Evening journal., 1916-12-11
READ N1RE Letters
IN cold Mine CASE
Trial Resumed With Addi-
tional Light on Bonnell-
Miller Correspondence
CASE is LIKELY TO
GO INTO THIRD WEEK


Trial of Charles S. Miller and Ray
nond McCune, charged with using the
nails to defraud. and conspiracy, was
esumed before Judge Edward G
Bradford in Federal Court at 11.3O
clock this morning, with District
Attorney Charles +. Curiey still pre-
senting testimony for the prosecution.
This is the beginning of the second
full week for the trial and the pros
poets are that the case will continue
through this week and the greater
part Of next
During the hour and a half before
adjournment for the noon recess, d s.
trict Attorney Curley proceeded with
reading OF the letters which passed
between George p. p. Bonnell erst-
while treasurer of the Maranon River
Placers Company, 70 its president,
Charles S. Miller. which was inter-
-upted by the adjournment Of court
IN F'r day afternoon
Under date OF January q, 1915.
Mr.. Bonnell, who was i'm Peru in the
interests of the company at the time.
wrote Mr.. Miller fully on conditions
the gold fields as he had found
hem. In the letter Bonnell recapitu-
ates the substance Of previous letters
written to Miller and recommends
hat p. p. Frost. one of the miners
tent by the company to investigate
conditions, be called back to New
Fork and allowed to give a report
IN the gold fields. thus saving the
tockholders $4,000. tho cost Of an
Expert engineer who at the time was
IN his way to Peru to look over the
ield at the request OF the stockhold-
'rs, who, the letter intimated, had
become suspicious and had demanded
a thorough investigation.
The letter went into details at
length and gave a concise history of
the work done on the Peruvian gold
fields. II was shown that Bonnell
wrote Miller fully as to what he had
found, with the charge that the re.
sponsibility OF continuing the work af-
ser certain revelations had been made
-ested with Miller. lie informer NIL
er that the reason the experts did
iot forward regular reports on values
" gravel was that the reports did not
come up to the values shown IN the
irst tests.
Bonnell stated in sne letter that the
irst information he had received as
% the real character of the gold fields
vas given him by Mr.. Frost one night
following a fight with the natives. dur
ng which two natives were killed and
another was wounded.
THAT night" the letter recited,
Frost came to me and declared that
the gold fields were a wild ca
scheme and that the company would
never make a cent out Of it."
Bonnell urged Miller - 10 all in li
power 20 bring workings at the gol'
fields to a finish, suggesting that tn
revelations would be only. the mou
nasty BY postponing the close. IL
charged that AIcIienry. one OF th
miners, and McCune, were "stringing IN
directors and would continue to do g
rs long as there was any opportunit.
of getting money out of the company
He had only words Of praise and eoRii
dence for Frost
The original of this letter. Mr.. Bon
neil said, was sent TO Charles S. Miller
while carbon copies were mailed to Johl
!. Raskob, a stakeholder, and Henry 4
Bowman, an engineer.
When placed on tho witness STAN
again this morning Bonnell stated tina
he madc a second trip to the Peruviai
gold fields, leaving New York Septembe
25. 1915, in company with Unite
state Postofice Inspector Henry
Barber and Engineer Henry II. Bowman
at the request Of United States Dis
trict Attorney John P. Nields, Of thi
city, 10 investigate matters
Judge David T. Marvel, presiden. O
he Maranon Rivers Placers, and Nj
Nields we're placed on the stand d
estify as 10 the receipt NJ documen
airy evidence, etc, from Bonnell upol
the lRtter's return from Peru tn
first time.
Much interest oentered in iette
which was read after some sensa
ional preparation for ifs presenta
ton. Mr.. Nields testified that hi
clerk had put together fragments q
This certain letter which had bee
found in q scrap basket near Nc
Cunes room on the Maranon Rive
property IN Peru torn in pieces an
Mr.. Curley proceeded 10 read it. Part
Of the letter were missing, the dat
and the address. but as II urged N
person to whom il was written 10 sen
his wife back to New York with as
surances that she would be handled
IN such a way that she would rails
no obstacle TO anything in the mind
Of the promoters, and McCune wa
shown to be the only man who ha
his wife there with him. the lettt
was purported TO have been write
TO McCune. The letter was signf
providence" Mr.. Miller's code nam
In the letter Miller alluded TO
Philippine trader who had receive
s26S.O00 more for a cargo OF sug5
than he had expected show he VIZ
trying to induce to invest in son
OF the gold mining stock. and, Il
letter. stated. with every prospect
success.
Henry A. Wise. Of counsel for NJ
Cune. began his Cross examination
Bonnell at 1890 O'Clock and was ST
proceeding when court adjourned Il
the noon recess. Bonnell admitt'
that he kept a diary while In Pei
which enabled him TO present even
In their sequence and so accurate
to define dates.
E,onnell stated that during the fir
month after his arrival at the go
fields little or nothing was done
the way OF active work on the claim
He did a little "panning" for gold hiI