Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-27
CONTINUES HIS STORY
Defendant in ''Cotton Leak
Case" on Witness Stand.
QUERIES BY THE ATTORNEYS
Attorney Morgan II. Beach Conducts
Cross-Examination.
DENIAL OF STATED CHARGE
Holmes Says He Never Gave Out Ad-
vance Information Concerning
Any Crop Report.
DENIAL OF STATED CHARGE

Edwin g. Holmes jr., continued on the
stand as a witness in his own behalf in
Criminal Court No. today. Attorney
Worthington acted as examiner and, can
wasting wide field of the government s
case. he drew forth from Holmes a general
denial of the statements made in evidence
by Louis c. Van Ripper, the New York
broker; Carvalho. the handwriting expert,
and other witnesses.
did you ever agree to furnish the figures
about what the cotton crop report would
be-" Mr.. Worthington asked.
Il never, either directly or indirectly,
agreed to give the figures to Pecl.ham or
Haas or Van Ripper" Holmes declared.
Did you ever give advance information
concerning any crop report to those gentle
men or to any other persons?'
Never except in connection with the ex-
change of information with certain men in
the west. 1 would give them information
covering certain states. 1t was understood
should do this"
Can you give US the names of some of
those men?
&c E. Lewis of Minneapolis, A. M. Fried
lander of San Francisco and a Mr.. Snow
Of Chicago.
Referring to the loan which Van Ripper
testified was made to Peckham by Holmes,
and for which Van Ripper stated he fur
nished security. Mr., Worthington asked
Holmes If he ever signed a receipt for
600 shares of Thunder Mountain Gold and
Silver Mining and Milling Company stock.
II meyer signed such a paper Holmes
declared. and he repudiated the signature
to the paper produced in evidence by the
government.
Did you participate in such transac-
tion?" the attorney queried.
mo. never the defendant replied.
Holmes likewise asserted he never arranged
a cipher telegraph code with Haas. Peck
ham. Van Ripper, Thee. H. Price or any one
else.
Some statement has been made here
about a trip which you contemplated
through the cotton-producing states In the
spring of 1905 for the ostensible purpose
Of influencing the state agents reports"
Mr.. Worthington continued. will you
please tell US what trips. If any, you made
in the spring Of that year?'
Made Two Trips.
ct made two trips about that time" the
witness replied. THE first covered the
states of Minnesota and North Dakota and
South Dakota, and lasted from some time
in March until the middle of April The
second covered practically the same terri
tory, and was made in the month of May
visit In that timer
None
"And did you communicate with any of
the representatives of the department in
No" l..
Taking up the fiyleaf of Van Riper' s
check book. which contained figures of the
August wheat report, said to have been
given to Van Ripper by Holmes, Attorney
Worthington asked Holmes if he gave Van
Ripper any such information The reply was
again in the negative.
Did you ever receive a package from
Haas which. upon opening. you found to
contain forty-nine $1,000 bilIs?''
There was no such transaction"
As to Division of Money.
did you participate in a division of
money in New York in December, 1902"
NO"
Did you make the remark attributed to
you by Van Ripper to the effect that you
wanted to draw down your share of $4,000
profit claimed to have been made on a cot
ton deal?"
Did you receive any money at all from
Mr.. Haas. Mr.. Peekham or Mr.. Van Riper
in New York at that timer
NO
while you held the position of associate
statistician did you ever engage in specula-
tom"
..On two occasions that can recall Ono,
in March or April. 1905. and again in May
of the same year."
Through whOm?"
Charles E. Lewis of Minneapolis"
This transaction was canvasSsd at con-
siderable length, and Mr.. Holmes laid en-
phasis upon the fact that there was no re-
port on cotton by the government at that
time of year He said he merely dealt
through Mr.. Lewis. and did not know on
were made. He said he lost money.
Begins Cross-Examination.
At this point the defendant was turned