Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-11
View of Counsel for Defense as to the
Charge.
ALTERATION OF CROP REPORTS
Presence in This City In 1904 and
1905 of F. A. Peckham Of
New York.

whether he profted or lost by reason or
specula ton
The foregoing statement In behalf Of Ed
win S. Holmes. jr., former associate sta
tistician of the bureau Of statistics. Agrl-
cultural Department. was made in Criminal
Court No. 1 today by Attorney A. 8. Worth
ington of counsel for Holmes in opposing
the Introduction of testimony calculated to
show Holmes financial condition before
and after the time In 1904 when, 1t is al
legged, the latter furnished advance infor-
nation concerning the cotton crop reports
of the bureau of statistics as a basis of
"sure-thing" speculation on the cotton
market.
Charles L. Abbott a local loan broker.
was on the witness stand at the time, and
by him the government had offered 10 show
that Holmes in the years 1899. 1900, 1901.
1902 and 1908 had borrowed several sums or
money. The evidence was finally admitted
to show the financial condition of the de-
PENDANT prior to the period when he was
acting chief of the bureau of statistics in
the absence of Statstician Hyde. and Mr..
Abbott stated he had loaned 500 to Holmes
in 1899 and corresponding sums in other
years following, all of which were paid
back in monthly installments
On crOSS-eXaminatiOn Attorney Lester
brought out from Mr.. Abbott the statement
that Holmes had given as his reason for
desiring the loans the fact that he was re-
quired to advance his own travelling eX-
penses when acting as special agent In
the field. and that he did not secure re-
Enumeration from the department until the
termination of his trips.
Alteration of Reports.
Special Agent B. C. White of the bureau
of statistics. who was a witness yesterday,
was recalled at the opening of court this
morning and. under cross examination by
Attorney Worthington. it was sought to
make him admit the alteration of certain
figures in several of his reports in 1904
was authorized by him. MIR. White yester-
day identified the altered figures being
in the handwriting of Statistician Hyde
but he would not say today that he had au-
thorized Mr. Hyde to make the changes
though he was often present in the bureau
of statistics when the cotton reports We're
being prepared, and Mr.. Hyde frequently
consulted with him regarding the probable
accuracy of his computations as to acre
age, yield, etc
William Ditman, clerk at the New Will
lard. and Charles l.. Vermilion. auditor OF
the Metropolitan Hotel. testified to the
length of each of several visits made to this
city in 1904 and 1905 by +. a. Peckham OF
New York.
That the final figures from all sources
township and county correspondents and
state and special agents. We're received
in the bureau of statistics the day be-
fore the issue of each monthly cotton
report was the most important point
brought out from the testimony of Mrs.
Emma S. Thompson. a clerk in the bu-
reau of statistics. She declared the final
average figures, upon which the Stats
tician would base his conclusions were
set down upon the sheets also the DAY be-
fore the issue of the report. Mrs. Ihomp-
SON said she frequently had con> ersa-
lions with Edwin S. Holmes, Jr-, regard
ing the township, county state and spe-
cial agents reports, Holmes being her
immediate superior and chief of the
room in which her desk was situated.
Under examination by United States At
torney Baker the witness traversed at
length the system which obtained In the
bureau in 1903, 1904 and 1903 In carrying
out the cotton crop figures for each
state. Several of the sheets showing the
state averages upon which the cotton
statistics were based were produced In
evidence. and at various places Mrs.
Thompson identified figures which ap-
peared in her own handwriting, in the
writing of Mr.. Holmes, and that of
Statistician Hyde.
Session This Afternoon.
Appleton Cady, another local loan broker,
was called to the witness stand at the be-
ginning of the afternoon session at 1:30
o'clock and he testified to making several
loans of an average of $50 to Holmes. The
loans he said, were made on the strength
of a note from Chief Clerk Rice of the bu-
reau of statistics, in which Holmes was
designated an honest man.
H w Destranges, statistical agent of
the bureau of statistics for the state of
Washington, offered frst-hand evidence
concerning the gold mine in Idaho from
the sale of which, it has been testified,
Holmes told his associates in the bureau
of statistics he secured the great sums
of money which came into his possession
in 1904 and 1905. Mr.. Destranges said
he and Mr.. Holmes and Mr.. c. y. Cole
owned equal interests in a mining prop
erty known as the Big Three" at Tyson,
Idaho.
The witness stated the total value of the
claim in 1905 to be between 500 and $1,000.
Destranges said he met Holmes in Spo-
kane. Wash, in August. 1865, and the lat
ter told story about having sold his in
terest in the mine for $4,000. Holmes
told Destranges. the witness stated, that
the same eastern capitalists intended max
ing an offer for Destranges share in the
property, but the latter never heard any
thing further about it.
Challenges Secretary Wilson.
Secretary Wilson of the Department of
Agriculture continued on the witness stand
to the hour of adjournment following
The Stars report yesterday afternoon, and
in the last few minutes of the proceed
ings the Secretary, Attorney Worthing
ton. counsel for Holmes, and District At
torney Baker and Attorney Morgan Beach,
special counsel for the government, were
engaged in spirited verbal duel over the
admission and the answering OF a series
of questions wherein Mr.. Worthington
strongly fntimated Secretary Wilson has
suppressed certain information pertain
ing to the cotton leak Mr.. Wilson had
Just replied affirmatvely to query
whether he knew Louis Van Ripper of New
York, when Attorney Worthington flashed
back the surprising interrogatoTy:
Did you not agree with Mr. Van Ripper
when he furnished information to YOU
concerning the cotton leak, that you would
not divulge the name of certain man
which he gave to your"
Mr. Beach jumped to hts feet with an
objection to the form of the question.
Mr.. Worthington's Purpose.
. Mr. Worthington replied that he wanted
to know whether Secretary Wilson had
suppressed information of Importance in
the case He also declared that the ques-
ton asked to show the possible ex-
istence of any bias on the part of the wit
ness.
Justice Stafford allowed the question to
be answered, but the only response from
the witness was: Il don't recollect."
Secretary Wilson acknowledged the
authorship of formal statement issued
from the Department of Agriculture in
1905, after the cotton leak scandal was
unearthed. Witness was shown a copy of
the statement which was published in The