The Washington herald., 1907-06-28
HOLMES DENIES ALL
COntradicts the Testimony of
Prosecutions Witness.
EXPLAINS HIS TRANSACTIONS
Defendant Declares He Never Gave
Van Ripper Advance Information
Concerning Government Cotton
RepOrtH-CrOss-exnm by
Special Attorney Beach Is begun.

Indications now are that the trial OF
Edwin 5. Holmes, jr.. for conspiracy
with Frederick A. Peckham and Moses
Haas. Of New York. in the use Of gov
eminent cotton reports. which has been in
progress for nearly a month. Will last
well on to the close of next week The
direct examination Of Holmes by his at
torney, A. S. Worthington. was finished
yesterday, and the cross-examination by
Special Attorney Morgan II. Beach be
gun
Holmes fatty denied that he ever gave
out advance information TO Peckham,
Haas, Van Ripper, or any one else. He
said the only information ever given out
by him In connection with crop reports
was 10 certain men I'm the West. whose
names he gave as c. f. Lewis Of Mime
apolis; A. NJ. Friedlander Of San Fran
cisco, and Mr.. Snow, of Chicago.
When Van Ripper, the governments
chief witness. was on the stand, he
Identified a fly leaf Of a check book as
one upon which he had put down certain
| figures in CONNECTION with the wheat crop
which Holmes had given him in the cafe
Of the New Willard a day or two after
they had first met IN this city, I'm August.
1905 Van Ripper testified that these
/ figures We're given 10 him by Holmes in
order 10 impress him Wan RipeD with
the fact that he could furnish reliable
/ advance information from the Bureau Of
Statistics. II afterward turned out Van
/ Ripper said. that these figures were ident-
cal with the figures which appeared in
! the Official report which was issued from
the Bureau Of Statistics subsequently.
Holmes Denies Getting Money.
Holmes denied giving these figures to
Van Ripper. Van Ripper also testified that
Haas had told him that upon one occa-
sion. as the result Of their operations.
Haas had handed TO Holmes G package
containing forty-nine $1,000 bills
There never was any such transac-
uOn." said Holmes. lie also denied re-
ceiving money from Haas. Peckham. or
Van Ripper in December, 1sG4, IN c0nuec-
ton with cotton operations.
Did you ever engage ia speculation in
cotton while you were associate stats
tlcan2" asked Mr. WOrthingt0n.
Yes. sir. l did. on TWO occasions. Once
/ in March or April, and once I'm May, 1903,
through Charles T. Lewis. OF Mime
apolis"
When Holmes was turned over 70 Mr.
Beach for discrimination. the latter
devoted considerable attention 20 the gold
mine which Holmes alleged he sold 10
Van Ripper for $4,000 lie said that all
/ the payments by Van Ripper were mase
/ in cash IN the latters Office IN New York.
there being four payments en- ALL two Of
which were made in December 1904
To is .he governments contention that
/ these payments We're made by Van Ripper
through Haas or PoC,,lam TO Holmes as
I the iatjers portion Of the profits. $4,000
approximately, which Van Ripper testified
{ was realized as the result Of the opera
lions Of the fOur-Holmes, Haas. Peck
ham. and Van Riper-0u the cotton ex-
change with the advance information on
/ the report Of December g. which the gov
eminent charges was furnished by
Holmes