Page:Looters of the Public Domain.djvu/171



$20 by Tarpley to accompany Ormsby into the mountains. At the same time Tarpley flashed a draft for $250 in my face which was made payable to me, and which Tarpley said would be turned over to me as soon as patents issued on the 12 claims."

This draft was then introduced in evidence by Heney, and proved to be a certificate of deposit for $250 made in the name of Emma L. Watson at the Wells-Fargo Bank in Portland. It was made payable to Heidecke by Mrs. Watson, and also bore the signature of Heidecke as payee.

"The day after Ormsby arrived at Detroit," continued Heidecke, "we started for the mountains, but I had not proceeded far when I pretended to be sick, and returned to Detroit, leaving the Captain in the lurch. He did not stay out very long, either, but came back to Detroit on the following day and asked me to sign a lot of affidavits testifying to the residence, improvements, etc., on the 12 claims.

"At first I declined to do so, but when Ormsby suggested that there was a great deal of timber being illegally cut on Government lands, and that the Page 165