The San Francisco call., 1905-06-25
TANNER HELPS
HIS OLD FRIEND
Cross Examination of Nit
chell's Law Partner Weak
ems Case Against Senator
ALL CASH IN ONE FUND
Judge Declares Accused Man
Did Not Know Who Turned
Money Into Firms Golfers

PORTLAND, June 24.-The cross-ex-
animation of Judge A. III. Tanner. the
Governments star witness in the trial
of United States Senator John H.
Mitchell began to-day. For several
hours Judge Tanner was on the witness
stand and was subjected to close ques-
tionfng by the attorneys for the de-
fense, some important testimony on be-
half of Senator Mitchell apparently
being ELECTED.
1t was shown by Tanners own evi-
dence that Mitchell had warned Tanner
not TO mix him IN any matters before
the departments Of the Government and
not to receive any remuneration for
any services the Senator might perform
In Washington. Tanner said that
there was no understanding with Fred
erick Kribs that the money paid by him
to Tanner was IN return for the serv-
ices of Mitchell. and that the latter had
no direct knowledge Of the source Of
his monthly remittances. his share Of
the earnings of the law flrm of Mitchell
& Tanner, which were forwarded to the
Senator at Washington
Tanner said under cross-examination
that never to his knowledge did
Mitchell ever see a check from Kribs
to the firm for services rendered. Tan
changing of the original contract of
1897, which occurred in 1901. Mitchell
was deeply involved in official business,
and that he was shortly after taken
with a severe illness. Tanner said fur
ther that ne knew personally of no SER
vices rendered by Mitchell before the
departments at Washington in regard
to the Kribs claims that Mitchell had
not performed for hundreds of other
C1nir1anrS wifhnHf far he
was aware, Mitchell might have for
warded his (Tanner's) letters in re-
gard to land claims to the General
Land Office and returned the informa-
tion in the replies to him.
Tanner testified that, with one excep-
tion, Mitchell while away from Port
land never had 4 chance to know of the
items entering into the monthly pay
ments to him. The one exception was
wnen copy of the firms books was
sent to Mitchell at Washington.
The method Of handling the bank
books was gone over, and the defense
attempted to show that the Senator had
never seen any of the kribs checks, and
did not therefore know that he was re-
ceiying money for work done for kribs.
All of the money received, said Tanner.
had been in one account, and he had
drawn from this in making the cash
settlements at the end of each month.
Tanner testified that he had been told
that his son would be indicted for per-
jury if ne persisted in his testimony be-
fore the Grand Jury, but that il he
would make clean breast of his trans
actions and would tell the truth the
District Attorney would recommend
him for a pardon.
George T.. ogden and James F. Casey,
two clerks in the General Land Office,
who had handled the claim. admitted
in evidence, were called after Tanner
had left the stand, and were used in
Identifying the lists and showing that
they had been made special through
the efforts of the Senator.
At $40 o'clock Heney stated that he
had finished with the witnesses for the
Government. and, in view of the fact
that the Government would be able to
rest it's case on Monday forenoon, he
would suggest that the court adjourn.
The court accordingly adjourned until
Monday morning at 10 o'clock.