Los Angeles herald., 1907-03-22
Puter Says He Tried
to Fix Every
Member
Details Of Land Frauds
Become Exceedingly
Complicated
Californian Declares Attorney Heney
Agreed Government Would Drop
Indictments If Information
Was Forthcoming
BY Associated Press.

BY Associated Press.
WASHINGTON, March 21.-Again to-
day S. A. D. Puter testified for the gov
ernment in the Hermann trial regard
ing fraud and bribery in many land
deals.
Just as his cross-examination was
closing Attorney Worthington for the
defense asked:
"Were you ever promised immunity
by any representatives of the govern
ment for your testimony"
ITO certain extent I have been,"
was the answer.
Puter explained that after he had
been convicted in the case for which he
is now serving two years sentence in
oregon he had gone at once to United
States Attorney Heney and offered to
tell him all he knew about land frauds.
He had many conferences with Heney,
as result of which the witness tes-
titled:
"Heney told me that if became a
witness for the government he would
me, but would have them dismissed
when the time came"
! Puter said he received no special
favors in Jail but was locked in a cell
as any other prisoner. He was a wit
ness for the government in land fraud
cases in oregon last September and
Attorney Worthington read from his
testimony at that time statement that
he regretted he did not know more to
tell about the Blue mountain forest
reserve deal. He said that Mays had
not let him in on the deal as had been
promised.
Tried to Bribe Jury
"Did you try to bribe the grand jury
men that indicted?" asked Mr. Worth
ington.
II did," was the answer.
The witness explained that he had
given a man named Brownell $50 to in
f1uence two of the grand jurors to see
that a "true bill'' was not returned
against him. This effort failed.
Were you engaged in criminal opera
ton after your conviction and prior to
your sentence?"
yes, to a certain extent. That is, I
was dealing in great deal of state
land with alleged fraudulent titles"
Questions by Mr. Worthington de-
veloped that Puter had not been asked
about the correspondence he had with
Hermann by United States attorneys
until last January, although the wit
ness said he must have told Heney
about the letters, else the government
attorneys would not have followed the
matter up by coming to him in jail.
United States Attorney Baker stated
at this time that a search was being
made for the letters whitten to Her
man by Puter which had been referred
to. Mr.. Baker produced one letter
written by Putetr to Hermann. taken
from the files of the office, but which
related to two timber claims. This was
put in evidence by Mr.. Worthington,
who, after reading it, turned to the wit
ness and asked:
Another Crooked Deal
"Was that deal crooked, too?"
The witness assented with a nod of
his head, but explained that it was of
different character than the other
matters. 1t was a timber claim.
Mr.. Worthington dwelt some time on
the statement of Puter that he had
while in Washington, in 1902 regarded
the "eleven-seven" claims talked to-
Assistant Commissioner Richards.
To the direct question whether Her
mann had not told the witness that the
matter had not been turned over to
Richards and that he would attend to
the matter, the witness answered in
the negative.
Regarding the two $1,000 bills which
the witness said yesterday he gave the
late Senator Mitchell to fix the negotia-
tions regarding these claims, Mr.. Wor-
thington brought out the statement
that the witness got them from Charles
Chaffee, president of the Wisconsin
National bank of Milwaukee.
The witness also said he had regis
tered at various hotels in Washington
under assumed names.
Court was then adjourned until Mon
day.