The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-08-09
GOT MONEY FROM COBBAN.
Witness In Timber Land Case Tells About
Some Peculiar Transactions.

HELENA, Aug. la wordy warfare
over the manner in which Attorney
Maynard put questions to the wit
nesses consumed most of the time of
Judge Hunt in the trial of the now
famous timber stealing Ease this morn
ing. The court frequently took a
hand in eliciting testimony from back.
ward or ~hesitating Witnesses.
The testimony Of Albert Jeunison
was resumed this morning. He took
Is or 20 of his relatives onto the tim.
Der lands and secured good locations
for them. He stated that he was in
formed by Cobban that the latter did
not want any lands that had less than
600, 600 feet Of timber on them. There
was the usual understanding OF 800
over and above expenses for the en-.
trymen, with an agreement for $3.50
aud sometimes s25 from Cobban from
himself. The witness testified also
that he had an understanding with
each of the parties he located that he
was to receive go on securing q final
receipt. The money was to come from
Cobbau. He testified that he had seen
Cobban and had an understanding
with him to do the work and had got
the money from the locators after they
got their money from Cobban. He
testified also that prior to this he had
been working for Griswold, who had
the same work.
During the performancesof this work
witness said he had seen Mr.. Cobban
on the lands in questionssome two or
three times and they estimated the
amount of timber thereon together.
HELENA, Aug. 2.-Testifying for the
government in the trial of r. NJ. Cob
ban, in the United States court, today,
on the charge of s%ubornation of per.
jury in connection with western Mon
tana timber land entries, c. L. Girls.
void, indicted with Cobban, but now
a government witness, cited:five cases
where entry men and entry women
came to Helena, made final proof in
the United States land Office, then
decided timber lands to Cobban for
sums ranging from 500 to $3.50, Girls.
void handling the money.
The evidence of Griswold proved
that in all of the cases the entrymen
and women without exception, were
fully aware OF the bargain they had
entered into and that they understood
that Griswold, or his agents, helped
them in the selection of the timber
lands in pursuance of agreements with
Cobban. Griswold said they a after
him to get locations az soon as it was
known that they could make a few
dollars. The difficulty Of the govern
ment in getting its testimony before
the jury can be guessed when it is un'
derstood that punches of people mum
boring from four to forty, connected
by family relations are indicted by
what they believe to be the treachery
of one of their family.
0ClSWOlu tSSV1ACO VuAo uIOIuAuS Su0'
at Ovando Mr.. Cobban handed him
s $1,000 or $4,000 and the deeds to the
timber lands of a number of people
and instructed him to take them tc
Helena and pay the money to the land
Office, get final papers and pay 500
to each of the people when they signed
the acknowledgment. The witness de-
scribed time, place andspersons in all
these transactions with fullness and
exactness.
Griswold said that he received 5C
cents a thousand feet for his perjury;
that is, for all of the timber removed
from the land secured by fraud he re-
ceived 5 cents a thousand feet, amount
ing, in some instances, to $50 a claim,
He said he received pay from Cobbau
for appearing IS a witness before the
land office, and that he had appeared
probably % times.
Caught MANY