Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-26

ton made the opening statement for the de-
tense. in the course OF which he said evil
dence would be offered to show the good
reputation and high standing Of the de-
PENDANT in the community prior to the time
charges were filed against him. He de-
clared also that the defense would attempt
to prove to the satisfaction Of the jury
that the story told by the principal witness
for the government was tissue OF hes'
and it was asserted the records of a notary
public will be presented to indicate the au-
thenticity of the deal in which Holmes
claimed to have sold his gold mine of Idaho
to Louis c. Van Ripper.
Character witnesses were first called.
and those who testified to the excellence
of Holmes reputation were: William d.
Hoover, John Gibson. Maj. Samuel H.
Walker Frank p. Reside, Samuel R BOND.
Francis M. Criswell, DR.. c. c. Clark and
William L. Lanney.
Charles w. STEERS, a local notary pub
lie, produced records which he kept In
1905, and from them he testified to taking
Holmes acknowledgment tn a deed Incl
dent to the sale Of gold mine properly In
Idaho. The date Of the transaction was
given as February 20, 1905.
Not Acquainted With Holmes.
Attorney Lester then read to the jury
the dispositions Of Robert NJ. Rogers and
Charles G. Smith. both formerly connected
with the firm of Charles G. Gates & Co.,
in which both men stated they were not
acquainted with Mr.. Holmes, and 1t was
attested the defendant was not the man
introduced by Smith to Rogers in the
lobby Of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. New
York, as Mr.. Rogers had previously testi-
fed when he appeared as a witness for the
government.
When Holmes took the stand he first
stated the various positions he had held
in the bureau Of statistics until he became
associate statistician In November, 1903
ATTORNEY WOrthtnP-
ton he declared he had met Theodore H.
Price of New York only two or three times
In all his life-once when Price called at
the bureau, in 1908. and on two other &C.
casions. when Holmes went to New York.
once alone and once with John Hyde, to
see If Price would not put up the backing
for a private crop report bureau which
Holmes, Hyde and Special Agent White
were trying to form.
From that point Holmes took up the ques-
ton of his mining claim In Idaho. stating
that he was in Spokane, Wash. at the time
gold was discovered in the new field in
Idaho, and with Special Agent Destranges
Of Washington he went to the ground and
staked out a claim, one-half interest In
which was placed in his name. The de-
PENDANT was testifying regarding the sale
Of three-fourths interest in his share. OF
the claim when the usual recess occurred.
At Session This Afternoon.
At the opening of the session this after
noon Attorney Worthington referred to the
list of checks issued to Moses Haas by
Holmes and which were produced In evil
dence by the government Holmes said he
could not recall accurately the purposes
for which the checks were issued. but he
thought they might represent loans or the
payment of loans due him by Haas. Mr..
Worthington also reproduced the photo
graph Of Holmes and Haas and Peckham
which was taken in Atlantic City and
which bore the Endorsement &c. T, @. c.
Holmes interpreted the initials to mean
Get There Quick Club but said the title
was the invention Of Peckham who was
always joking" He declared the designa-
ton had absolutely no reference to the al
legged conspiracy.
In taking up the preparation of the cot
ton crop report. Attorney Worthington re-
ferred first to the report for September.
1904. MIR. Holmes said the computation
covering the county and township agents
reports reached the statistician's Office the
day before and the day of the issue of the
cotton crop report for the entire country, and
most of the state agents statements the
morning Of report day. None Of them
were opened. he said, until the doors were
locked and the actual preparation of the re-
port was begun.
Holmes also repudiated the alleged sys-
tenn of signals by means of a window cur
tain. as described by Broker Van Ripper. He
declared no such thing was done or at
tempted.