Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-17
Resumption of Hearing in
Criminal Court No. /.
CROP REPORTS IN ADVANCE
Testimony Of Star Witness for the
Government.
WHAT LOUIS c. VAN RIPPER SAYS
Alleged Plan Of Signal From Window
Of Department of Agriculture.
Mention Of Profits.

Almost from the moment of the resump-
tion of the trial of Edwin 8. Holmes. jr,
before Justice Stafford and jury in Grim
inal Court No. 1 this morning the develop
| ments were sensational. and all through the
morning session testimony was offered
tending to show the actual divulging of adj
vance crop report information by MIR.
Holmes, as alleged against him in the in
dictment Louis c. Van Ripper of New
York. star witness for the government, was
on the stand all morning, with the excep
ton Of only a few minutes, and it is prob
able his direct examination and cross-ex-
animation will consume all Of today. and
possibly longer. Mr.. Van Ripper declared
he met Holmes through F.. A. Peckham Of
New York. and the meeting. he said, was
directly intended to bring about trading
upon the market by virtue of the advance
information for the mutual profit by Peck
ham. Holmes and Van Ripper
Harry l.. Day. clerk in the Auditorium
Annex. Chicago. was the first witness called
and from the hotel register he stated the
times Of visits to the hotel by Holmes and
Moses Haas.
When Mr.. Van Ripper took the stand he
gave his occupation an operator In mines
in Goldfeld. New. but said in 1904 and
1900 he was connected with the New York
Mailing and Advertising Agency, New York
city. Van Ripper testified he met Edwin g.
Holmes. jr., In the Raleigh Hotel, Washing
ton. D. c.. August Z. 1904 being introduced
to the defendant by F. A. Peckham, jr. A
telegram was put in evidence from Peck
ham. in Washington, to Van Ripper. In New
York. as follows:
August 0. 1904. Come Washington at
once Wire me time arrival Raleigh Hotel
Don't advise Mrs. Pr
As to Advance Information.
Witness said he had talked with Peckham
about the matter previously, and he had
been given to understand a man in the
department would give out advance in
formation concerning the crop reports At
the time Of the introduction Mr.. Van Ripper
said Peckham referred to Holmes as the
man l was speaking to you about In the
department. Witness added that Holmes
declared himself to be associate statistician
in the bureau Of statistics, and produced
bulletin bearing his name.
Further relating the details Of that first
conversation, Mr.. Van Ripper testified:
Holmes said. Statistician Hyde always
practically took his (Holmes) estimates,
and he. consequently. always knew the
substance Of the crop reports a day in ad-
vance. He said he had been furnishing
these figures for long time to a large
operator in New York. and ne had $55. 900
in a safe deposit box which he had obtained
from that source. Holmes said he was
very friendly toward Peckham, and he
would be willing to give the figures to us
in order to help Peckham. ..-
II said If he would prove to me he could
get the figures In advance" Van Ripper con-
tinued II would be willing to go ahead and
thirds Of the profits. That was during the
conversation Of August Z. and 1t was ar
ranged I should come down to Washington
august o and Holmes 10 would give me the
report to be issued the next day"
Mention Of Another Party.
Asked whether Holmes at that time men
toned the name Of the other party in New
York to whom he was furnishing informa-
ton, Van Ripper replied aflrmatively. and
gave the name as Theodore H. Price" The
witness said Holmes promised to keep him
advised from time to time to the extent Of
Prices operations.
In giving the details of the meeting with
Holmes In this city August ., according to
arrangement, Van Ripper said they went to
the cafe in the New Willard together, and
there Holmes told him to Put this down
as the figures to be contained In the crop
report of August 10 concerning the state
of the wheat crop" Witness said he took
out his check book and ON the fy-leaf in
scribed the figures given by Holmes.
The leaf from the check book was pro-
duced In evidence. and Assistant United
States Attorney Adkins read the memoran-
dunn to the jury. as follows: Winter
WHcdt, l%O per acre. tOldl yitiu, sl3O,VJU.UU
bushels. Condition spring wheat. S7.5." Mr.
Van Ripper said he returned to New York.
placed these figures In a sealed envelope
which he placed in possession of Mr..
& Co, and he also sold little wheat"
Witness declared the figures given by
Holmes proved to be correct when the re-
port was issued next day, and the gov
eminent placed the report of August 10,
1904. before the jury to illustrate the fact.
Eroy,, uolrpae 70 uou D;~ar
Several letters from Holmes to Van Ripper
in the month following were placed in evil
dence. and a series of Cancelled checks
signed by Mr.. Van Ripper were also read
He identified one series for 500, $500 and
500. respectively, as representing the two
thirds share of the profits on the first cot
ton deal which went to Packham.
Testimony to the fact that information
was given to him on other crops than cot
ton came into the case only under most
spirited objections by the defense, Attorney
Worthingten declaring nothing but evidence
pertaining to cotton could be held as
against the defendant.
At the close of the morning session Mr..
Van Ripper said an arrangement was made
by which Holmes, from his Office in the
bureau of statistics. was to signal to Peck
ham, waiting outside, IL anything went
wrong; that is, IL Hyde would not accept
the estimate made by Holmes. that any
contingency which might arise so that the
figures which had been agreed upon the
day before could not be promulgated. This
signal was to be made by lowering one of
the window shades in the department to a
certain point This particular bit of evil
dence came out just after Van Ripper had
identified telegram which came to him
from Peckham, the latter being in Wash
ngton on crop report day, in which the
final result was announced to be even bet
ter than anticipated in advance. On
this especial deal, witness said, a profit of
about 1850 made.
At 1870 o'clock adjournment was taken
for the usual noon recess.
Haas Figures in Deal.
At the session this afternoon Mr. Van
Ripper testified he met Moses Haas early
in October, 1904. the latter being brought
into the deal at the suggestion of Peck
ham and Holmes in order that closer touch
might be kept on variations in the mar
ket. Soon afterward all concerned went
to Chicago together. and Van Ripper iden-
titled the names of Peckham, Mrs Peck
ham, M. Haas. E. s. Holmes. jr. L. L. |
Holmes and Louis c. Van Ripper on the
register of the Auditorium Annex Hotel |
Subsequently. witness stated all hands