Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-12
TRIAL OF HERMAta
Representative in Congress
Under indictment.
HALT IN THE PROCEEDINGS
Regular Panel Exhausted Before Com
pleting the Jury.
PLEA OF NOT GUILTY ENTERED
Brief Opening Statement by District
Attorney Baker-Partial List
of Witnesses.
PLEA OF NOT GUILTY ENTERED

The trial of Binger Hermann. former
commissioner of the general land office and
member of the House of Representatives
from the first congressional district of Ore
gon, indicted by the federal grand jury on
charge of violating section 540S of the
Revised Statutes. was begun before Justice
Stafford in Criminal Court No l. at 10
O'Clock this morning. but proceedings for
the day We're abruptly halted shortly before
noon by the exhaustion of the entire panel
of jurors Eleven of the necessary twelve
men were seated in the jury box when the
last man in the panel of twenty-six was
called, and in completing the jury to that
point the prosecution had exhausted eight
of its ten peremptory challenges, and the
defense five.
AT the opening of the case the court room
was fairly we'll filled with spectators and
all listened with considerable interest to the
brief opening statement made by District
Attorney Baker. in which it was declared
the defendant. Representative Binger Her.
mann stood indicted on the specific charge
of having destroyed approximately thirty
nve letter-press copy books. the property
of the general land office and therefore, a
portion of the official records of that de-
partment of the United States govern
ment. District Attorney d. w. Baker has
associated with him in the conduct of the
prosecution Assistant District Attorneys
Charles NJ. Turner and j. c. Adkins and
Mr. Hermanns case is in the hands of At
tOrney A. S. Worthington assisted by r.
Prescott Galley, the latter son-in-law of
the defendant. Mr.. Hermann wa; present
IN court this morning and was accompanied
py his son, Schiller B. Hermann of Boston
Mr.. Hermann's Plea.
When arraisned Mr. Hermann pleaded
Not guilty" and waived the reading of
the indictment, and the task of securing
jury was Immediately inaugurated. The
Jurors seated in the box at the time the
panel was exhausted We're:
David Davis. thirty EIGHT years. a grocer,
439 N street northwest
John A. Burch forty years. merchant
1922 Wisconsin avenue. ="
Charles r. Schutt fffty-one wears NOR
chant. 1922 18th street northwest
George f. Smith, thirty-five years, en-
graver, J05 l. street northwest
Walter Murphy, thirty-seven, Conductor,
1893 Maryland avenue northeast
Charles Woodward, twenty-three conduct
tor 3e's 14th street northwest.
George F.. Croswell forty-nine, merchant,
al 1th street southwest.
Frank N. Smith. forty-four merchant.
623 Morris street northeast.
Edward E. Ward, forty-six bricklayer,
1919 18th street northwest 49,,
Harvey Eiker, thirty-nihe, grocer, oO1S I
H.. Clyde Grimes. thirty-four. clerk. 31a9'
N street northwest -. -
AFTER conference between Justice ,Sfaf-
ford, District Attorney Baker and Aitornev
Worthington. it was agreed and simmedi..
ately ordered by the court, that; add fionai
talesmen to the number of twenty shall bef
summoned by the marshal to be in caupt1
tomorrow morning at 10 O'Clock. 80 -,
Government Witnesses.
Before the examination OF jurors Clerk
Hawken called the list of government wit.
nesses, about twenty-five in number.
Among them was Joost H. Schneider of
Tucson, Ariz.. who is one of the defendants
in the land-fraud cases set for trial March
1S Mr. Schneider was in court with his
counsel, Attorney r. Golden Donaldson.
and it is expected that he will be asked
questions concerning transactions that may
figure i'll evidence in the case against him.
Should any such inquiries be put to the
witness it is more than probable that he
will claim his constitutional right and de-,
cline to answer.
Mr.. Schneider, it is understood when
first served with subpoena az Tucson de-
clined to come to Washington, but when
threatened with proceedings as a defaulting
witness changed his mind.