Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-10

clan because Statistician Hyde was going
to Europe at that time to arrange for in
terchange of crop reports with countries
on the continent. 1t was shown Holmes
was recommended for the promotion by
Hyde, and he was to act as chief of the
bureau during Hyde's absence. Questioned
as to the authority by which Holmes
made associate statistician, when there was
no specific congressional appropriation for
the post, the Secretary stated Holmes was
appointed and paid by virtue of an
nual lump sum- appropriation by Con-
gresS.
Objection was made to a query calculated
to show how many persons were employed
In the Department of Agriculture under the
lump sum- appropriation, and Mr.. Beach
stated the question might arise whether
MIR. Holmes was an officer of the United
states government. and this was the pur-
pose of the Interrogation. The question was
allowed, an the Secretary said approx
mately three-quarters of the employees of
his department are carried under the lump
sum- appropriations.
Secretary Wilson identified the letter
marked exhibit No. III, written to President
Roosevelt in December, 1904, in which the
charge Of the existence of cotton Leak
was denied, and the charge that the cotton
crop for December of that year had been
underestimate by 100000 bales was char
acterized as ridiculous The Secretary stated
the first five pages of the letter. in which
the specific denials were made, were die
tated by Mr.. Holmes.
DISCRIMINATION.
Under REORGANIZATION by Attorney
Worthington the Secretary stated he had
issued frequent orders, both written and
| oral, regarding the necessity for keeping all
details of the cotton crop report absolutely
secret. Witness identified an order Of
March, 1897, in which he made a general
and sweeping order as to secrecy. Mr.
Wilson said there were often rumors of
'leakages, and he regarded it as more
satisfactory to send for the chief of the
bureau and confer with him about the mat
ter.
Speaking of his estimate of Mr.. Holmes,
Secretary Wilson said: Il never had the
least suspicion concerning him until this
| case came up" All possible precautions
were taken to keep the reports secret. The
telephones were disconnected; nobody was
admitted and the workers were locked in.
The usual noon recess of the court was
taken at 1870 o'clock.
Afternoon Session.
The early part of the afternoons session
| was devoted to proving number of visits
! to Washington in 1904 and 1868 by F. A.
| Peckham and Moses Hass of New York,
| who were indicted jointly with Holmes, and
| by Louis Van Ritter of New York. Robert
| Callahan, jr., of the METROPOLITAN Hotel,
| William Ditmar of the New Willard and
| D. NJ. Collins of the Raleigh were the wit
nesses on that point, and each of them pro-
| duced the registers of the hotels showing
| the entry of the names of Peckham, HaSS
| and Van Ritter
Each of them left with instructions to
produce other records tomorrow to show
| the length of each visit of each of the three
| to this city.
Edwin Campbell, clerk in the city post
| office, produced application by E. 8.
| Holmes, jr., for post office box in the
| main Office. Witness also stated Holmes
still holds the box and receives his mail
| there. question by Mr.. Worthington
whether Holmes mail had been given any
one to examine raised a storm of protest
| from the government and the query was
| excluded
AT 2:20 o'clock Secretary Wilson re-
stunned the stand. Mr.. Worthington con-
| tinued his cross-examnation by asking the
| Secretary if the regulation requiring
secrecy in handling crop reports was any
more rigid now than it in 1904, and
| he received a negative reply Mr.. Wilson
| explained, however, that additional pre-
| cautions to insure the integrity of the
| report have. been taken since the so-called
| ''cotton-leak'' scandal or as the Secretary
| designated it, since this Holmes affair"