Los Angeles herald., 1910-01-13
SAYS HERMANN
COVETED HONOR
WANTED TO BE SENATOR"
DECLARES HENEY
PROSECUTOR SCORES FORMER
COMM ISSloNER
Trial of Once Prominent Federal Of
ficial at Portland Marked by
Dramatic Statements of
Graft Nemesis
Associated Pressl


PORTLAND, Ore, Jan. 1--WE do
not expect to prove that Binger Herr
mann got any school lands or other
wise profited financially by the crea-
ton of this reserve; but we do expect
to show that Mr.. Herrpann was
receptive candidate for United States
senator-he had his lightning rod out
I'VE expect to show also that Mays
was a state senator, that Jones and
smith were members of the state as
sembly and that Hermann wanted
the support of these three prominent
politicians in furtherance of his po-
litical ambitions"
This, said Francis J. Heney, senior
counsel for the prosecution, during
his opening statement today, was the
motive which the government would
attempt to prove induced Hermann
to become a party to an alleged con-
spiracy to defraud the government Of
part of the public domain.
The Hermann trial made rapid
strides today. The opening arguments
had been completed at noon and six
witnesses had been examined when
court adjourned.
Alleged Conspiracy
Mr.. Heney said a conspiracy had
existed to form the Blue Mountain
reserve and that Hermann partici-
pated in it, that he aided and abetted
the alleged conspiracy, even giving out
advance information concerning it
and expediting the withdrawal of the
lands at the behest of Franklin Pierce
Mays. who already has been convicted
upon this indictment.
A. S. Worthington of Washington,
d. c., for the defense, declared there
was nothing in Binger Herrmann's
career as commissioner of the general
land office that could not bear the
strongest light, and his client had
called attention to the frauds that
were being perpetrated under the lieu
law and taken every measure to pre-
vent them. He said that in general,
so far as the creation of the Blue
Mountain reserve was concerned,
Herrmann's acts We're solely of a
routine nature.
The government began the introduc-
tion of its testimony directly Col Wor-
thington had finished, the most impor-
tant witness of the day being Henry
Heldrum, former surveyor general of
Oregon.
Several witnesses were introduced to
show the character of the land en-
DIdt6u III lle G6StINGSJ anu I1clily IiCA-
drum was called.
Objects to Meldrum
objection was made to Medium tes-
ttfying because he had never been re-
stored to citizenship after having
served a term in prison in connection
with alleged irregularities in the ad-
ministration of the office of surveyor
general.
A telegram from washington was in
troduced showing that the president
was about to restore Meldrum to citi-
zenship. and Meldrum was permitted
to testify.
Medium described the meeting be-
tween Mays and Hermann which oc-
CURED in his Office in Portland in Sep
tember, 1901, when the government
charged the alleged conspiracy was
formed, and of a conversation which
witness testified he had with Hermann
a few days later.
During this conversation Medium
sWore that Hermann suggested to him
that he raise the money and take up
some of the school lands within the
borders of the proposed reserve.
capt. Salmon b. Ormsby, a former
superintendent of forest reserves who
approved the location of the Blue
Mountain reserve, and who during the
trial of Franklin p. Mays and others
under this indictment confessed that he
received two sections of school land for
fixing the boundaries as desired by
Mays and his friends, was on the stand
when court adjourned.