Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-14
LINK IN CHAIN OF EVIDENCE
CLAIMS TO SCORE
IN LAND FRAUDS CASE.
Testimony of Miss Curtis Regarded
AZ 1mportant-Lines Of the
Inquiry.

According to the views of the prosecu-
ton another link was added today to the
chain of evidence which the government
Is seeking to wrap around Messrs. Hyde.
Benson. Dimond and Schneider in the
trial of the so-called land frauds case in
Criminal Court No. /. This new link came
in the testimony Of Miss Bell a. Curtis,
formerly a clerk in Hydes Office in San
Francisco. who stated that she had
ceived $50 from her employer for signing
away her rights to a section Of the state
school lands in California.
In the opening statement for the gov
eminent Assistant Attorney General A.
b. Pugh declared that the evidence would
SHOW that Hyde and Benson were closely
associated in their land deals: that papers
were frequently certified to in blank be-
fore notary public; that one OF the de-
PENDANTS, Schneider. went to- Oregon and
there secured large quantity of school
lands for Hyde. and that scores of per-
sons We're persuaded to sign away their
claims to this land for purely nominal
compensation. Besides the testimony of
Miss Curtis. United States Attorney
Baker also offered evidence before the
jury today from Don Alexander. a notary
public in Portland. Ore, to the effect that
Alexander had affixed the jurat to many
papers without seeing the persons to
whose signatures he was supposed to be
certifying.
Mr.. Alexander Continues.
Don Alexander, notary Of Portland.
Ore, who testified yesterday afternoon
that he placed the jurat on many land
applications and assignments of land
grants without seeing the persons who
were supposed to swear to their sigma
lures, returned to the witness stand this
morning and continued the same line of
testimony. He said that he affixed his
seal and signature to these papers al
most always at the request of Joost II.
Schneider.
In ~cross-examinaton Alexander was
asked II he was in the habit of swearing
to papers In blank. and he replied that
ne could not remember having done such
thing at any other time. He said
Schneider came into his office. announced
hlmseif as stranger in the city and.
before Schneider departed. Alexander
signed and sealed number Of blank
papers. Witness could not identify
Schneider in the courtroom.
Miss Bella A. Curtis, who was a clerk in
1yde's office. and who followed Alexander
on the witness stand. declared that Ben
son often came into Hyde's Office and the
TWO were frequently together. Occasional
ly Miss Curtis took stenogra phic dictation
from Benson, but when asked to relate
the character of the correspond .nce she
could remember no details except that the
letters were on business concerning the
public lands. Witness also knew about
Schneiders trip to Oregon, which. she
said, had been taken to secure school
lands or forest reserve lieu lands for
Hyde. She described the reports received
in Hyde's Office from Schneider and the
letters written to the latter, for some of
which she took dictation.
Regarded as Important.
The government also brought in what
was regarded as another important point
In its case by Miss Curtis. when she was
asked and answered affirmatively that she
had taken up a land claim in California
forest reserve at Mr. Hyde's suggestion
She went before a notary and swore to her
signature, and again when she made as
signmer. OF the title TO Mr. Hyde. Miss
claim. and subsequently the janitor in
the building in which Hyde's Office was
located executed a similar transaction
and received similar compensation. After
that Miss Curtis saw the janitor bring
several men into Hyde's office, but she
did not know what they did there. Wit
ness told about the Dear Sir letters all
OF which. she said, were directed by Hyde.
personally. but she saw one envelope one
day and. as we'll as she could remember.
ington.'' She could not remember either
the first name or the street address. Miss
Curtis was on the stand when a recess
was taken at 1890 o'clock.
Mr.. McCusker Resumes.
Mr.. McCusker resumed the stand when
court reconvened for the afternoon sas-
sion yesterday, and he continued in a line
OF testimony regarding different persons
whom he secured to sell their school
rights to Mr.. Schneider.
On cross-eXamnatiOn Mr.. McCusker
said: we all thought We were entitled
to purchase school lands in Oregon. and
if We didn't want 10 buy the land we
thought we could dispose of that right
McCusker declared he had not known
anything about the school rights UNI
til Schneider came to Portland and told
him about it. Witness said a man named
LewisOhn (whom lie pointed out in the
courtroom, sitting beside the defendant,
Benson) came to Portland soon after the
first stories Of investigations Of the land
frauds were afioat and tried TO get him to
sign some papers lin the interest of in
nocent third parties.
McCusker stated he refused to sign
anything. and vouchsafed the reply
that he would give information to the
governments agents. but to no one else
1t was brought out that he had subse-
quently made a full statement to Spe-
rial Agent RurnS