The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-03-13
CLAIM HAVE A PERFECT CASE
BELIEVED THAT GOVERNMENT
HAS DAMAGING TESTIMONY
AGAINST HERMANN.
Will Produce Evidence to Show That
He Destroyed Public Records
In Land Office.

After reviewing the evidence on
which Binger Hermann was recently
indicted in Washington City for de-
stroying public records, officials Of the
department of justice have come to the
conclusion that the government has a
perfect case" against the Oregon
Washington correspondent That is the
opinion expressed today by one of the
men who aided in working up the
case.
1t can furthermore be stated on au-
thority that at the proper time the
government will press this case very
duce an overwhelming lot of evidence
to show that the records which Her.
mann destroyed were of public ma
ture. Not only has the government
got mold of the shorthand notes of Her
mann's secretaries who wrote the let
tiers which were copied in his private"
letterbooks, but it has obtained many
Of the original letters, and it is said
that these letters and notes clearly es-
tablish the fact that the letters de-
stroyed did pertain to public business.
To back up this documentary evil
dence the government intends to place
on the stand two stenograpners who
wrote most of these letters for Her.
mann, and it is learned that these men
will also testify that many letters
which were copied in the private let
terbooks constituted official business.
May be Tried Before June.
Attorney General Moody is to ar
range the time for Hermann's trial here
so that it will not conflict with the
trials in oregon. 1t is possible he may
be tried in Washington before June
1, about which time the trials in Ore
gon will begin. The length of time
to be consumed will depend altogether
upon the amount of evidence the
government determines to produce. If
the government proves the official
character of only half a dozen of the
thousands of letters destroyed, the
trial will be brief, but it may be deemed
expedient to show that hundreds of
these letters were official in character.
If so, the trial will be protracted.
The government is preparing to meet
any emergency and to take any steps
deemed advisable to strengthen its
case In this connection, an authorized
statement was made by an official of
the interior department which throws
light on a charge that has been re-
peatedly made against Hermann by
Secretary Hitchcock This statement,
as published here today, shows how
the government got it's first inkling of
the operations of the Hyde
land ring, and is as follows:
How Hermann Was Found Out.
"The right hand man of Hyde and
Benson was j. H. Schneider. When
the business grew so extensive and
Schneider saw what money his en-
ployers were making, he grew avari-
cious himself and made a demand on
HYDE and Benson for large sum of
money, threatening to expose them If
he did not get it. They declined to give
up all he asked, arguing that ne was
| well paid for his part in the transac-
ton, but after discussion, did give him
$4,000. Schneider went to Arizona. He
still thought he had been used shabbily
by HYDE and Benson, and from Tucson
wrote to them renewing his demands
for money. They refused and Schnei-
der then turned his attention to the
land office. He wrote to Commissioner
Binger Hermann informing him that,
if a special agent was sent to him, he
! could give information regarding land
frauds that would open the eyes of Off
Gals and gave the commissioner an
inkling of what was going on in Cali
| fornia."