The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-07-18
POOR SHOWING ON
WITNESS STAND
Congressman Williamson Did Not
Help His Cause.
HENEY'S THEORY UPHELD
REPUTATION WITNESSES WERE
RULED OUT.

DOBTLAND. Ore. July 17.-Congress-
man John Newton Williamson
was on the witness stand i'm the
United States circuit court i'm his own
behalf His testimony was the feature
of the days proceedings and his cross
examination was a feather in the cap
of the government The defense has
contended that Williamson was at
Prineville only for short time in July.
1902. and when the same thing was af-
firmed on the stand by Williamson ne
was confronted by District Attorney
teney with the register of the POindex-
ter hotel in which. under date of June
10. 1902, was found the signature of
John n Williamson. The congressman
said the signature was not his own, but
he confessed that the name ''Prfnevflle''
appeared TO be i'm his writing More
over, ne was-not prepared to swear
that he was not i'm Prinev;lie at that
Time This materially strengthened the
governments case and shattered the
contentious. of the defense that VIII
hanson was not in Prineville.
Heney's Theory Was Sound.
Mis- point bears out the theory of the
. government that Williamson was i'm
PTineVilie two weeks before he filings
were made; that there was a perfect
understanding between the defendants
and that he then went back to The
Ialles and negotiated a loan TO make
$yment on the claims and caused his
Vie 20 file shortly after his departure.
Mr. Heney offered in evidence a letter
from Congressman Williamson to Bin
ger Hermann, then commissioner of the
general land Office. in which he sought
10 influence the commissioner TO en-
large the Blue Mountain forest reserve
so as TO furnish base on school lands
for further extension of their sheep
range and to crowd out the cattlemen
grazing i'm that district. The defense
objected to the letter and the court
ruled against its admission.
Made General Denial.
In testifying in his own behalf the
congressman from the Second district
merely entered a general denial of the
allegations of the government and on
two occasions in answer TO questions by
Judge Bennett declared that he had no
part in or knowledge of any conspiracy
to subOrn perjury, and that he knew of
no violation of law. He denied having
seen two of the entrymen who have ap-
peared against him until just recently,
and at no time before the filing. The
direct examination was short and il
was with some surprise that the de-
tense dropped the star defendant with
I'm twenty minutes after he took the
stand.
Cut Short by the Courts.
The defense introduced the testimony
Of a few witnesses to show the good
reputation of the defendants and had
called another one, when Judge De
Haven asked Mr.. Heney if the govern
ment intended to offer any evidence
counter to this. The district attorney
said not Judge De Haven then ruled
that no more witnesses would be heard
on the question of reputation. The de
Tense protested. but the court would
not yield. Judge De Haven said that
iuasmuch as the government was not
going to try to prove bad reputation
ne would instruct the jury that a good
reputation Of the defendant had been
proven.
Defense Not Satisfied.
The defense was not satisfied and Of
fered to show that they would call
bout twenty witnesses. among them
Senator Fulton, Circuit Judges Ellis
and Bradshaw. and a number of prom
inent Portland people to testify 20 their
good reputation. The court gave them
leave 20 make the record show as they
liked. and it Was done as offered by the
defense
The government will have but little
testimony TO offer a. rebuttaI.