The Washington herald., 1907-03-22

I'VE are sure of Senator Mitchell. back
there in Washington, and you know how
Binger Hermann stands in"
According to the testimony Of S. a. d.
Puter in the Hermann trial yesterday,
this statement was made 20 him by
Franklin Pierce Mays Just at the time
the Blue Mountain forest reserve prop
ositioh was to be launched. Puter was
the only witness on the stand yesterday,
and he finished the disclosures of all
phases of the land frauds in Oregon in
which he played so active a part until
his indictment and conviction.
AS he described the incident. the state
ment about the Blue Mountain reserve
imputed 10 F. p Mays was made while
the two were travelling eastward from
Oregon. Mays en- route TO Washington
and Puter 10 Milwaukee.
Nays told me he was about TO pull
of pretty big thing." said Puter, "and
when I asked him what il was, he de-
clared he was going to open forest re-
serve in the Blue Mountains Asked
whether he had just started. Mays assert
ed he had the necessary petitions signed.
and there was no opposition. and he was
sure of the attitude of Senator Mitchell
and Hermann.
Promised 10 Let Puter IN.
Mays promised to let me in on the
deal, because we usually worked together.
and I told him I would put uD my share;
bat when the time came he left he out.
His excuse afterward was that he thought
Z = a.
other end Of the State"
Puter replied affirmatively when Dis
trict Attorney Baker asked If he had
ever been in correspondence with Ringer
Hermann. and repeated, as nearly as he
could remember, the substance of "A
series OF letters which passed between
himself and the then Commissioner of
the General Land Office with reference
to the proposal by PUter that Township 4
south, Range 6 east. Oregon. be annexed
70 the Cascade forest reserve.
Il told Hermann ] had some property
up there which l would like TO exchange
for scrip" Puter testified. The witness
was sure at least one of Hermanns s let
ters was written on the blue note head
of the private Office of the Commissioner,
General Land Office, but the misslve
could not positively be connected with
the letter-press books the defendant
stands indicted for destroying because
Puter could not remember whether or
not the appearance of the letter indicated
it had been press copied.
stumbIes in Accounting for Money.
Under cross-examination Puter stumbled
somewhat in accounting for the exact
time he secured the two $1,000 bills with
which. he testified Wednesday. 10 bribe
Senator Mitchell. Finally he remembered
the bills formed part of a s., 900 loan Sc
cured from Charles Chafee, president of
the First National Bank, Milwaukee, Wis.
Attorney Worthington. of counsel for
Hermann. also required Puter to name all
the hotels at which he stopped during
his various visits to Washington, so the
hotel books may be brought into court TO
e0rroborate his story.
Asked by Mr. Worthington whether he
had been promised immunity in consider
alton Of testimony he might give in this
and other cases, Puter said he went To
Prosecuting Attorney Heney. in Portland,
soon after he was convicted, and by
agreeing TO withdraw his appeal for a new
trial and accept sentence. and also to be-
come a government witness and tell the
truth about all the transactions IN which
he was involved, Mr.. Heney promised not
TO press other indictments outstanding
against him. Upon adjournment of court
yesterday the case went over till Monday.
More Land Thrown Open.
In accordance with orders just issued
b. the President the Secretary Of the IN
terror has restored 70 the public domain.
for purposes of settlement, nearly 10000
acres of land, withdrawn for the reason
that it was believed to be underlaid with
coal The land in question is located in
Colorado. Montana, New Mexico, OREGON,
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