The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-04-05
HERMANN TELLS WHY.
Destroyed Letter Books Because He
Had No Use for Them.

washington, April 5.-Binger Her
mann testified in his own DenaI uuI
ing the afternoon session OF his trlaI.
Mr. Hermann detailed the circum-
stances of the destruction of his letter
books for which he is being tried me
destruction, he said, took place lew
days before he retired as commissioner
of the general land Office and was con
Quoted during office hours, publicly,
in Mr.. Hermann's office.
ct think 1 Indicated how to destroy
e. them" continued Mr.. Hermann, by
simply tearing the leaves In half, after
which they were taken down to the
waste paper bin. When 1 gave the
order I turned either to Mr.. Hough.
my stenographer, or to Mr.. Dady, my
financial clerk, and said:
L have no earthly use for these
old books, and it is only an unneces-
sary expense to send them across the
continent. They simply contain my
personal correspondence
This was done in the best of faith
and not to destroy anything regard
ed as official. My motive was simply
that 1 had no further use for them
had had no occasion to refer to them
during the six years they had been ac-
cumulating. They had answered their
purpose, and considered them as be-
longing to meas much my property
as the coat on my back"
''I object to an argument" inter-
rupted L. S. Attorney Baker.
1.-THE statement is proper so far"
ruled Justice Stafford.
II want to bring out that the de-
PENDANT saw nothing wrong or GRIM
fnaI in his act" suggested Attorney
Worthington.
'I did it as innocently as 1 would
destroy an old letter from my mother
or wife. concluded Mr.. Hermann.
MT Hermann next detailed his deal
ing with John A Benson, who is to
be tried here in connection with the
HYDE - Benson DimOnd-Schneider al
fTaI n a
met Benson about a year after he be-
came commissioner. Previous to this,
he said, he had defeated the payment
to Benson of a claim for surveying
which Mr.. Hermann encountered as
being what he termed crooked"
Hermann said that two or three
years before he went out of Office he
had a stormy interview with Benson
about land surveys, the witness saying
he had ascertained that Benson
claimed pay for lands which had never
been surveyed.
ct lost my balance" said Hermann.
'-and though I don't usually use strong
language, 1 INDUCED in severe COM
ment and expected to put him out of
the Office
Sometime after this, the witness said
while In San Francisco he was asked
to ce=ne to the Office of the state SUI
perintendent of surveys. He went and
round there Benson, Senators Per-
kins and White of California, and, he
believed, Representative Loud al
though he said Mr.. Loud did not re-
member the occasion. Benson again
wanted pay for his surveys but when
Hermann again became indignant and
explained the whole situation Senator
Perkins remarked that if Benson had
entered into a contract to survey and
had not done it he (Perkins) would
have nothing more TO say.
Previous to these statements Mr.
Hermann. having various letters to In
speotor LOOMS and State Forester
Ormsby. both of Oregon, before him.
indicated that while he was commits
sioner he always considered that Off
cial mail was that which was prepared
In the various divisions as distinguished
from personal mail which he wrote
himself