Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-16
SERIES OF TRANSACTIONS
CONNECTION OF HYDE SHOWN
BY GOVERNMENT WITNESS.
Proceedings Today in Trial Of Land
Frauds Case-Admission
by the Defense.

| Bridging gap caused by calling wit
nesses out of order today. the government.
in the trial of Messrs. Hyde. Benson. Di-
mond and Schneider. before Justice STAFF
| ford. in Criminal Court No. I, called one
Of its most important witnesses. E. r.
Mccormack a banker of Salem. Ore. BY
| his testimony Mr.. Hyde was connected
directly with great series of transactions
in public lands in Oregon in the year 1898.
The defense sought to expedite the exam
| ination Of the witness by admitting that
| Mr. Mccormack acted as agent for Mr..
Hyde and that Mr.. Hyde furn shed the
money to finance the transactions. Asked
by United States Attorney Baker If the
persons who signed the applications which
were brought to him ever paid for the
land. Mr.. Mccormack said that he paid
| for all of the land himself and drew
drafts on Hyde for his own compensation
and for reimbursement for his expenses
Transactions of Three Years.
Miss Isabella Kincaid Miss Marian L..
Doyle and Mrs. Bella A. Curtis. formerly
clerks in Hyde's employ, who had already
given the most important parts of their
testimony, were recalled. in turn. this
|
identify their initials to letters which they
signed for F. a. Hyde or F. A. Hyde &
| Co., and it was arranged that they might
| be finally excused and return TO their
homes in San Francisco after appearing In
court for possibly necessary cross-eXam-
| ination this afternoon.
| Mr.. Mccormack story on the witness
stand covered thu transactions OF about
three years 1897. 1898 and 1899. He said he
met MIR. Hyde in 1897. and after discus
sion with the latter regarding the vacant
| School lands in Oregon. an arrangement
was effected by which Mr.. Mccormack be-
came the agent for Mr.. Hyde The wit
ness said he was president of the First
National Bank of Salem. Ore. at that
time. and he appeared before the state
| land board in Salem in scores of cases in
which the defendant Hyde, was inter-
| ested
now did it happen that you entered
into this compact?' United States Attor-
| ney Baker asked
| Mr. Hyde said he had several clients
| who wanted to purchase school lands IN
Oregon" Mr.. Mccormack replied.
did you have written or verbal
agreement
;. I'VE had a verbal understanding by
| which I was to be compensated at the
rate of 10 cents per acre.
| Witness said he received the first series
of land applications for MIR. Hyde from
J. H. Schneider, and from the individual
| le0ger OF the Salem NaIlOudl bdHk.
which was put in evidence, he was able
to state that Schneider furnished funds to
make the necessary one-third first pay
ments for the land during the months Of
| August and September, 1893. The amount
| of money deposited and subsequently paid
out by Schneider in that period aggre-
gated 1880. After Schneider left the
| land applications were brought to him,
Mr. Mccormack said, by G. w. Davis.
As to First Payments.
Asked what he did about making the
first payments, amounting to one-tkird Of
$1.25, rthe price per acre of state school
lands, or ~ cents for every acre puE
chased for Mr. Hyde. Mr.. Mccormack
said he sometimes advanced the money
himself and then forwarded the certifi-
| Gates of sale and drew on Mr.. Hyde.
"And were those drafts hOnored?" Mr..
Baker queried.
They were
Attorney Worthington. for the defense.
said no question would be raised that
Mr.. Mccormack purchased the school
lands for Mr.. Hyde. and that Mr.. Hyde
furnis he'd the money for that purpose.
The entire remainder Of the morning
session of court was consumed in the
identification by Mr.. Mccormack of let
tiers which passed between himself and
Mr.. Hyde in reference to those transac-
lions.
ne USUAL recess was TAKEN
o'clock until 100 o'clock
Point for Defense.
In cross-examination of Miss kincaid
at the opening Of the afternoon session
Attorney Worthington secured testimony
| of considerable value to the defense, as
tending to support the claim that Hyde
and Benson were rivals and not Cocoon
spirators. when she said she remembered
Mr.. Hyde's anxiety to get applications
| into the state land Office at Sacramento
ahead of Mr.. Benson whenever new base
| lands were opened for entry.
| Miss Doyle was also subjected to a brief
but thorough cross-eXamination concern
| Ing the possible connection between Hyde
| and Benson in their business affairs. She
said she had kept the land docket in
Mr.. Hyde's office for two and one-hal.
years. 1899, 1900 and 1901. and that it
| contained all the entries relating to the
| school lands
| Mr.. Bensons name appeared in the
books at no place except at that in which
the joint account was kept. that account
being the result of the signed agreement
between Hyde and Benson. which has
already been admitted as evidence in the
case.