Omaha daily bee., 1905-06-25
SENATOR MITCHELL HAS AN INNING
CrOss-ExaminatiOn of Judge Tanner
BringH Ont Points In His Favor.

Brings out Points I'm His Favor.
PORTLAND, Ore, June A.-The cross
examination of Judge A. H. Tanner, the
governments star witness in the trial of
United States Senator John H. Mitchell
began today. For several hours Judge
Tanner was on the witness stand and was
subjected to close questioning by the at
torneys for the defense, some important
testimony on behalf of Senator Mitchell
apparently being elected. 1t was shown
by Tanners own evidence that Mitchell
had warned Tanner not to mix him in any
matters before the departments OF the gov
ernment and not to receive any remunera-
ton for any services the senator might
perform in Washington. Tanner said that
there was no understanding with Frederick
Kribs that the money paid by him to Tan
ner was in return for the services of Mitch
ell and that the latter had no direct knowl-
edge of the source of his monthly
mittances, his share of the earnings of the
law firm 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. Tanner testified that
at the time of the changing of the original
contract of 1897, which occurred in 1901.
Mitchell was deeply involved in official
business and that he was shortly afterward
taken with a severe illness. Tanner said
further that he knew personally of no
services rendered by Mitchell before the
departments at Washington in regard to
the Kribs claims that Mitchell had not per-
formed for hundreds of other claimants
without pay So far as he was aware
Mitchell might have forwarded his (Tan-
ners letters in regard to land claims to
the general office and returned the informa-
ton in the replies TO him.
Tanner testified that with one exception
Mitchell, while away from Portland, never
had a chance to know of the items entering
into the monthly payments to him. The one
exception was when copy of the firm 5
I books was sent to Mitchell at Washington.
The method of handling the bank book
was gone over and the defense attempted
to show that the senator had never seen
any of the Kribs checks and did not there
fore know that ne was receiving money
for work done for Kribs. Tanner testified
that he had put all of the money received
| in one account and 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 perjury
| If he persisted in his testimony before the
| grand jury, but that if he would make a
! clean breast of his transactions and would
| tell the truth the district attorney would
recommend a pardon for him.
| George r. ogden and James F. Casey
J two clerks in the general land office. who
had handled the claims admitted in evil
dence were called after Tanner had left
the stand to identify the lists and show
that they had been made special through
/ the efforts of the senator.
At $3.50 o'clock Mr.. Heney stated that he
had finished with the witnesses for the gov
ernment and the court adjourned unit
Monday morning at 10 o'clock.