senator Hoar suggested that such a
line of inquiry would broaden the in
quiry to an undesirable extent, and
after conversation with Senator Diet
rich the attorney temporarily with
drew the question.
Hardy Gregory, postoffice inspec-
tor, testified to conversations he said
he had had last December with Fisher
and Francis relative to moneys paid
to Dietrich on account of the back
room partitioned off from the post
Office.
Fishers statement, he said, was that
the original lease was to be knocked
in the head because of the reduction
of the rent from $500 to $500; that
Dietrich said he (Fisher) and the citi-
zens of the place should take the fix
lures of the Grand Army of the Re-
public post off his hands, but that
Fisher had said he would not ask the
people but would do so himself After
this Dietrich had told Fisher that
when he went to Washington he would
recommend Fishers appointment as
postmaster, although it was under
stood the appointment was in no way
dependent upon the payment for the
furniture.
TELLS ABOUT RENTAL.
Gregory also said that Fisher and
Francis told him about the rental of
the back room. but their statements
as related by Gregory did not differ
materially from their statements to
the committee. He said that Fran
els had told him that Fisher. in re-
turning the rent money for the room.
had said that Dietrich had refunded
the money, saying that there had been
some comment about the transaction
and he did not want to continue the
arrangement. These conversations,
| Gregory said. had occurred at Omaha
at the time the Grand Jury investiga-
tion into the Dietrich case was in
progress.
Senator Dietrich ELECTED statements
from the witness that a voucher which
he carried to Hastings was for pay
ment of certain fixtures and also for
thet payment of the transfer of the
Postoffice. The bids for the removal
came through the former postmaster,
Hahn.
Dietrich endeavored to bring out
from the witness that If there was
any extortionate price attached to
the removal of the office. 1t was
regular, having had the sanction Of
the Postoffice Department. Senator
Beveridge suggested that this was
wholly a matter with the Postoffice
Department and ruled that the mat
ter was not germane.
William NJ. Dutton of Hastings re-
lated how the arrangement with the
G. A. r. post had been made, by which
it was agreed that Dietrich should pay
the post $500 for the fixtures. The
contract was entered into before
Dietrichs election as Senator.
DEAL IN FURNITURE.
Dietrich had told him that he intend
ed to recommend Fisher as Postmaster,
it being generally understood that his
recommendation would be accepted.
The witness closed the deal between
Dietrich and the G. A. r. post regard
ing the fixtures and furniture for $500.
He then told of a conversation had with
Senator Dietrich regarding the renting
of his building for postoffice purposes,
the Senator insisting that he could not
get rent enough for his building from
the Government. The Senator at that
time told Dutton that he thought Fish
er should take the fixtures off his
hands, but denied that he was commits
stoned to make any proposition to Fisher
and said there was no money consid-
Grafton mentioned for the fixtures.