Page:Looters of the Public Domain.djvu/184

 "Did you, Mr. Puter, have any business dealings with the Senator prior to 1902?"

"Yes, sir, I did," was my reply. I thereupon stated the nature of these relations.

Mr. Heney then asked me to indicate what business, if any, I had had with the Senator during 1902.

I replied that I had employed Senator Mitchell in Washington, D. C, as my attorney, for the purpose of expediting the patents to the 12 homestead claims in Township 11 S., Range 7 E., in Linn county, Oregon, involving those upon which I was tried and convicted.

In response to Mr. Heney's suggestion that I explain to the members of the Grand Jury all about the method of acquiring title to the 12 fraudulent homestead entries. I proceeded to give a detailed account of how the lands had been located through McKinley and myself, as described fully in a preceding chapter. I explained further how the entries had been suspended by the General Land Office pending an investigation; how I had bought off Special Agent Loomis, of the Oregon City District, and also Captain Ormsby, Superintendent of the Cascade Forest Reserve, both of whom had been detailed by the Land Department to investigate the character of the homestead claims; and further, how I had personally gone to Washington City shortly after the reports of the Government officials had been transmitted to headquarters, and how, upon my arrival there. I had employed Senator Mitchell to use his influence with Binger Hermann, Commissioner of the General Land Office, to secure the issuance of patents without further delay. After I had entered into a careful explanation of all these details Mr. Heney then asked me this question:

"Mr. Puter, have you any documents in your possession bearing upon the statements you have just made?"

"Nothing," I replied, "other than the memorandum book in which I keep my private accounts."

"Have you got that book with you?" he asked. I replied in the affirmative.

He then requested me to give the jurymen a detailed statement of the transactions recorded therein.

With book in hand, I went on to explain how I had furnished all funds necessary to cover the expense of locating the 10 homesteaders on the different claims, and how two of the entrymen had filed on two claims each. This transaction took place in December, 1900. I also made mention of expenses incurred during February and March, 1901, in taking the same parties back to Oregon City and Albany, when they made final proofs; date of transfer by deed to Emma L. Watson, showing amounts paid to each entryman; dates and amounts paid to J. A. W. Heidecke for showing Special Agent Loomis and Forest Superintendent Ormsby the alleged improvements on the various tracts; dates upon which Loomis received the sum of $1,000, in two $500 payments; date that $500 was paid to Merritt Ormsby, son of the Forest Superintendent, for the benefit of his father; expense account of my trip to Washington City and return, together with the payment of $2000 bribe money to Senator Mitchell. This latter entry appeared in the book as a payment to "Cap.," the term being used to designate the point where the expense was incurred.

After relating my story, one of the jurymen requested permission to examine the book, which I handed him, and after looking it over carefully, more particularly with reference to entries on that certain page containing all transactions concerning township 11-7, he passed it to the next juryman, and in that manner the book went the rounds.

I was then subjected to a cross-fire of questions from all directions, the jurymen, if anything, being as deeply interested in obtaining the bottom facts as Mr. Heney himself, and what one did not think of, another would, and in this way they drew out of me practically everything connected with the fraudulent transactions. Page 178