The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1907-03-28

tAOtu ms ietiuN-CltiLSuS, ana they
gave II TO him in the form Of an
election to congress to ill vacancy
just then existing in the Oregon del.
egation In the house. With that he
came back TO Washington and, In
spite OF his indictment in Oregon
aud bis indictment here, took his
place In the house and assumed his
duties as a legislator, apparently no
fear that the future held any prison
stripes flor him. His conduct has
been in marked contrast to that OF his
fellow congressman from Oregon, Mr..
Williamson, who was Indicted with
Hermann and who. like Hermann,
has not yet been tried on the Oregon
indictment. Williamson has no.
been here since he was indicted, and
has not drawn his mileage or other
congressional emoluments.
The difficulty the government finds
In making good its case against Her
mann here lies in the absence of
single bit OF discriminating paper.
This Hermann holds. shows his lnno-
cenee. But the government says II
shows nothing but the consummata
skill with which Hermann made
away with all records bearing upon
his case. In The absence of any doc
umentary evidence the government
Is trying to make out circumstan.
tial case. To do this every possible
effort is being made to show a motive
for the destruction OF the records by
Hermann. To this end several OF
Hermann's alleged fellow .conspirat.
ors have been brought here to swear
that they received certain letters
from Hermann while he was commits
sioner OF the General Land Office,
and they have done so, but the let
tiers can not be found In the files left
In existence in the oflice by Her.
mann. Therefore, II is argued that
they must have been destroyed when
the thirty-iive letter books we've sent
to the garbage heap, In torn and dis.
figured fragments, and hauled away |
by the government contractor, to he
seen no more.
George Sorenson, convicted but not |
yet sentenced, swoie that confer
ence took place at Portland between
Hermann, +. 7. Hayes and Surveyor.
General Medium. of Oregon, mt |
which they indicated the school lands |
they wanted TO have included In a |
forest reserve. Also that Senator |
who died suddenly after his |
agreed to do what he
could to have Hermann make the |
reservation and was TO receive $500 /
for doing so. But the government
has not found the indicted and con.
victed men, as "A rule, so willing to |
testify as sorenson appears to be.
Thus, Medium testified that he had |
said he would 20 to Mcneil island
before he would swear against Binger |
Hermann. McNeill island is the fed.
eral penitentiary for that part OF the
to which Oregon Is tributary.
And this In spite OF the fact that all
81 the Blue mountain conspirators
except the two Congressman, Her
mann and Williamson. have now been |
The government has
brought FIVE convicted persons here
TO testify against Hermann. They
are Medium, who was the federal
surveyor general for Oregon; Soren.
son, who was In the Blue Mountain
steal with Medium, ana S. A. u.
puter, another Blue Mountain artist, |
md said TO be the most daring of all |
-be timber thieves. The other two
ire not connected with the Blue
Mountain fraud but we're convicted |
n Western Oregon frauds with Sen.
itor Mitchell and others and they
Ire Dan Tarpley and Mrs. Emma
Watson.
puter, after the exposure OF the
frauds, became fugitive, and q gov
eminent agent named Burns was
sent after bin. lie was warned that |
puter would be armed and 10 look
out for himself Also that puter al
ways carried his pistol In secret
pocket on the front OF his person and |
was extremely handy with 1t. rurns
found his man In Boston and arrested |
him, but foolishly started through |
the crowded streets with his prisoner
In the evening. On the way Pnter |
into bis breast pocket and |
took therefrom handkerchief. |
Burns was watching for treachery,
but this act treasured him. 80 that
he was quite surprised TO nee a pistol |
In Puter's hand. Puter showed the
OF the ~espon into Burns
stomach and ordered him to stand |
Still. which he did. Puter then
spraug into the crowd and dIsap.
peard. He was subsequently recap.
tured and convicted
Hermann's contention that the |
thirty-five letter books he destroyed |
nothing but private cor
has one curious feature, /
and that Is that the Office employees
IN tba GaparaI Land affo. ,as.If.,