Page:Looters of the Public Domain.djvu/216

 Kribs endeavored in every conceivable way to hedge out of making the insertion as directed, and when he finally did put it in, it was only to be scratched out and re-written, as he had failed to employ the exact language used in his verbal statement to Burns, lie eventually capitulated completely, and after attaching his signature to the document in its complete form, took the customary oath that the statement was true and correct in every particular.

Mr. Kribs and myself then left together, going direct to his office, where we met my brother, L. F. Puter, who had acted as one of my attorneys throughout the 11-7 trial, as well as my legal representative in my suit against C. A. Smith.

While engaged in discussing the telegrams that had passed between Smith and Kribs that morning, the latter received notice from the Merchants National Bank to the effect that they were in receipt of the sum of $10,467.45, and that they had instructions to turn this amount over to S'. A. D. Puter. upon Kribs' indorsement.

My brother thereupon took up the matter with Kribs, and between them they arranged for the withdrawal of my suit against Smith, which was consummated by wire with his attorneys in Minneapolis to their entire satisfaction. At the same time, Smith's lawyers dismissed his counter suit against me.

My brother then accompanied Kribs to the Merchants National Bank, where the money was turned over.

A few days later, Mr. Kribs appeared before the United States Grand Jury and gave testimony which resulted in the indictment of Senator John H. Mitchell and James Henry Booth, the latter being Receiver of the Roseburg Land Office.

It might be added that it was on this charge, known as the "Kribs Indictment," that Senator Mitchell was tried and convicted, and not on what is commonly called the "Puter Indictment," as Mr. Heney considered the evidence presented by Mr. Kribs, corroborated as it was by the introduction of documentary evidence in the form of cancelled vouchers, to be much more conclusive than that given by myself, and upon which the first indictment against the Senator was returned.

Page 210