The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1908-04-10
LETTERS READ
in LAND CASE
ATTORNEY WROTE DEFENDANT
NE HAD BEEN CARELESS.
AN EMPLOYE TESTlHIES
Teiis How He Went to Arizona to
Persuade One Of the Former En-
ployes Of Defendant Not to Confess
Anything More to Secret Agents.

Anything More to Secret Agents
washington, April 9.-Interesting
testimony was given today in the
Hyde-Benson : Dimon Schneider land
fraud case by Walter K. Stack, who
was in the employ of Hyde and Ben.
son for several years. Stack testified
in regard to the relations existing be
tween Hyde and Benson in the con-
duct Of their business and also told Of
the work done by Dimond and
Schneider, the other defendants.
According to the witness, a joint
account was kept of the money and
lands handled by Hyde and Benson.
He said their Offices which were with
in half a square of each other, were
connected by private telephones. He
said that Dimond was employed by
Hyde as his confidential man. Stack
testified that Schneider had been
sent by Hyde to Oregon to secure
school lands.
The government drew from the wit
ness the statement that he was sent
to Tucson, Ariz., by Hyde to endeavor
to. get Schneider to withhold further
information from the government at
ter he had already made a partial con-
fession to an agent of the land office.
Strong Gard Played.
Perhaps the government played one
Of its strongest cards when several
letters passing between Dimond and
Hyde shortly after the scandal was
.unearthed were submitted to the Jury.
These letters disclosed the fact that
bitter enmity existed between Hyde
and Schneider. Schneider formerly
was employed by Hyde in San Fran
cisco, but they quarreled and later
Schneider told all he knew Of the al
legged frauds, which resulted in the in
yestigations and the indictments Of
the four men. Hyde wrote to Di-
mond, his attorney in Washington.
upon date Of January Is, 1903: "Will
be better OF after Richards comes in
than we are now. It may be we'll to
let the matter rest until Hermann
gets out Of oface."
Hyde shows his i'll feeling for
Schneider in letter written to Dr.
mOnd the following date:% sst'
If they will suspend anything on
the mere unsupported statement Of q
blackmailer, why would not my state
ment in return be equally effective to
remove them? 1t Is utterly impossible
for me to trace all Of the people and
it would be inconyenient to trace 9th
ers for 1t would subject me to almost
unlimited blackmail. Try and find
some way and keep it quiet any way"
Hyde Wrote Of Schneider.
Hyde also refers to Schneider in.
this tenor: with Schneider's vivid
imagination and his malignant spirit
this was sufficient basis for him to
make the wild statements he did,
which he never would dare anywhere
else" The letter states also that
Schneider took advantage Of ignorant
persons and made representations to.
buyers Of land.
The false statements Schneider Is
trying to fasten on me" Hyde said in
another letter, Il do not fear, but I do
fear the disreputable, underhanded
methods Of those special agents. They
will lie, and intimidate people with
the. same recklessness that Is mani
tested in giving proof in criminal
courts" EN-
Dimond, who realized the situation
in Washington while the scandal was
becoming exceedingly uncomfortable
for Hyde, wrote the latter as follows:
THE publicity amounts to this
that the order is day by day coming
generally known. 1t involves a large
number OF people and is bound to be-
come public property. II the press
should hear that a secret order exist
ed. we can rest assured that they
would leave no stones unturned to
give it to the people and make It as
%scandalous as possible. Franklin"
Dimond concludes, "you were making
money too fast and got careless, there
by laying yourself liable to such a ca
lamity as has happened and it is not
a question Of what you want to do but
what you will have to do"
IMPORTANT TRIAL