Omaha daily bee., 1906-12-11
AFFIDAVlTS ARE RENOWNED
Statements PurpOrted to be Made BY Sol
disu Rspudisted By latter.
NAMES SIGNED TO WRITING NOT THEIRS
Ten-TaIe Letters Submitted in Land
Trial Expose More Queer
Methods Employed by
CnttIemen.

Reputation by old soldiers Of afBdavits
bearing their names and the disclosure Of
teu-tale letters bearing the signatures Of
big cattlernen numbered among the defend
ants. were the striking features In the
seventeenth day Of the land trial before
Judge Munger Of the United States court
yesterday. Indications are the trial VIII
be prolonged Up to Christmas
The significant feature Of the day was
the reputation Of certain documents by
two or three Of the old soldier witnesses
and the Reputation in each instance Of the
concurrence in the appointment Of r c
Noleman as agent for the soldiers in max
ing their declaratory statements at Quincy,
Ill. In one instance a witness, Charles N
Wyman said:
I did not SO before S. NJ. Mann to make
any declarabory statement but Mann
came before me. / Rfte-ward went to
Mann's house at Quincy and we talked rel
alive to land matters, but have no recol-
lection Of signing any papers or declaratory
statement I did not sign the paper re-
puted TO have been signed by me and in
troduced here in evidence, nor did l au-
rhorize anyone to sign my name for me. 1
know nothing about the paper. Neither do
/ know r. c. Noleman. did not write my
signature TO any paper authorizing him to
act as an agent for me"
Objection Gets in a Point.
The defense promptly objected 10 the in
production Of this document In evidence
and all papers purporting to have been
signed by Wyman. The objection was sus-
talned by the court.
4 Pashlway Fields Of Quincy, q colored old
soldier. testified that he had signed q
declaratory statement al the instance Of
/ S. NJ Mann at Quincy. but that he had
I not authorized the substitution Of the name
/ o. r c. Noleman as agent for him in
/ place Of +. NJ. Walcort. The defense Of
/ fered the usual objections, and in the cross
/ examination Of the witness drew out the
fact that the witness had been visited by
/ United States secret service officers, whom
the defense characterized as detectives"
Mr.. Rush-We object to the attorney for
the defense referring to government on
4 GERS In this contemptuous way. The at
torney general has the right to designate
officers to make investigations.
The objection was overruied.
In his further cross-exarnination Fields
said: This AFFIDAVIT is not in the same
! condition as when I signed II. It has been
/ doctored in one place to suit the occa-
[ sion The typewriter parts were-there
when I signed It, but it has been changed
by words written in it. It has been altered
since ! signed it"
Paper Was An Amdarit.
The paper in question was an AFFIDAVIT
procured from this witness to show that
he had entered into no agreement with
anyone as to disposal Of the land, should
he ever acquire title TO it, and that the
delaratory statement made by him was
-H-~ss
cross-examination the witness finally ad-
mitted that he knew the general con-
tents Of the AFFIDAVIT as il was originally
presented to him for signature Mr.. Hall
principal counsel. then waving the Rfflda
VT over his head and shaking it at the
witness. approached him:
Then, sir you do swear that you signed
this paper?"
Mr. Rush, object to the dramatic styl,
Of the counsel for the defense.
Tire witness nodded in assent in answe
10 Mr. Halls dramatic question and theI
the several counsel for the defense con
graduated each other smilingly over pro
curing the answer desired.
Mr.. Rush-Has this instrument beel
changed since you signed it?
Witness-Yes sir. il has been changed
since signed IT,
Ia response 70 question by MI. huBt
the Witness said; i did not intend Il
follow up this declaratory statement b!
filing on the land or making a home OF
It."
Michael Walker, another old soldier from
the Quincy, Qll), Home, testified TO max
ing out a declaratory. statement befor,
S. NJ. Mann and signing the same. Con
tinuing he said:
i did not know r c. Noleman nor hay,
! ever had any correspondence with him
] don't know Of such person"
Did Not File for Entry.
The witness did not follow up his declare
tory statement by any filing for entry.
) The last witness Of the forenoon was
/, colored old soldier who answered 10 III
name Of George Washington Murray. Their
being some question as 10 the clear identiU
e Of his name, his examination was carrie
1 over into the afternoon.
Z The whole purpose Of Monday morning
8 hearing was TO show that a number O
e declRratury statements had been procure
b. from old soldiers and that these statement