Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-20
UNSAVORY DEALS ALLEGED
Creation of the Blue Mountain Forest
Reserve.
DANIEL W. TARPLEY EXAMINED
Saws He Was Asked to Give Up Fifty
Per Cent Of Lands he Had
Acquired.


surrounding the preliminaries to the crea-
ton Of the Blue Mountain forest reserve
was offered In evidence in the trial Of
former Representative Binger Hermann in
Criminal Court No. 1 this afternoon. Daniel
w. Tarpley, convicted in Oregon, was on
the stand. and he said he and Horace
Mckinley together acquired possession Of
about 1900 acres in the Blue mountain
region. Subsequently, the witness declared,
F. p. Mays called upon him with the de-
| mand that he give up 80 per cent of the
lands.
Il asked him why 1 should be expected
to do that" Tarpley continued. land he
| said he had expected to buy those same
lands himself
g! told him 1 could not help that, and he
said l would have to help bear the ex-
pense of creating the forest reserve.
offered to give up at the rate Of 80 cents
on the acre. or about 5000 In all, but
Mays asserted that amount would not be-
gin to pay the people in Washington. After
that Mr.. La Force came to me from Mays
with a list Of 5000 acres Mays wanted, but
turned him down again. Some time later
voluntarily went to see Willard w. Jones.
Jones told me to see Mays, and renewed
the offer Of so cents on the acre. He re-
fused and demanded so per cent moth
ing, declaring he would have our lands
'checker-boarded IL we did not give up
Mention Of Inspection Trip.
Tarpley described the inspection trip
made by Capt. Ormsby and of the pains
taken to have Ormsbys report conform to
the report previously made by DR.. Loomis.
Tarpley had an interest in the Puter claims
DO you know Mr.. Gatley?" United
States Attorney Baker asked, branching Off
to another line of inquiry.
Yes" Tarpley replied.
Cot an
Yes. 1 reached Washington February 9,
and on Sunday. February II. he called at
my hotel"
Did you talk about the testimony you
Not exactly: but he asked me IL I had
brought any letters with me, or II l ever
had any correspondence with Mr.. Her.
mann. 1 told him had met Mr.. Hermann
twice, but never was in correspondence
with him.
Tarpley was excused after cross-exam-
nation by Attorney Worthngton. United
States Attorney Baker then called 3. A. u.
Puter to the stand
Star Witness for Government.
Puter, said to be the star witness in the
case for the government, who was brought
here from Multnomah county Jail. Oregon,
was the last witness today. During 1900,
1901. 1902, he said. he was in Washington
two or three times each year looking up
lana patents liiuUel SidiiiS,
entries etc. Always, upon reaching this
city, his first call would be upon Binger
Hermann, commissioner of the land ONCE.
Describing the particular cases known
as the "eleven-Seven' fraud in oregon,
he went back in the history of the creation
of the township when he and his assoc
ciates decided to locate lot OF homesteads
therein. Ten people were ROUNDED up ana
contracts were made to pay them 800 each
to make entries to the claims and turn
over the deeds to Puter. The witness also
special agent Of the land office, to whom,
he says, he paid $500 and promised $500
more with the understanding that favor
able report would be made upon the entries
to the office in Washington.
Puter was testifying when this report
closed.
Substance Of Conversations.
After further argument concerning the
admissibility of the question pending when
adjournment was taken yesterday. the wit
ness, DR.. Clarke E. LOOMS, was allowed
to give the substance Of a series Of con-
yersations said to have been held between
himself and s. A. D. Puter. Puter had
been convicted at that time DR.. LOOMS
said and he visited Loomis on several oc-
casions to ascertain for Heney and Byrnes
what the purport of his testimony would
be- 1t could not be established whether
Puter went to LOOMS as an authorized
representative of Attorney Heney and Spe-
ruled against further questioning on the
point at ISSUE
By additional cross-examnation Attorney
Worthington secured an admission from
LOOMS that it was he who Informed Robert
Smith, general manager of the Grand Ronde
Lumber Company of Perry. Ore, that Ben
jamin T. May of La Grande, Ore, was the
informant who wrote to the department
in Washington concerning alleged viola
lions of the. stone and timber act by the
company.
j. A. w. Heideke Of Detroit, Ore, the
next witness, described trip made to
Albany, Ore, at the request of one Daniel
Tarpley, where he met s. A. d. Puter.
Tarpley paid the expenses OF the trip,
witness said. and Puter gave him So
with instructions. to try to discover the
person responsible for a report to the de-
partment in Washington about the claims
in the "Eleven-Seven" region. Subsequent
ly, Heideke said. Puter onered him Sloo
guide the governments special agent, Dr.
Loomis, to best advantage and to make
necessary affidavits. The 500 was paid
Heideke testified Loomis gave him bunch
of affidavits to take to Detroit. where
he secured the signatures of two brothers
named Thomas.
Intended to Deceive.
Describing another inspection Of the "sev-
en-eleven' section by Capt. Ormsby-> who
acted under special instructions from the
Interior Department in making apother
inspection Of the Puter claims, Heideke
spoke of his unwillingless to have anything
further to do with the matter, and after
starting out on the trail as guide to Capt
Ormsby he suddenly drew out and returned
home Tarpley, witness said. gave him
a draft for $50 signed by Emma Watson
Later Heideke met Capt. Ormsby and Tarp-
ley in Salem Ore, and he performed addi-
tional service in the preparation of affida-
Wits Capt Ormsby promised to recommend
Heideke for a position as forest ranger, and
he was appointed and served two years.
Attorney Worthington, on cross-examina-
ton, drew admissions from Heideke that
he knew the work he did and the state
ments he signed in the affidavits were in
tended to deceive the department in WASH
ington-and that he knowingly accepted
payment for the service.
Proceedings Late Yesterday.
Proceedings yesterday afternoon, follow
ing the close of The Stars report included
the final questions in direct examination
put to DR.. Loomis by United States Attor-
ney Baker and the cross-examination of
the witness by Attorney Worthington. In
a series of interrogatories Mr.. Worthington
sought to ascertain whether immunity from
v,rooacIIfioY had beeQ prOmfsed DIR. LOOMS