Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-07
Any One Could Make Application.

Any One Could Make Application.
Well. the land laws of Oregon were such
that any could make application and
get 80 acres of school land. A good many
people signed over their rights to me be-
cause they didn't have any use for it,
Other times men would sign applications
for glass of beer: or for dollar. Mostly
i gave them a dollar"
when did you acquire all the lands?
In April 1902
Was Mr.. Hermann's name mentioned?'
Yes
In what cornection?"
Well. the creation of the forest reserve.
Mr.. Mays and Mr.. Smith said they would
have Mr.. Hermann look after the matter
I'm Washington. They said 1t was fixed all
right with Senator Mitchell" ~
Witness also described a conference be-
tween the clique and a superintendent of
the forestry service named Ormsby.
plat of the proposed reservation was given
to Ormsby, witness said. over his objection
because he feared OrmSby would either
take up a great quantity of the land him.
self or else give out the tip and their pur
pose would be defeated. Subsequently it
seems others did acquire large holdings in
the Blue Mountain section. and all were
called into conference in Mr.. Mays office
and Mr.. Mays insisted that half the hold
ings he given up.
Did you have any other conversation
with MIR. Mays?' the United States attor-
ney inquired.
Yes: he asked me how much land had
Sorrenson declared, land l told him about
10000 or IL 600 acres. He insisted I would
have to give up some of 1t, but L demanded
10 know why.
Mr. Mays explained to me that the crea
ton of forest reserve of such magnitude
was expensive. and that many people must
receive money.
Il asked him who was meant" Sorrenson
continued. land he said Mr.. Hermann had
TO be taken care of and Mr.. Mitchell. /
said it was all right. and. whatever was
right | would give up Finally concluded
I would also sell enough land so l would
be covered in any event. and l sold about
zoos acres. l had a letter which showed
and used to help make sales.
Objection was again made by Mr. Worth
ington to any mention of a letter purporung
to be from Mr.. Hermann, but II was finally
placed before the jury in the shape of a
description of Its contents by Sorrenson.
He said it contained a statement of the
ranges. etc, of the temporarily withdrawn
lands contemplated to be included in the
proposed Blue Mountain reserve.
Sorrenson said he employed Senator
Mitchell his attorney and promised him
800 if he would get a forest reserve project
through. Witness described letter written
by Mitchell on the subject to Bipger Her
mann. then commissioner of the land office.
and he also gave the tenor of the reply re-
ceived from Mr. Hermann.
Regular Order Suspended.
on motion of the defense. the regular
order of the trial was again suspended at
and Representative Frank W. Mondell of
Wyoming was placed on the stand as a
character witness. He became acquainted
with Binger Hermann at the beginning of
the Fifty-fourth Congress, and declared
the defendants reputation Ito be of the
very best
MIR Mondell served as assistant commits
sioner of the land Office from November
1897. to March 8, 1889. ~
Personal letter books were kept by me
while assistant commissioner, in which
were copied all letters not of an official
character. witness asserted. Probably
six eight such books accumulated during
my service in the land office. 1 acted as
commissioner in the absence of Mr. Her
mann and remember the Commissioner
was away at one time for a stretch. of one
month, Besides there was certain por-
tion of correspondence which was regularly
answered by me, to which i signed my
name as assistant commissioner"
Replying to question by United States
Attorney Baker. Mr.. Mondei said all let
ters of an official character were copied
III the letter books in the division to- which
they related. Asked particularly about the
disposition Of the personal letter books
witness said he presumed they were at his
home He demurred when asked if he
would send his books to Washington for
examination by counsel declaring he felt
their contents to be absolutely personal and
not to be banded about indiscrimina tely."
Witness From Oregon City
Horace o. Patterson of Oregon City. Ore,
one Of the last witnesses called yes
terday afternoon. He stated simply that
he saw Mr.. Hermann and F. p. Mays and
Henry Medium together in the office of
the surveyor general in Portland I'm Sep
TENDER. 1901. but he heard none of the con-
Nersation between the three and he left
the Office before Hermann did" Witness
named Richard Morton and c. A. Holstrom
others present on that occasion.
long list of letters, government ex-
hibits in the case, were identified by Rich
ard G. Weithas. a clerk in the land Office.
Regarding each letter he named the letter
hooks Of divisions in the Office through
which he searched and failed to find copies
before he concluded each in turn to have
been among those recorded in the books
DESTROYED by Mr.. Hermann.