The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-03-18
DAMAGING TESTIMONY
Being introduced in the Arson
Case Being Held in
Provo.

Provo, March lin the preliminary ex-
animation Of Jennings and Cotter, in eoa-
nection with the Lehi creamery fire,
George A. How testified that the cream
cry was worth only from $3.50 TO $1,000 at
the time of the fire, and that it was net
doing paying business.
John y. Smith testified that the cream
cry was insured for $500 and that afJer
the fire the insurance company paid the
stockholders S2,5eO on compromise
;. w Ross, postmaster OF Lehl, teSu-
fled that he had held an option on over
four-fifths of the capital stock of the
creamery for 80 cents a share, including
Cotter's stock at the time Cotter mad
OF stock for which the concern was cap
itaiiZed was something over A,7l0. Mr..
Ross said that Mr. COtter did not seem
anxious TO sell, and would not give Wit
ness an option on his (COtter's) stock
till the ether directors had given an op-
ton on theirs. Mr.. Ross, if he bought
the stock, was also 10 pay Cotter 500 for
his lease.
Frank Wilson. who with HOLMAN, set
fire to the Highland Boy boarding house
and the Lehi creamery, testified pracu-
cally the same as HOLMAN in regard 60
setting the fires, and the connection OF
Jennings with the affair. Wilson ad-
mitted on crOsS-eXaminatiOn. as did Hoii!-
man yesterday. that if Jennings had kept
good his promise of getting the men out
Of jail If they were arreste and giving
them 500 each he (WilsoI) would not
have confessed.
Albert Snyder of American Fork teSti-
fled that Hoffman boarded at his place
the past winter. Witness' wife wrote
some letter for HOLMAN, directed 10
Alex Jennings at Levan: Witness eS-
planned how the letter which was intro
| duced yesterday came TO be preserved
/ Mrs. Snyder burned the envelope, after
reading the letter TO HOLMAN, and kept
the letter. Other letters we're received
from Jennings. In the first letter received
from Jennings after the creamery fire
Jennings said that as soon as he tJen,
ningS) got the wood contract" he would
send HoIliman some money. Hoffman
answered, urging Jennings 10 send him
money. In "A later letter HOLMAN threat
money he (Holliman) would tell about the
burning of the Lehi creamery, and Jen-
ningS answered that there was no use 10
get excited about the matter. as jennings
could not send the money till he got u.
Snyder also testified TO going with Holli-
man 10 I-ahi HOLMAN went into COttcT )
store Cotter and Hoffman later came %
] American Fork on two occasions and sa"
/ HOLMAN. but witness did not know what
| they talked about.
On crosse examination witness Admitted
! that he learned HOLMAN was a criminal
a short time after Hoffman came 10 MS
/ place to board. He also admitted that lac
and Henry Lee took the letter from @Jen-
] nings to Mr.. COtter and tried TO eXtorl
500 from him on the threat of exposing
| him for completely in the Lehi creamery
! fire and that COtter refused TO be held
up Witness had been arrested for the
attempt at extoItion and mad been per-
mitted to go on his own recognizance-
| but no promise or iutimation mad bee
given that if he would testify in this case
| he would not be prosecuted.
/ A letter written TO Mr. Cotter WhicL
/ Mr. COtter had handed to the sheriff and
which was handed to the attorneys for tbs
defense by the county attorney, by re-
quest. was read. The letter was al
/ dressed TO Mr.. J. f Cotter and a A
Dastrup. The letter claims that the
/ writer had letters to prove that CotteI
/ and 4. A. Dastrup had furnished thf
material to set the creamery on TIRE
and stated that the writer could see hin
/ in the evening.
! The letter was supposed to have beer
| written by Lee. Snyder admitted ina
/ Lee. had said he was going TO write .
I letter