The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-06-12
Witnesses Testify to Lending Him Money.
COTTON LEAK CASE CONTINUES
Youhg Woman Gives Evidence of
 Details in Office.
statisticIan Hyde, She Said, Always wrote Reports, Hut Sometimes They were in other Hand-
 writing.

Washington, June II-Attorney Worthfngton, representing Edwin S.. Holmes. Jr.. in the triaI of the latter on the charee of being a party to the leakage of the cotton crop report of the department of agriculture, made an effort at the beginning of today's ses- sion of the court to compel special agent White to admit that he had au- thorized Statistician Hyde to change the figures in his (White's) reports, which Mir. White had yesterday tes- tified had been done. bur did not suc- ctsd. The witness at frs. declared that he was positive he had not given any such authority but later modified the statement to the extent or saying that he was quite sure on that point. He said that he was often questioned by the statistician as to the accuracy of his reports
 Miss Emma M Thompson, a clerk in the office of the statistician. the first woman witness in the case, testified concerning the methods of preparing the cotton crop report Tn which she has for several years been employed. She said in 1904 and the frst part of 1s05s the reports from the field were generally handed to her py MT Holmes, with whom she had frequent conversa- lions concerning the work at times assisting in translating telegraphic
 
 code" ~
 Woman Gives Details.
 Miss Thompson detailed the meth Dds of the compilers of the final re- ports. saying that when Hyde and Holmes were both present they con- ferred frequently on the estimates. Both employed the same system in ar irving at results
 Miss Thompson said that the sta- tistician always wrote in the reports. the figures, giving percentages, and she declared another handwriting appeared on some of her tables. but she would not say positively that 1t was MT. Holmes.
 Frank L. Atwell. a loan agent. was introduced to assist in showing that, up to 1904, Holmes had been a monev borrower and that in 1905 he had come into possession of fortune of $75,00o. Mir Worthington opposed the intro auction of this testimony on the ground that 1t was not pertinent. in view of the fact that there was no charge of deficient or dedication however, admitted the testimony on the ground that the fact, if shown, would indicate speculation in cotton 4
 Holmes Borrowed Money.
 Appleton Cady testified to having made about a dozen loans of $50 each tol Holmes between 1S99 and 1905 for which he received interest at she rate of 5 per cent. per month
 H. w. Desgranges, State agent for the Department of Agriculture for the State of Washington, told of having been in partnership with MT. Holmes In the ownership of placer gold mine In Idaho, which they located at I1yson In 1899. Lesgranges said that in Au- gust, 1905, Holmes told him that he s-k1 4LxA,. mine at Lyson for $73,0o0, but District Attorney Baker took occasion to say that the interest had not been sold ht all and that MT. Holmes did rot get his money from such a trausac- tion. The witness also Stated that Holmes also informed him that a cor poration had been organized in New York ostensibly for the purpose of handling this and other mining prop critics and that he had been asked to become a member of 1t, but that. ind Ing that the other members of the corporation desired 10 turn 1t into a common speculating concern, and wish ed to use him because of his sources of information, he had declined to have anything to do with it. At the close of Desgrange's testimony court ad- journed for the day.
 While Messrs. Peckham and Haas have remained away from the trial, they are represented at the proceed ings by Judge Nash Redwood Of Sar- Rtoga County who is in constant com- municatjon with his clients.