The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-06-27
SECRETARY ON
WITNESS STAND
Damaging Testimony Against Aged
Oregon Senator.
ONLY FEW SMALL CHECKS
MITCHELL SAID He HAD DONE
NOTHING MORALLY WRONG.

- ORTLAND. ore, June 26.-Only less
damaging than the testimony Of
fered BY Judge Albert II. Tanner
were the statements Of Harry Robert
/ son, United States Senator MitcheHs
I former private secretary. to the cause
I OF the senator today Robertson was
I put on the stand this morning by the
/ prosecution. and told fully. without res
I ervation. of their conversations with
Mitchell at Washington, of the latter's
/ fear Of prosecution foT his work be
I fore the departments; and Of MitchelIs
rage when Robertson expressed 10 MS
/ employer the belief that denial was
I useless as several knew of the con-
nectiOn of the firm Of Mitchell & Tan
ner with the work of getting the KIDS
] claims expedited and the likelihood that
/ the whole story would come out
/ Told All He Knew.
After recounting when and how he
/ became acquainted with the senator
+ and the firm of Mitchell & Tanner,
J Robertson. in answer TO the questions
/ of United States District Attorney He
ney. told that he knew of the krlos
matter and its relations TO Senator
| Mitchell. The witness stated that he
! had seen Kribs in the office many times
and, spea king of the partnership agree
/ ment, said he had written couple OF
/ copies of it in July. 1903, at the request
! of Senator Mitchell
MitcheIFs Explanation.
Upon being subpOenaed to appear be
I fore the grand jury, the witness said,
: ne went to Senator Mitchell and showed
him the summons asking him what he
/ could be wanted in Portland. for. The
I1rsl- afnF
the firms accounts and told him that
Tanner and his son were threatened
I with Indictment The senator con-
| tinuiug had stated that Tanner had
been before the grand jury. and had
/ testified according 10 the changed
agreement of 1901. Mitchell further told
Robertson that when he reached Port
land he should go to Tanner and look
at the agreement and Tanner would
tell him how to testify The senator
had cursed the prosecution and had
, said anything was UNSTABLE in defeat
ing the government
Senator in Rage.
On RobertsOn's return to Washing
ton after appearing before the grand
jury. Senator Mitchell had shook his fist
in RObertsOus face and swOre at him
for his actions in Portland and Robert
son had theTeUpOn resigned his position
Finally Mitchell had acknowledged TEat
he had known kTibs and remembered
/ the partnership agreement with its
J damaging clause He cried and swore
and said that ne ought not to be prose
cuted for the Kribs matter, as he had
only received a few small checks for
what he had done.
Secretary Felt Sorry.
j Robertson stated that Mitchell had
said to him:
Harry, you know they ought not to
prosecute me for that All L ever got
p was a, few small checks"
Tears were rolling down his cheeks.
said Robertson, and I felt awfuily
sorry for him.
Robertson testified that Mitchell had
, insisted that he had done nothing NOR
r ally wrong and that he would swear
to the statement he intended to put in
. his published interview, on stack OF
: thousand bibles"
IF you did" was the alleged reply Of
Robertson, you would testify to what
is not true"
Evidence Was Direct.
The evidence given by Robertson was
, direct. He Identified the letter given
by Mitchell at Washington to be deliv-
cred to Tanner, but which was given 20
Heney and the grand jury Keeping
nothing back but telling to the best OF
his recollection the plans made by
: tiOn and how these schemes came to
, uaught. the former bookkeeper Of the
firm Of Mitchell & Tanner and later
+ secretary of the senator, supported
, strongly with his testimony the ale
cations Of the Indictment upon vEhich
7 Mitchell is being tried.
: During the recital Of Robertson's tes-
e. timony. Senator Mitchell showed every
2 + evidence of mental agony He wT1thed
II in his chair and protested with his at
torneys for allowing the introduction q
the evidence
Prosecution Ended.
Robertson was the last witness fox
the government. At the conclusion ot
} his discrimination the prosecution
rested its efforts and this afternoon the
j. defense commenced to combat the mass
a of testimony presented against Senator
II Mitchell.
/ Prior to Robertson's examination Ar
n thur W. Orion. a clerk in the Mer-
e chants National bank, identified Ger
z tain checks paid by Z. R. KTibs to
Il Mitchell and Tanner and unimpOrtaut
e testimony was given by J. I. Bridges
II Of the Roseburg land Office.
d Neither orion nor Bridges was cross
3 examined
Robertson underwent a severe cross
Y examination by Senator ThUTstOn, out
e the defense could not shake his testl-
Z
IS at 2;45 p. N.
Defense Begun
The defense then opened its case
/ calling T o. Abbott of Seattle, W II
Odell of Salem J P Fullerton of Rose
2 burg. A d Stillman of PendletOn, ".
- D Wheelright of Portland. and T. r.
Wilcox of this city. all of whom testl-
= fed to having received assistance tr'm
= the defendant before various deparl e
= ments. in each case of which the sella-
= tor had refused to accept compeuSa
y ton. The case of the defense VIII Dc
= continued and perhaps finished JomoT'
= row 1t is the opinion that Senator
= Mitchell viii take the stand in his Owl
y behalf.
= Williamson Comes Next.
= Court opened with the cali Of Juds0
= De Haven for the cases remaining OF
> the docket. He announced that the De
murrer in the cases OF Congressman
IL n Williamson. state Senator h 7
1 NAYS ct al would be OyerTuied- DIS
+ trict Attorney Heney desired that TN
= case of the United States against VII
= hanson, GeSsner and Biggs be the mex
called, and by order of the court IN