Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-29
WITNESS BECOMES ILL
Sensation at Hearing Of So
Called Land Frauds Case.
BARTELS DROPS IN FAINT
Testimony Regarding Sales of
School Land Rights"
OBJECTIONS BY THE DEFENSE
Eugene A. Page Alleges His sigma
ture to Certain Papers Had
Been Forged.
BARTELS DROPS IN FAINT
OBJECTIONS BY THE DEFENSE

sensation not on the program OF
either side was provided in Criminal Court
No. this morning when H. F. Bartels
of Portland. Greg. one of the witnesses
called by the government to testify In the
so-called land fauds investigation. sud
denly became Ill and lapsed into uncon'
sciousness. Mr.. Bartels had just left the
witness stand after testifying concerning
his connection with one of the minor
transactions by which 1t is sought to es'
tablish the conspiracy to wrongfully &C.
quire state and government public lands
as alleged against the four defendants
Messrs. Hyde. Benson. Schneider and
Dimond. He had taken a seat In the
marshars Office. and one of the deputies
saw him drop over in a faint. He slipped
halfway to the floor. The ambulance
from the Emergency Hospital was called,
and the sufferer was carried to that in
stitution. The surgeons at the hospital
diagnosed Bartels' ailment as faintin9
spell superinduced by excitement. His
condition Is said to be not serious. and
he will probably be able to leave the
hospital this afternoon.
First Witnesses Called Today.
The government continued today Offer
ing the same character of testimony with
which most of the past two days have
been consumed. Lillian York Of Portland,
Ore. and Fred Wittenstrom of Rocco.
Ore. being the first two witnesses called.
The latter stated that he sold his school
land rights for 81. Mrs. York. wife Of
Milton York. who testified yesterday.
stated however. that the signatures OF
her name as 1t appeared on the applica-
ton and assignment blanks were forger-
les. Objection was made by the defense
to the testimony OF Wittenstrom. on the
ground that the defendants could not be
held responsible for the acts OF men who
purported to be acting as their agents.
when it was manifest that they could not
know the exact nature Of these acts.
In answering the objection United States
Attorney Baker stated the government
had already partially shown, and r ex-
pected to still further prove, that Messrs.
Hyde and Schneider not only knew of the
acts which were expected of their agents,
but they received reports, in a majority Of
cases. showing how applications had been
secured. The testimony was admitted I'M
der objection and exception.
Alleged Forgery.
Eugene e. Page, an auctioneer of Port
land. testified that the signature of his
name to an application to purchase" and
an assignment of the land claim was a
forgery in each case.
Clarence H. Ford Of Portland stated
that he received IS upon disposing Of his
school rights. and exactly similar testi-
mony was given by Edward L. Aiken. also
Of Portland, who said his wife. too, re-
ceived IS for disposal Of her school land
rights.
H. F. Bartels. fire insurance agent of
Portland. identified his signature on papers
of the same character, but he could not
remember" signing it.
Testimony concerning alleged land trans
actions in 1902 or 1903 was offered by
Daniel d. Tennyson Of San Jose. Cal.
Witness said he had been acquainted with
F, A. Hyde since 1877, and either 1902 or
1903 Hyde met him and said there might
be something in it If he secured applica-
tions for some school lands Mr.. Tenny-
son testified that he secured a number OF
applicants. to some of whom he paid 50
cents each and to others 81 each for sign
ing away their rights. Among the appli-
cants named by Mr.. Tennyson as among
a shoemaker John Conner. an old SOL
der; Wallace Edison. occupation not
given: J. ]. HILL a tramp" Simon Tur-
ner. a colored express wagon driver:
Charles Waltz, laborer: c. =. Bardweii.
an inmate of the Soldiers Home: James
L. Crowner laborer. and others.
Witness said none of the applicants had
followed up the applications in their own
interest. either In paying any portion OF
the required 1928 per acre or signing
promissory notes for such payments, Mr..
Tennyson added that he sent the appli-
cations to Mr.. Hyde as rapidly as they
were secured. and for each one he re-
ceived s..
United States Attorney Baker was read
ing a sample Of the Tennyson applica-
tons to the jury when Justice STAFFORD
ordered a recess from 1890 o'clock until
1 80.
Afternoon Session Yesterday.
Nearly all Of yesterday afternoon was
devoted by the government to proving the
payment of small sums Of money to diff
ferent residents of Oregon to sign away
their rights to purchase" school lands
from the state. In each case. the testi-
mony showed the men whom the govern
ment has already sought to indicate acted
as agents for r. A. Hyde and for Joost
H. Schneider paid s. each to the Ore
gonians.
J. ]. Delury. Milton York. Nina Bosko-
WITT. Edward Lang, Louis e. Judson.
Victor P. Conckling and Richard p. Sib-
ley. all of Portland. Ore, were the wit
nesses, and each of them stated the only
requirement to receiving the S was the
signing of their names to the proper ap-
plication and assignment blanks.