Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-19

| Star witness for government and possessor Of q
| remarkable memory.
markable recollection for the most minute
| details of all transactions in which he was
engaged in the months when the cotton
| Leak obtained
A rather piquant feature of the daily
progress of the Holmes trial has been the
appearance each morning of the jury with
| each member wearing fresh buttonhole
| bouquet. The fragrant fiavors have also
decorated the coat lapels of the attorneys Of
both sides, and fresh bunch of flowers has
appeared daily upon Justice Staffords desk.
One day red roses were the favorite buds:
next day there were white roses for all, and
this morning the court room was fragrant
with the scent Of carnations. Three mem
bers of the jury have proved to be lovers
of flowers, and they seem to have taken
turns in supplying the blooms.
There only brief reference to the
stormy scene with which the proceedings
closed yesterday, and Attorney Worthington
was provided with a copy of the famous
affidavit taken by Van Ripper before Secre-
tary Wilson almost exactly two years ago
today.
Attorney Worthington's Queries.
Referring to the affidavit Attorney
Worthington asked Van Ripper what
thority he had for the statement in that
paper that the figures in the government
crop reports were altered to suit the Whfm
| and uses of various persons.
Haas and Holmes" the witness an
| swered
How do you mean?" continued Mr..
| Worthington.
II have already testified that Haas and
| Holmes both told me the cotton report for
December 1903 had been manipulated to
suit Mr.. Price of New York. Van Ripper
declared.
Asked what inspired him to protest par
cotton
1868, Van Ripper said They were going too
far. / have already testified the percent
ages were sent out in incorrect form at the
behest of Theodore II. Price They had
no right to alter the results which inev-
itably would be shown by the column OF
conclusions from which the final report
would De drawn.
And you had no other reason no per-
sonal for proceeding to have the
report corrected by the government and re-
isSued?"
NO, SIR
Battle of the Wits.
brief but interesting battle of wits
occurred between Attorney Wortnington
and Mr. Van Ripper over a paragraph in
the affidavit in which reference was
made to a proposed trip through the
south by Holmes in April or May, 1905.
DO l understand you wished to say
Mr.. Holmes visited the special agents in
the cotton-producing states for the pur-
pose of having them send in reports
which would suit his ends?" queried Mr..
Wort hington
No, sir the witness answered
We'll, what did You mean"
1T is rather difficult to explain but |
think | can give you an illustration.
"Well?"
IF you. Mr. Worthington. were defend
ing man guilty of murder you would
seek to persuade the jury that tnc con-
dtions set forth against your client
We're not quite black painted,
would you not?'
But the witness got no further. because
Attorney Worthington interjected the re-
mark that he was not on the witness
stand.
Il mean. then. that I understood the
purpose of Holmes proposed trip was to
meet the special agents in the :ieid and
by argument convince them the condi-
tiOns we're different from what they
supposed, and by this means influence
the submission of reports which would.
their face, apparently justify The sort
OF d report which Holmes wished to
issue
Dropping the affidavit Attorney Worth
iagtOn took up the question of any agree
ment which MI Van Ripper may have had
with Holmes. personally. about receiving
information from the latter or dividn g
profits from market operations with him
Il had no agree nent VITA HolEeS" de-
c!ar9d Van Ripsr. although / naturally in
ferred he getting an equal share be-
cause l saw Haas turn over money TO