The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-04-10
ACQUIRED MUCH
LAND IN OREGON
ginuer Hermann COnfeSSeS to
Having Secured 80, 900 Acres
While Receiver.
OTHER DAMAGING FACTS
ACCUSED MAN UNDER CROSS
EXAMINATION

washington, April 9.-Interest i'm the
,riaI of Binger Hermann for destroying
,.,,blic records received a decided inn
,,atus when the defendant. who had
bs,n tcstifying in his own behalf for
tbc mast five days, was put under cross
examination shortly before the close
OF court
After saving positively that no men,
bars of his family had acquired public
lands during his administration, Mr..
Hermann qualified the statement later
Inv admitting that his son, Schiller, had
made A homestead entry 20 which title
had not Vet been acquired; that Schil-l
Tor had purchased three such entries
before patent had issued to the claim
ants and that these purchases had
beeu acquired for $4,000 in gold by the
defendant to relieve SchiIler's embar-
raised financial condition.
Acquired Much Land.
Mr.. Hermann admitted that he had
acquired 10000 acres of public lands in
oregon when he was receiver of public
moneys at the HOseburg land office.
This he maintained, was not the cause
Of his losing that position. The records
of these transactions, as well as those
relating TO the claims purchased by
Schiller. were made exhibits in the case.
In the latter matter Mr.. Hermann had
written a memorandum directing the
PATENTS to be mailed to his son.
United States Attorney Bakers next
move was to produce the copy of d teIe-
gram sent by the defendant to P. f.
Nays, Of Portland, Oregon, July %, 1902,
three days before the proclamation
creating the Blue mountain forest re-
serve which Mr.. Baker contended was
the tip" promised Mays by Hermann.
that the former might take the neces-
sarv steps TO make entry in the state
school lands he was negotiating for in
his reserve. The telegram Mr.. Her
mann admitted sending. 1t read:
Hermann's Telegram.
Fifteen patents to timber land en-
tries forwarded to Roseburg land Of
flee Land office has recommended
withdrawal original Strawberry noun
tain and aI additions To secretary, who
has approved the same.-Binger Her
mann
On his direct examination, Mr.. Her
mann had testified that he had never
had any business relations with Mays,
had never written him communications
nor had interviews with him; that
Mays had no interest in the Blue noun
tain reserve that Hermann knew of
and that he wished the jury and court
10 understand this statement to be as
strong as the English language could
make it.
Mr.. Baker read this statement from
the record and asked the defendant if,
when he made it, he did not think all
traces of this telegram had been de-
StrOyed in the destruction of his letter
books. MIR. Hermann would not admit
this He said he now remembered the
telegram and explained that it must
have been sent either in answer to a
Geographic request from Mays or, more
likely. because Hermann knew Mays
as a leading public man of Oregon and
simply wished him informed of the ac-
lion taken.
Could Not Escape.
Mr.. Hermann at this point empha-
sized the public service of Mays, say
Ing he had served as United States dis
trict attorney. i'm the state legislature
and was the leader of the bar of the
state, and had signed "A petition for the
creation of the reserve. Under the cir
cUmstances. he said, it was likely he
had given him the Information. Mr..
Hermann said he did not remember
having sent the same Information to !
said he gave it 10 the public press
Mr.. Baker placed in evidence the in
d9rsement of MIR. Hermann and Sena-
tors Mitchell and Dolph on a petition
for the appointment of Mays as dis |
trict attorney, after which Mr. Baker !
remarked: He was fired from that !
position, was he not, for Chinese |
frauds?''
Mr.. Hermann admitted Mays had lost /
the position.
\ regulation of the land office for
bidding the giving out of infOIma ton !
in advance. and also another forbidding |
any officer or emplCye, or members of |
their families from acquiring govern !
meut lands, was placed in evidence by |
III. Baker.
The cTOss-eXaminatiOn of Hermann 4
viii be continued tomorrow.
KODOL for Dyspepsia clears the 4
stomach and makes the breath sweet I
as rose KODOT. is sold nv druggists 4