Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-09-26
SCORES
FIRST POINT
IN TR.Il!
COVERINGS < y WITNESSES
C0fpT1SSED PERJURERS
One Promised Immunity I'm
bIuShingIy Admits Swearing
to Complaint Against Man
He Never Knew,

Boise, Idaho, Sept. 25-The first
sensation in the trial of United States
Senator Borah came late today when
Albert Klanop Nugent, the second wit
ness produced by the government ad-
mitted on cross s-examination, that he
committed perjury in taking out
timber land claim, admitted he had
been promised absolute immunity By
an officer of the federal government
for testifying; admitted that at the
request of a federal officer he had
sworn to a complaint against man
whom he did not know, and lastly
proclaimed that he believed II to be-
part of his bargain for immunity that
he should swear to any complaint
against any person, regardless of any
knowledge he might have as to the
persons guilt When asked the name
of the officer who induced him to sign
the complaint by Borah's counsel tho
witness swore positively that he could
not remember 1t.
The day was given over to the In
PRODUCTION of mass of papers on file
in the land office here. and TO the evil
dence of two men who said they re-
ceived money from John /. Wells with
which to prove up on their timber
land claims Wells is one of the men
indicted with Borah. Counsel for the
latter did not object to this testimony
on the understanding that the trans
action In question would ultimately be-
connected up In some way with the
case OF the senator on trial.
The defense scored the first point
of the trial early In the examination
of the first witness, man named An-
derson, He was asked by Special
Prosecutor Rush what his intent was
when he took out the timber claim.
Judge Whitson who was presiding.
sustained the objection based on the
ground that a man confessipg perjury
as Anderson did, could not properly
testify as TO any secret Intent he may
have had locked up III his breast.
Anderson and Nugent both testified
that they had received from John r.
Wells $4l2 with which to prove up on
their claims, and each received $3.50
additional for transferring the claims
to the Barber Lumber eompany's in
terests.
The bills given TO the men by Wells,
and the letter from Wells to Nugenr,
were admitted in evidence. Anderson.
who Is an elderly Swede was not
cross-examined, but Nugent admitted
he had made no agreement to trans
fer his lands at the time he filed upon
them
He said there never was anything
but a verbal agreement and he could
not remember where or In whose
presence such contract was made. Nu-
gent said he witnessed the papers filed
by Anderson, and was then confronted
by complaint signed by him. charg-
ing Louis M. Prltchard with having
conspred with Anderson to get title
to the land. Nugent said he did not
know any such person or anything
about his connection with the alleged
land frauds. He declared all he
knew was what he read In some news
paper story to the effect that Pritch-
ard was involved
Prosecutor Rush demanded to know
of the witness II any officer of the
government had ever asked him to
swear falsely Nugent replied that he
had always been told to tell nothing
but the truth. Rush said he never
heard Of Nugents connection with
the Pritchard complaint and desired
time to look into the matter before
completing his examination. At this
Juneture the proceedings we're adj
journed until tomorrow.