Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-12
AGAIN ON THE STAND
Secretary Wilson a Witness in
the Holmes Trial.
UNDER CROSS-EXAMINATION
Undergoes the Ordeal of Running Fire
of Questions.
TESTIMONY OF ROBT. M. ROGERS
Tells of Advance Information Given
Him in 1904 Regarding the
Cotton Crop
UNDER CHARACTERIZATION
TESTIMONY OF ROBT. M. ROGERS


Secretary Wilson of the Department of
Agriculture was again called as a witness In
the trial of former Associate Stat!stician
Edwin 5. Holmes, il, in The Gotten leak
case in Criminal Court No. l today. and
the morning session WAS crowded fun OF
verbal pyrotCChnIcs as the witness re-
sponded to a running fire of questions asked
in cross-examUation by Attorney Worth
iugton. In many instances the Secre-
tary could not recolleCt, and equally as
many times NJ would not testify that the
facts might not be practically as stated by
the examiner.
When court adjourned for the day the
governments case still incomplete,
and the trial will not DE resumed until
Monday. as Justice stafford is going to
Vermont tomorrow.
What was regarded as very important
evidence was that secured from Robert NJ.
Rogers nanag ger of the Waidorf-Astorla
Hotel office of e X. Chapman K Com
pany. In 1904 Mr.. Rogers was manager for
Charles G. Gates Il Company. and he men
toned an incident in which Louis van
Ripper wrote on a piece of paper the 1gures
which afterWard proved to ne the ngurts
of a subsequently, isSCHi government crop
report.
As tending TO show that any one might
have Appropriated the figures of the gov
eminent report, and in at least one case
that the figures were given exactly. Attor-
ncy Wurthington introduced in evidence Il
copy of the New York Commercial OF one
day in September, 1904. from which ne reah
an estimate of the cotton report 10 De IS
sued three days after the date of the paper.
The estimate it shown. struck the
governments percentage even to the frac-
ton.
Attorney Worthington Questions.
In beginning the cross examination of
Secretary Wilson. Attorney Worthington
asked the witness if a signed statement is
sued through the press over his signature
shortly after the completion of the fnves-
tigation into the cotton leak" did not con-
tain blank spaces instead of the name or
an individual which had been furnished 10
him in the secret service report on the
case. but of this the Secretary had no
recollection.
paper clipping which purported to be
statement such as that mentioned and re-
ferring to it. he again inquired:
Did you not give out this signed state
ment with a name omitted
u have no recollection, again declared
the witness.
Did you not agree with Mr.. Ripper to
suppress a naTne?'
Again the witness asserted that he did
not remember giving any "pledge. prom
ise or intimation of any kind
continued Mr.. Worthington.
Il saw him once at my Office said the
Secretary.
- And how long was that before Mr..
Holmes left the service of the depart
ment?'
&c. Not many days l think
Did you give out the report it was
given 10 you by the secret service men,
Substantially.
r Why did you give out information which
might be prejudielal to MIR Holmes when
he came to trial?
Il thought the American people had
right to il"
Rule of Secrecy
Referring directly to the rule for secrecy
which obtained in the department with ref
erence to the handling of crop statistics,
Mr.. Worthington asked Secretary Wilson If
he, too was bound by that rule. Receiv-
ing an affirmative reply the attorney pro-
Guced number of newspaper clippings
from the papers of Washington, Chicago,
New York and elsewhere in which the Sec
rotary was quoted in opinions about the
probable yield in various crops Pressed
as to whether he had given the interviews
In question. the witness said he had no
specific recollection. though he stated in
reference to several of them hat they con-
tanned statements that he could not possi-
bly, have made
Well if you did make such statements.
would they not constitute violations of the
of your department. and part cuiarM of the
bureau or statistics. to be bound?"
do not so consider any statements
which may have been made by me as
thlnk have clearly indicated to you / did
not intervene and secure Information which
came to the bureau of statistics in refer
ence to different crops and statements
which | may have made were based upon
government information
not him often?"
NlS in,
the department. but not for the purpose of
having him tell me what the incoming re-
ports were showing"
DID you not see various criticisms of an
interview which was imputed to you in Chi
cargo IN May OF the present year,
nave no recollection of seeing such a
erltlcIsm never answer newspaper crit
lclSn wouldn't answer if they should
chdrge ms with murder. because then /
would be charged with two murders"
Dramatic Scene.
Robert NJ. Rogers. manager of the Wal
dorf-Astoria office of Charles G. Gates g.
Co. IN the years 1904 and 1905 was the next
witness called, and the scene was somewhat
dramatic as he was asked II he could iden
tIty any one in the room. Mr. Rogers
scanned the faces of the jurymen then
arose and. carefully adjusting his classes
thdt he might more distinctly see the faa
lures OF the one hundred or more persons
seated on the courtroom benches he slowly
.uIht uhul MS gaze rested upon he fea-
lures OF the defendant
mat man, think. l met three or four
SedIs ago. would know him. / think. IL
ne were wearing broad brimmed hat
lengthy conference between the attor-
neys ana the judge finally resulted in the
defendant waving his privilege and con-
sentlng TO place hat on his head for tba
POSSIBLY more complete Identification Mr.
Rogers said he would like TO see the d.
PENDANT wearing a broad brimmed hat sncb
as his own. and Mr.. Rogers hat was used
in the experiment. ~
Draw II a little further down." requested
the witness. and Mr.. Holmes adjusted the
hat 10 suit. Even at that Mr. Rogers could
not make the Identification positive
Advance Information.
Concerning the incident when. it was said.
Mr. Van Ripper visited his office Mr. Rogers
said Van Ripper wrote something on a slip
of paper. placed the slip in sealed en-
Feiope and requested him 10 keep it, Some
days aiterward, and the witness was sure
1t happened a very short time after the is
sue or the government crop report for that
month he said Mr.. Van Ripper returned re-