New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-04-04
MR.. HERMANN TESTIFIE.S.
Explains Personal Character of Let
terS an DESTROYED Books.

Washington. April S--Binger Hermann on trial
Tor destroying public records. testified in his own
behalf to-day. He emphasized the fact that during
ms puonc career he took great pains 20 travel
his state and in these travels he made many
friends These friends wrote him many letters.
and he had never refused to answer a letter As q
consequence he said when he went into the Land
once as commissioner In 1897 he was receiving on
an average OF ten TO thirty letters a day mostly
from his Oregon friends.
AZ this point Mr. Hermann was excused and
b. p Hough who a stenographer in the Land
Office under Mr. Hermann corrobOrated Chris
MulleFs testimony to his being present in a
Portland restaurant with Muller and Rittenhaus
when Mr.. Hermann asked these young men IL they
had kept their shorthand notebooks. He said MT
Hermanns words were: 81 wish you boys had
your notebooks. then we could show the world
what was in those letters" Hough said ne did not
remember that Mr. Hermann made any remarks
about the destroyed letter books at that time.
Mr.. Hermann then resumed the stand and ex-
planned that the first day he took up his duties
commissioner letter book marked private
brought to him by Mr.. Hough. who had been as
signed as his stenographer 1t was explained to
him. he said. that IL the usual custom for the
commissioner 20 use a private letter book for HIS
personal correspondence.
Mr.. Hermann said that he corresponded consd-
erably with the members of his family in Oregon
and that he wrote his son. Schiller Hermann. many
letters. He said he had departmental business TO
AIanSAcI MS constituents ana oregon
practically every department and every bureau OF
every department of the government
Mr.. Hermann said In to q question by
his attorney. that he had had aspirations 10 be-
come United States Senator and that he
sponded with many persons in Oregon to keep
in constant touch with the political situation there
He Said his personal correspondence also was in
creased by the fact that he had written a PAM
phlet describing the western boundary of the
Louisiana Purchase. and he had sent many of
these pamphlets. together with "a few kindly
lires," to his friends in Oregon and tho west.
Requests for state maps for information regard
ing homestead entries. and letters from persons
VINO had contracts for surveys. Mr.. Hermann
said, were written 20 him personally, 10 which he
replied personally. It was this character of
TesPondence that was copied in his private letter
The official correspondence OF the land office Mr..
Hermann explained originated In the thirteenth
division of that Office where the letters were writ
ten. These letters were brought to him daily for
his signature. They numbered from $50 TO $50
day. He said he signed tho letters without read
ing them simply looking at the initials IN the
corner TO see that they came from the proper IN
dkyiduals in the various divisions.
During his administration Of the land Office. Mr..
Hermann said he did not remember having looked
use they were ever put 20 was TO obtain the adj
dress OF some correspondent
Mr.. Hermann explained the frequency Of the
visits OF Senator Mitchell by saying that Oregon
seemed TO have more land matters TO attend 20
than almost any other state. and that Senator
Mitchclfs colleague. Senator Mcbride was physi-
caly incapacitated 20 get around much.