Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-18
BRIEF SESSION HELLO TODAY
HEARD IN LAND
FRAUD TRIAL.
Of Technical Character in Large
Measure-Letters Placed
Before the Jury.

Only brief session was held in Crimina
Court No. / today in the trial of Messrs
| Hyde. Benson. Dimond and Schneider. de-
| PENDANTS in the so-cal.ed land frauds case
| and almost all OF the testimony adduced
was either of a technical character or
concerning correspondence passing be-
tween Mr. Hyde and the several witnesses
| in relation to transactions in public lands
The court sat from 10 O clock this morning
| until 12:45 o'clock. and at that hour ad-
jourrned. by order of Justice Stafford. until
| 10 o'c.ock Monday morning.
Letters Placed in Evidence.
When the trial was resumed this MORN
| ing the government placed in evidence a
number of letters written by F. A. Hyde
to f. r. Mccormack. the signatures to
which had been identified by Miss Doyle.
Miss Kincaid and other witnesses who
were on the stand earlier this week. The
letters related to many details in the
land transactions in Oregon. in which the
testimony of Mr.. Mccormack last Monday
showed he (McCornack) acted as Hyde's
agent. The elizabeth Dimond' letters
| were marked for identification. and they
were admitted to evidence on the claim by
the government that the letters had been
written by Hyde to Mccormack so as to
give the latter the impression that Eliza
beth Dimond was a real person. when. as
a matter of fact. Elizabeth Dlmond was
a fictitious person. The letters were
placed i'm evidence while Mr.. Mccormack
was on the witness stand.
Oswald West. formerly state land agent
i'm Oregon. was the first new witness
called by United States Attorney Baker
this morning. Mr.. West said he had
conducted an investigation, to discover
whether the names signed to many applt-
cations for school lands In the state were
genuine or fictitious. Most of the appli-
cations filed by George w. Davis, he said.
contained the names of residents of Ore
CON- but he could find only four of the
original signers of the Don Alexander
applications. On cross-examination Mr..
West admitted that he confined most OF
his investigation to the city of Portland.
and much of the search was accomplished
by the aid of the city directory.
Mr.. Mccormack was recalled to the
stand by United States Attorney Baker
and read series of letters to the jury
which had passed between the witness
and Mr.. Hyde tending to show the lat
ter's method of operating in lien lands
Cross-examfned by Attorney Birney.
counsel for Mr.. Benson, Mr.. Mccormack
stated that he had met Mr.. Benson only
two or three times, and he had no bust
ness dealings with Benson.
Agent Reynolds Witness.
Thomas H. Reynolds, agent for the
Wells-Fargo Express Company in Salem.
Ore. at the present time and also in 1895.
was the next witness today, and he ident-
fled as being in his handwriting the rec
ords of the company. particularly an en-
try of August -. 1895. This showed that
$924.7O and seven land applications had
been received from j. III. Schneider, con-
signed to the Oregon state land office.
The express company's record was exhib-
tied to the jury. Other papers also con-
cerned in land transactions were shown
to Benjamin F. Allen. forest supervisor
In California, who was also recalled to
the stand and as identified by him they
were read to the jury. !
At 1915 o'clock the court took an ad-
journment until 10 o'clock Monday morn
ing. -..