Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-14
THE HERMANN TRIAL
PROCEEDINGS TODAY IN CRIMI-
NAL COURT MO. /.
Testimony as to Attitude Of Defendant
Toward Blue Mountain Reser-
walton Ruled Out.

Enort9 were made by United states At
torney Baker. in the trial Of former Rep
resentative Binger Hermann in Criminal
Court No. this afternoon. to get before
the jury comparative statement of the
attitude Of Mr.. Hermann toward the Blue
mountain forest reserve. In which friends
were alleged to have been interested. and
toward the Rogue river reservation, in
which. Mr.. Baker said. 1t would be shown
none OF the defendants friends were con-
cerned.
Strenuous objection was made by At
torney Worthington to the presentation of
an issue entirely foreign to the case on
trial. The court sustained the objection.
The United States attorney asked that
two other witnesses Of those summoned by
to testify early this afternoon so they might
return to their homes.
William NJ. La Force, an attorney of
Portland, one Of the two, testified to q visit
superintendent of forestry of Oregon, who
asked him to see F. p. Mays. who, the cap
tain said. wanted to pay compliment. Mr..
La Force received certificates to two Sec
tons or state school lands from Mr.. Mays
for Capt. Orsmby, with the understanding
they We're to be turned over to Capt Orms-
by II the land was included within the
boundaries Of their proposed Blue Noun
secured the certificates.
John L. Wells. notary public OF Port
land, described the methods employed by
him In securing signatures to applications
for school lands for w. N. Jones of Oregon.
Further Examination Of McVean.
Nearly all Of the morning session OF the
trial was devoted to further examination
of Melvin ]. McVean, who was clerk in
the forestry division Of the land Office dur
Ing Mr.. Hermann's term as commissioner.
In several OF the letter press books of the
forestry division of 1901 and 1902 Mr.. Nc
Vean Identified a large number of letters
which he had prepared for signature by the
commissioner or the acting or assistant
commissioner. There was question about
the difference in preparation of the letters
when Mr.. Hermann was not in the office.
and the witness indicated the point at
which he began placing the word acting"
before commissioner" below the space left
for signature.
Mr.. Mcvean identified a map of Oregon
on which the area Of the Blue Mountain
forest reserve was indicated in colors.
There was one shade to cover the land
recommended for withdrawal by the geo.
logical survey; another color to show an
other area recommended by Forest Super
intendent S. B. Ormsby, and still another
shade to indicate considerable section OF
land which ]. N. Williamson, then repre-
sentative In Congress from Oregon. sought
to have included in the reservation Mr..
Williamsons request comprised 49,, sec
acres of land, the witness said, but letter
from Commissioner Hermann deciding ad-
versely to this request was read in evidence.
The monotony of masculine voices, ex-
clusively, in the trial was broken at noon
when United States Attorney Baker called
Miss Jennie 8. Peyton, at present a clerk
in the forestry service. In 1900 she was
clerk in the special service division Of the
1op off Tod Loft
as having been prepared by Mr.. Harlow,
who was chief Of the division at that time,
on the strength of Information gathered by
her concerning the status of q case.