The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-04-04
HERMANN TELLS
STORY TO JURY
Gives Sketch of His Career
From Birth Up to the
Present Time.
HAS MANY OREGON FRIENDS
OFFICE HOLDER OFF AND ON
FOR II YEARS.

Washington, April 3.-Binger Her
mann, on trial for destroying public
records. testified in his own behalf tC-
day. At the suggestion Of his cOun-
sci, 1ir. Hermann gave brief sketch
of his career. He was born in Mary
land in 1843. went TO Oregon when he
was Is years ola, taught school and
worked on & farm, studio law and was
admitted to the bar in 4 :. That year
he was elected to the state legislature.
In 1871 President E>nt appointed him
receiver Of public moneys in the Rose
burg land office. He was elected to
congress IN 1884 and served twelve
years, until the election Of Mr.. NCkiu-
ley as president
President Mckinley kindly selected
me-Or perhaps unEindiy," remarked
Mr.. Hermann, "as commissioner Of the
general land Office"
After leaving the land Office in 1903.
Mr.. Hermann said he had twice been
elected to congress, his last term eE-
piring March { OF this year.
Many Friends in Oregon.
Mr.. Hermann emphasized the fact
that during his public career NE took
great pains to travel over 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 that
when he went into the land Office as
commissioner fin 1851 he was receiving
on an average of ten to thirty letters q
Tay, mostly from his OREGON friends.
z. ?. Hough. who was a stenographeT
.n the lana Office under Mr.. Hermann.
corroboTated Chris Muller as 10 being
present in a Portland restaurant with
Dir. Muller and Mr.. RitJeu6aus when
Alr. Hermann asked those young men
II they had kept their shorthand books.
He said Air. Hermaun's words were.
Proof Was Destroyed.
or wish you boys had your note
backs, then we could show to the world
what was in those letters"
Ilou Oh said be did not remember that
pr rmann made any remarks about
the de=-TCyed letter books at chat time.
rs I'D this incident Mr. Rittenhaus
has tssri7ed that only himself and Null
Isr were present at this interview with
lLr. hermann, and that Mr.. Hermann
asked irUtely regarding what had
been. done with the destroyed letter
books.
IL II. Cortes, who was a messenger
in the and office during Mr.. Hermann's
admuist ration, testified to finding two
or thr5H I'D letter books in q store room
Of the office, the letter books being
those OF Senator Carter, who was once
a commissioner Of the land Office.
Private Letter BoI<s.
NIr. Hermann then resumed the stand
and explained that the first day he took
up his duties as commissioner he was
brought letter book marked private
ty Mr.. HOugh, who had been assigned
as his stenOgrapher It was explained
o. him that it was the usual custom for
the commissioner to use a private let
Ter book for his personal correspond
ence.
Mr.. Hermann said that he CORE
Fponded considerably with the mem
bers of his family in Oregon, and that
he wrote his son many letters. He said
he had departmental business to trans
act for his constituents and Oregon
friends in practically every depart
ment and every bureau of every de-
partment Of the government He said
his mail was always opened and on his
desk when he arrived at the office, and
that very frequently he would find let
ters relating to matters in the general
land office These letters were always
sent to the proper divisions for reply,
and all such replies were written for
him to sign.
Senatorial Aspirations.
Mr.. Hermann admitted in answer to
q question by his attorney that he had
had aspirations to become United
States senator, and that he correspond
ed with many persons in Oregon to
keep in constant touch with the pOlit-
ical situation. He said his personal
correspondence also was increased by
the fact that he had written a pamph-
let describing the western boundary of
the Louisiana purchase, and he had
sent many of these pamphlets together
with "a few kindly lines to his friends
IN Oregon and the west. Requests for
state maps, for information regarding
homestead entries and letters from per-
sons who had contracts for surveys,
Mr.. Hermann said. were written to him
personally, to which he replied per-
sonaIly. 1t was this character of cor
respondence that was copied in his pri-
Vate letter books.
The official correspondence Of the
land Office. Mr.. Hermann explained,
originated in the thirteenth division of
.hat Office. where the letters were
written. These letters were brought to
him daily for his signature. They
numbered from 100 to $50 a day. He
said he signed these letters without
reading them, simply looking at the
Initials In the corner to see that they
came from the proper individuals in
the various divisions.
During his administration of the land