Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-02
the profits of the December killing on the
cnttn nexchapRe was divided

1904" Mr.. Baker continued, and he repeat
ed a quotation to the effect that spring
wheat would drop twenty points, from 81
to 81" And how low did 1t go?" asked
Mr.. Baker. Assistant District Attorney
Adkins was ready with the September, 1904,
wheat crop report. issued September 10,
and 1t was shown wheat did drop from 81. 8
to &C.,.
Here we have friend Of Holmes writ
ing to another man outside the bureau,
said Mr.. Baker, land he comes within less
than point of anticipating the wheat
crop report. Do you not suppose he received
the Information from Holmes? If that was
an innocent transaction why Is Peckham
not here to testify about 1t? Why are not
Peckham and Haas and Price here to tes-
tify? They know whether Holmes story
is true not"
Partnership Agreement.
Mr.. Baker produced from the govern
ment's exhibits in the case the original
partnership agreement between Peckham
and Mercer. and he said Mercer never had
an idea but that 1t was an honest partner
ship into which he was drawn: the agree
ment between Peckham and Van Ripper; the
agreement between Peckham and Haas,
and the pasted fragments of the agreement
between Haas and Holmes. with Holmes
own name written into It,
These are the men who formed the Get
There Quick Club" continued Mr.. Baker
as he exhibited the famous photograph be-
fore the jury. And yet they nave not Deen
quick to get here to testify"
The district attorney contrasted the two
pleas advanced by the defense. and he de-
clared the defense of previous good char
acter. which had been sought to be estab-
lished would not assimilate with the other
defense-the realization Of large sums of
money from the sale of gold mine.
IF Holmes really would have uS believe
that he sold that claim out IN 1daho-a
piece Of property which he had only seen
once and about which he knew little or
nothing; a piece of land which had not cost
him more than 500 to $50O-that he sold
this property for $4,000. then he would
wish to stamp himself as one Of the choice
fraternity of mNing sharks. The good
character testimony Is inconsistent with
this story. You have seen Van Ripper on the
stand. and you should be the best judges
whether Holmes really feeced this shrewd
intelligent New Yorker out OF $4,000"
Mr.. Baker made several other sarcastic
references to the story OF the mine sale
and he. declared the method Of the sale as
described by Holmes was one Of the ridicu-
lous features of the case.
Remember this. gentlemen Of the jury.
If this mans story was true he could have
mouth" said Mr.. Baker In conclusion. He
could have had Peckham and Haas, who
knew all about the matter, here to testify
If this ma nhad never given information to
Haas out Of the government bureau of sta
tistics. and If Haas had never given infor-
nation to Price, then he would have had
them here to tell you about It,. If he be-
lieved his story himself he would have been
doing himself an injustice not to have sum-
moned Peckham and Haas and Price"
Mr.. Lester for Defense.
Attorney Lester followed Mr. Baker. and
in opening after thanking the jury for
the patience with which they have heard
a long case, he launched into spirited
attack upon the testimony Of Louis c. Van
Ripper the principal witness for the gov
eminent.
Every place where Van Ripper comes into
contact with third party in his story"
he said. I'VE have nailed misstatements.
You will remember Mr.. Rogers on the
stand-the man who asked Holmes to put
on a hat and who partially identified
Holmes as the man to whom he had been
introduced by a Mr.. Smith. Mr.. Rogers
testified and he was sure about it, that
Van Ripper gave him the memorandum
which afterward proved to be very nearly
the figures of the August, 1904, wheat re-
port. three or four days and possibly a
week before the report was issued. Van
Ripers story about that incident was that
he had written down the memo. which he
declared Holmes had given him. in Mr..
Rogers office only an hour or two before
the wheat report came out"
Mr.. Lester referred with sarcasm to the
statement Of Van Ripper that he never
paid any money to Holmes, and had no
agreement by which Holmes was to re-
ceive anything. Even If his story were
true, which we deny" said Mr.. Lester.
do you suppose for moment he could
say he gave money to Haas and saw Haas
pay it over to Holmes, without knowing
that he was paying to debauch q govern
ment empIoye in office? The manifest alb
surdity of this story should be enough
to convince you he is not the angel Of
truth which the government would have
you believe him to be-.
Using an enlarged chart OF the govern
ment cotton crop report for December.
1904, an illustration. Mr.. Lester entered
into a detailed description Of the methods
followed in the preparation Of cotton sta
tistics. and from this he declared it would
have been impossible for Holmes to have
even Appropriated the final conclusions
drawn by Statistician Hyde
Holmes must have been a prophet, a ma
gician and spiritualist to have done such
thing said the attorney.
Mr.. Lester drew sustained objections from
the government when he entered into an
analysis of the bureau of statistics and
said THE department would seem to be
run for the sole benefit of the spectators.
Are the reports given out to the public?'
he continued. and. answering his own ques-
ton, he said. NO; the reports are given
out and wired to the exchanges all over the
country
Mr.. Baker Interjects.
1.-The testimony shows that any one could
get the reports If he should choose to leave
the money at the bureau to pay for tele-
graph tolls" interposed Mr.. Baker.
Yes: but does any one but the exchanges
get the reports?" retorted Mr.. Lester.
They are the only ones who choose to
get them." said Justice Stafford, and fur
ther discussion of the point ceased.
Referring to the documentary evidence
produced by the government showing the
transactions in cotton carried on by Mr..
Van Ripper in November and December. 1904
Mr. Lester ridiculed any contention that
might be made that these transactions, &C.
curing between November % and December
3, could have been made ON the strength
Of advance information upon the December
cotton report. the substance of which was
not in the Office Of the bureau of statistics
until December at the earliest he declared.
At this point Mr.. Lester concluded for the
day. announcing that he would finish his
argument this morning.
WAR RIFLES AT SEA