Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-20
NEARLY READY
TO CLOSE CASE
Government Testimony in
Holmes Trial About Concluded.
CONFERENCE AT THE RECESS
Defense to Test Issue Raised Regard.
ing suficiency of Law.
SECRETARY WILSON RECALLED
Again Cross-Examined on Previous
Statements-MrV Van Riper's Ex-
position Of Signal Code.
CONFERENCE AT THE RECESS
SECRETARY WILSON RECALLED

Unless an unforeseen contingency should
arise it Is expected the government will
conclude its presentation of the case this
afternoon against Edwin s. Holmes. jr.,
former associate statistician of the Depart
ment of Agriculture, who has been on trial
for the past three weeks in Criminal Court
No. ], on a charge of conspiracy. When
the usual noon recess Of the court was
taken at 1870 o'clock a conference OF the
attorneys for both sides with Justice STAFF
ford was announced, and it is anticipated
several minor points were to be settled
and the opposing counsel would be ready
to enter upon the real contest-to determine
whether the laws upon which the indictment
is based are sufficient to hoo the defend
ant to complete trial and the determine
ton of his guilt or innocence by the jury.
When court convened this morning Sec
rotary Wilson of the Department of Agri-
culture was recalled to the stand for
further Characterization by the defense,
and several interviews and public speeches
in which he was quoted in the press were
canvassed at length. Mr.. Wilson repeat
eddy asserted he could not remember hav
ing made the exact utterances imputed to
him. though he declared them to be, in the
main. correct statements of fact.
On redirect examination Attorney Beach
asked the witness: Did you ever at any
time or at any place, SO long you have
held the Office of Secretary of the Depart
ment of Agriculture. give out any advance
information which may have been obtained
by you from the bureau of statiStics?"
Il have not the Secretary positively de-
clared.
Mr.. Van Ripper Recalled.
Louis C. Van Ripper was then called for
final cross-examinaton. and after estab-
fishing the fact that the witness. c. w.
Morgan, a broker who had Office at II
Broadway in 1900. and Mitchell & Co., an
other brokerage house. with offices at 80
Broadway, Attorney Worthington produced
a form of circular and after reading 1t to
the witness. asked him if he had not sent
out thousands of such circulars in the year
1900 or therea bouts.
Mr.. Van Ripper said he could not remem-
Der the exact style of circulars he had is
sued. but added that he was in business as
broker and solicited business wherever
he thought it could be obtained, with the
proviso that he should manage the accounts
Of his clients the accounts to be placed
with members of the recognized exchanges.
But did you not suggest in your adYer-
tisements that the accounts. preferably.
should be placed with C. w. Morgan?" per-
sisted Mr.. Worthington.
Ripper. Il suggested only that reliable
firm be employed by each OF my custom
ers.
Mr. Worthington took the witness over
several other alleged transactions, but de-
tailed inquiry into the past business life Of
Mr.. Van Ripper for the purpose of testing
his credibllty as witness" was blocked
by the government on the ground of it's
immateriality to the issues in the present
case.
Code of Signals.
On redirect examination Mr.. Beach re-
ferred to the system of signaling by means
Of window curtain in the office Of the
bureau Of states. which Mr. Van Ripper
previously testified had been devised by
Holmes. He asked the witness to describe
In detail diagram of the code" which, he
said, had been drawn for Peckham's guild
ance by the defendant.
If the curtain was exactly half way
down on the window it would indicate that
everything was all right. and as We had an
tcipated,' said Van Ripper. IF 1t was
halfway down over the upper sash only it
would mean that something had gone
wrong. and If it was half way down on the
lower sash 1t would be the signal that
things were even better than we had antici-
pated."
MI. Holmes Bank Deposits.
Samuel r. Balsir, teller in the Central
National Bank. Washington. in 1905. testi
ueQ INat Holmes maze deposit OF tctl
81. 900 bills in the bank April is. 1906.
Herbert H. Smith, new accounts teller In
the National Safe Deposit, Savings and
Trust Company In the same year, identi-
fed deposit slips which showed that Holmes
placed so. 900 in currency in that institu-
ton April %. 1905, and $40, 900, also i'll cur
rency, May "a. 1905.
William d. King. superintendent of the
New York Cotton Exchange, produced rec
ords of the exchange showing that a NOM
bership on the floor was bought by Lewis
II. Mercer for F. A. Peckhan IN January,
1905. and he identified the check for $4,000,
which has already appeared many times in
the case, as having been the same with
which the membership had been paid for.
He described the operations on the floor of
the exchange in detail N support of the gov
ernment's claim that the reports Of the
bureau of statistics had marked influence
upon prices and that Holmes, in giving out
information in advance. was actuated by q
desire for personal gain.
Assistant Secretary Hays Witness
WiIlet n. Hays, assistant secretary Of
agriculture. testified he was present in the