The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1910-02-03
PROSECUTION
PROGRESSING
DEFENDANT HERMANN ExAMiN-
ed AT LENGTH AS TO HIS
LAND GRAB ACTIONS
AGED MAN UNDERGoES WlTHER-
ING FIRE OF QUESTIONS FROM
PROSECUTOR HENEY

PORTLAND, Ore, Feb. All
through today in the cross examination
of former Congressman Binger Her
mann who is undergoing trial in the
limited States district court on charge
of coHsp:rac.- to defraud the govern
menl Of public land, Prosecutor Heney
uIicd the aged defendant with ques-
,ione raaa riding the extent OF knowledge
uog Sc ssed by Hermann concerning al
iegcG erauds in the Blue Mountain re-
serve and what efforts Hermann hao
mace 20 ascertain whether frauds were
ncilg perpetrated there In substance
Htrtrann's answers were that he had
sever known that the government was
TeiuE defrauded in this reserve, though
he did know that there had Deeh
frauds i'm connection with the creation
of nearly every other reserve In ore
Cou. This fact Hermann declared had
not excited his suspicion in the Blue
mountain case, nor did the fact that
huge frauds had been perpetrated IN
4Michigan and wisconsin under the tim
her and stone act, cause more than
Z general suspicion that men who
could cheat ct one time cheat any 9TH
er time.
The subject to which Heney devoted
the greatest share of time was to the
DwOrIling CT the lieu land law. Heney
asked l. it were not true that the
frauds complained of under this law
occurred while the investigation of the
merits of proposed reserves was in
progress The defendant replied in the
affirmative With this as q ground
work, the prosecutor asked if frauds
could not have been prevented by tenn
porarily withdrawing lands to be en-
braced within proposed reserves before
the investigation was ordered When
Hermapn responded affirmatively to
This question also, Heney manifested
great satisfaction.
Throughout the day there were
sharp exchanges between the defendant
and his int .rogatOr. On one Occas-
ion Heney asked Hermann if the rea-
on Hermann said he had not read an
article in a Portland paper telling in
detail how frauds in school lands were
pcrpetrated. was in order to keep from
admitting he did know that there was
fraud in the creation of the Blue Noun
tain reserves the defendant half rose
from his scat and almost shouting.
answered that there was not a word of
rs truth in such statement
Il don't Ike you insiuations. Mr..
Honey" Hermann Numbered, you are
trying to influence the jury"
q Hermann was still Dn the stand when
court adjourned until tomorrow
Mr.. Heney introduced and read to the
witness a letter from Secretary Hitch
cock TO Hermann telling of repeated
aumOrs of fraud. Hitchcock wanted to
know why the discoveries of fraud were
being made by outsiders and not by the
officials whose duty it was to guard
the publiC's interest. Pressed by
Prosecutor Heney Hermann admitted
that the fau,t hay in a great meas
ure with the character of the special
agent. Stress was laid by the defend
ant on the fault o fire lieu land law,
which he said enabled spectators to
gst rich by footing the public domain
Ae said he had asked for amend
fnents both to this law by the
violation Of which the speecula
tors were getting rich and loot the
public domain. He said he asked for
amendments both to this law and to
the timber and stone act. Hermann
declared that he knew persons were in
The school land indemnity business and
q his advice had been taken there
would never have been any need of
land fraud prosecution. Late in the
day Mr.. Heney went into the matter
of Hermann's political aspirations. To
questions on this subject, Hermann
said he had never been more than a
receptive candidate for United States
senator from Oregon. Heney intro
duced letter at this point purport-
'ng to be from Hermann to George c..
Rrowncll, an Oregon politician, saying
that in reward for efforts in behalf
of Hcrmann's candidacy. the writer
would see c. p. Huntington of the
southern Pacific company, in Brown
HlFS behalf. Hermann stated. in reDlv
{" questions that he had never been
specially friendly with Huntington
Heney instantly followed this assertion
OF Hermann's with another letter. said
p to have been written by Hermann to
RroWnell. in which the writer declared
that Huntington was warm friend of
the writer's and always called on him
when passing through Washington, D
G. The subject of Oregon's senatorial il
Campa 'Sns was still under considera
ton when court was adjourned until
tomorrow