Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1907-09-26
SENSA TON IN
BORAH TRIAL
WITNESS ACCUSES FEDERAL OF.
FIcER
IGNORANT OF FACTS, sWEARs TO
COMPLAINT
On Cross Examination Albert Nusent
Says He Was Promised Immunity
and Ordered to Make COM
plant Against PrItchard
by Associated Press.

By Associated EreBs.
BOISE, Ida, Sept. 25.-The first sem
sation in the trial of United States SEN
ator william e. Borah came late today
when Albert Klanop Nugent, the second
witness produced by the government, ad-
mitted on cross-examination that he
committed perjury in taking out a timber
claim, admitted that he had been prom
ised absolute immunity by an officer of
the federal government for testifying;
admitted that at the request of the fed
eral officer he had sworn to q complaint
against a man whom he did not know,
and lastly proclaimed that he believed 1t
to be a part of his bargain for immunity
that he should swear to any complaint
against any person regardless of any
knowledge that he might have as to the
PERSONS guilt
| When the name of the federal officer
who induced him to sign the complaint
was asked by Senator Borah's counsel,
the witness swore positively that he could
not remember 1t.
The day was given over to the intro
ductlon of a mass of paper on file at the
land office here at Boise and to the evil
dence of two men who said they received
money from John l. Wells with which
| to prove their timber land claims.
| Wells is one of the men indicted with
| Senator Borah. Counsel for the latter
did not object to this testimony on the
understanding that the transaction in
question would ultimately be connected
| in some way with the senator on trial.
| The defense scored it's first point of
| the trial early in the examination of the
| first witness, man named Anderson. He
was asked by the special prosecutor what
his intention was when he took out a
| timber claim.
Judge Whitson, who is presiding, sus.
| tained an objection based on the ground
that man confessing perjury as SEAN
derson did could not properly testify as
to any secret intent he may have had
locked up in his breast.
Paid by Lumber Company
| Anderson and Nugent both testified that
| they received from John r. Wells $412
with which to prove their claims and each
received $3.50 additional for transferring
| the claims to the Barber Lumber COM
pany's interests.
| Two bills given to- the men by Wells
and a letter from Wells to Nugent were
admitted in evidence.
| Anderson, an elderly Swede, was not
cross-examined, but Nugent admitted that
he had made no agreement to transfer hii
claims at the time he filed them. He salc
that there was never anything but yer
bal agreement and he could not remember
Wuere OF III WuOSe prtSeIlce SUCH d Cou
i tract was made.
Nugent said he witnessed the papers
filed by Anderson. and then was con.
fronted by a complaint signed by him
charging Louis M. Pritchard with hav-
ing conspired 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 de-
clared that all he knew was what he had
read in some newspaper, a story to the
| effect that Pritchard was involved. Pros
ecutor Rush demanded to know of the
witness If 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. Mr..
Rush said he never had heard of Nu-
gents connection with the Pritchard
| complaint and desired time to look into
the matter before completing his ex-
animation.
At this juncture the proceedings were
adjourned until Tomorrow