Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-07
$4,000 for Witnesses.

heen brought to Washington at the ex-
perse OF the United States because the
defendants by affidavit established the
fact that they were rot financially able 20
pcy For their own witnesses. The travel
ing expenses alone of the 1G4 witnesses
from the west has aggregated d small
forum ne Iailroai fares. meals. herths
and other necessary adjuncts of travel
tctal.nC apprC ximately 500 FOR each one.
And this ITEM will he considerably in
creased. because its accounting in each
Individual instance has been based upon
tha allowance of only 81 - a day as a
witness fee. and Congress near the end
g the past session. by an item of $1,000
in the general deficiency bill specified
that each OF the witnesses should receive
So day
This appropriation was made because
CT the hardship forced upon many of the
witnesses. who deprived Of their regular
means of employment were literally
compelled 70 live in a strange city on the
81 ~ q day allowed them by The gov
eminent. At different times during the
trial several witnesses were practically
stranded in Washington. They we're en-
abled 10 return to their homes only by
securing loans from others more for
tunately situated CT from some of the
attorneys in the case. TIE matter ult!-
mately reached such a stage that At
torney Joseph {. Campbell. counse! for
Mr.. Benson. and himself a prominent
citizen Of san Francisco, brought il TO
the attention Of Representatives Kahn
and Hayes. and the item in the general
deficiency bill resulted
TIE records of the marshaIs Office show
that nearly 81 Nti as been expended
W TO the present time in witness fees
and expenses. Roughly estimating the
distance Travelled by each OF the los wit
neSses each way across the continent at
80 miles. il is evident that the aggre-
gate distance of railroad travel on ac-
count o. tie trial has almost reached the
stupendous total of 4c2,c0o miles.
$4,000 for Nothing.
And none OF these statistics take into
account the $4,000 expended last year in
bringing about eighty witnesses across
the continent. only TO have the trial post
poned nor the distance then Travelled.
ncr yet the numerous trips across the
United States FOR the defendants and
their attorneys
TN" other considerable item in the cost
Of the trial has been the stsrocraphic re-
port OF The proceedings The record at
The present Tina hes eac!.ed a total Of
6|fb pages. ~ III e copies Of tie record
go To the attorneys cor tie defense each
day. and like number TO the govern
n. It's total cost 10 date has been up
ward Of Sl1un. This charge has been
based or an average Of three foliCs or
.SEt words 70 the page. 50 that The busy
operators who have copied il have tran
scriped grand total of lG&p,so words
Each typewriter line is about six inches
in length. and by thus juggling with the
hSGraS ii can be shown that the type-
written l!nss. If piac q end 70 end. would
DC ht~t'sb inches. more than 100
miles in length
I" the cost Of the trial has also been
added the services Of a handwriting ex-
ri who has b. on in Washington for
dhoht sin we X. Besides his Sc; fee Of
$50 Ee Is being paid At the rate of S1J
day. 50 tnat his stmoaH alone will have
cast nearly. il not quit. 81 ,UD before the
ca>N is eadsd.
The land fraud casa has been pendn.
practically since The date Of the susoen-
sicn order issued by Secretary Hitch
cock. Secretary Of tile Department. Of
the Interior November II 1876. This
i al the effect Of stopping the wheels of
t.t general land offir SO far as the is
suance Of additional title deed TO all pub
lie lands in which there was reason to
suspect fraudulent entries Of applications.
Then followed all exhaustive investisa-
ton by corps of ten spec ial agents for
the government all through the west and
northwest in oregon. Montana Idaho
California. New Mexico aid the state of
Washington. Finally February IL 1904
the aderal grand jury in this CITY re-
turn-d Indictment against Messrs
Hydr. enson. Dimond and Schneider and
the active proceedings We're begun
Cost of Counsel Fees.
hearing on the question OF removal
Of Msssrs. Hyde and Dinond from their
own STATE TO this jurisdiction was held in