Evening journal., 1916-12-13
MINING engineer
GIVES TESTIMONY
Maranon River Gold Fields
VaIueIeSS Commercially
In His Opinion
GOLD MINING CASE
FAR FROM ENDED

When the case OF Charles S. Miller
and Raymond McCune. charged with
using the mails TO promote a fraud
and also with conspiracy. was re-
sumed in the Federal Court yesterday
afternoon, Frank r. Short, the mining
engineer who was sent to the gold
fields OF Peru for the purpose of de
vising a means OF working the fields
20 advantage and also 20 make n re-
port on the value OF the deposits" was
replaced on the witness stand.
After qualifying as an expert, Mr..
Short told Of his findings on the
Moranon River Placers. Inc. property
IN answer 10 questions put 10 him by
district Attorney Charles F. Curley,
AIR Short testified that he had made
= careful examination OF the property,
testing gravel as we'll as twelve Of the
old pits. From ten of these pits, he
said, he bad obtained no traces OF
gold. while from two he had secured
color" Asked as to the value Of the
color Mr.. Short expressed his opin-
ion that il was worth possibly two
cents. The witness said be had been
unable to End any traces Of incas
workings on the property.
Summing up his testimony. Mr..
EN0II UNNAuANl NAlAh tAA' INNAN+hrsN 80
the Naranon river territory would
yield perhaps two cents worth Of gold
10 the cubic yard. This, he said, would
not be commercially profitable Ask
ed about the bottles of coarse gUid
which McCune was alleged TO have
exhibited to prospective directors and
stockholders, Mr. Short said he did
not think gold like that could have
come from the Maranon river gold
fields.
When cross examined by Henry A.
wise, OF counsel for McCune, Mr.
short denied that a letter he had re-
ceived from McCune upon his arrival
al Lima. Peru. on his way 10 the gold
6oids. in which McCune told him the
gold fields had been proven valueless,
he'd influenced him In his investiga-
tion. he said that he vent over the
property "a thoroughly end as con-
sclentiously as though he had not re-
ceivod the letter.
Ostro r. Hartman. Miss Catherine
\. O'Hanlon, Mrs. Winchester, MISE
LILLIAN Guenther. Mrs. Maude N. Jer.
Wis and Philip H. Wood we're called
20 the witness stand, by the prosecu-
ton and asked what had induced them
10 become interested IN financial
way in the company They az gave
credit to the report OF the gold helds
compiled by McCune, although III one
or two cases the witnesses admitted
that other circumstances had mnu'
enced them in their decision.
Postmaster James J. English was
called uRon TO identity certain letters
which he said we're mailed in New
York and received and delivered II
Wilmington, according 70 the pos
marks.
He was asked as 20 the standing
good name and reputation of Alexis !
dupont John ]. Raskob, william
Covne and David T. Marvel, and ht
said It was good.
Henry W. Lehman OF Brooklyn n
y a mining engineer OF seventeen
wears exper ence. told OF song e
peru In the faI Of 1915 with Mr.. Bon
nell and Postofiice Inspector Barber
arriving on the claims on November z
He told Of his instructions 10 IN
enect substantially the surface gravel
He spent one month on the propert,
and told OF his examination OF th'
placers.
Tests were made Of the pits alread!
made and he told OF the sinking o
lew ones.
He found evidences OF pits mad
before his arrival and told OF gcin
over the most OF the property.
Asked about his knowledge OF tn
number OF pits dug before his Al
riAal he SAID there we're %, Inspect
or Barber also found q
lie said ne reopened every pit q
indication OF such and made new pit
He nut down 20 on the east side {
tho Marauon River In addition 10 th
20 found On the west side he e.
afnined thirteen OF the % found.
an his examinations he only foun
one evidence of coarse gold, a piec
about one-third the size Of the head 4
MN. Asked about the maximum
depth Of the old pits found. he sal
be found three OF seventeen feet an
flie depth Of others varied from Re
inches 70 three or four feet.
He was next asked about his tes'
of the samples and said the only go
he found was Of a very fine natul
and without commercial value in sue
small quantities. He brought II
samples back aud took them 90 col
Germ in New York 20 be we ghed.
He said each bottle corresponds
The pit from which il was taken. T
said the highest value he found WI
es-z cents per cubic yard.
IN response TO a question by q
court, he said he would not ha'
made favorable report because
the physical disadvantage.