Jasper County Democrat, Volume 10, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 September 1907 — PERJURED TESTIMONY [ARTICLE]

PERJURED TESTIMONY

Witness in the Senator Borah Land Fraud Case Makes Startling Admissions. _ 4 PROSECUTION IN A BAD LIGHT Swears Ho Was Hired to Swear to Any Old Thing. Being Offered Complete Immunity ibr Himself in Return —Forgets Who Hired Him, Too— Other Testimony. Boise, Ida., Sept 2G.—The first sen sation the trial of United State, Senator Borah came when Albert Kianop Nugent, the second witness pro duced by the government, admitted on

cross-examination that he committed perjury in taking- out a timber Ifimi claim; admitted that be had been promised absolute immunity by an officer of the federal government for testifying; admitted that at the request of the federal officer he had sworn to a complaint against a man whom he did not know, and lastly proclaimed that he believed it to be the part of his bargain for immunity that he should swear to any complaint against any person, regardless of any knowledge that he might have as to the person’s guilt.

Couldn’t Remember tbe Man. When the name of the federal officer who induced him to sign the complaint was asked by Senator Borah’s counsel the witness swore positively that he could not remember it. The day was given over to the introduction of a mass of paper on file in the land office here at Boise, and to the evidence of two men who said they received money from John I. Wells with which to prove their timber land claims. Wells is one of the men Indicted with Senator Borah. Counsel for the latter did not object to this testimony, on the understanding that the transaction in question would ultimately be connected up in some way W’fth the senator on trial. Perjurer Can’t Swear to Intent. The defense scored its first point of the. trial early in the examination of tbe witness, a man named Anderson. He was asked by Special Prosecutor Rusli what his intent was when he took out a timber claim. Judge Whitson. who Is. presiding, sustained an objection based on the ground that a man confessing perjury, as Anderson did, could not properly testify as to any secret intent he may have had locked up in his breast. Anderson and Nugpnt both testified that they received from John I. Wells $412 with which to prove their claims, and each received $250 additional for transferring the claims Barber Lumber company’s interests. Agreement Followed tbe Filing. Anderson, an elderly Swede, was not cross-exam filed, but Nugent admitted that Jie had made no agreement to transfer his lands at the time he filed upon them. He said that there never was anything but a verbal agreement and he could not remember where or In whose presence such a contract wns made. Nugent said he witnessed the papers filed by Anderson, and was then confronted by a complaint signed by him charging Louis M. Pritchard with having conspired with Anderson to get title to the land. Prosecutor Asks tor Time. Nugent said he did not know any such person, or anything about his connection with the alleged laud frauds; he declared that all he knew was what he had read in some newspaper, a story to the effect that Pritchard was involved. Prosecutor Rush

demanded to know of tne witness If any officer of the government had ever asked him to swear falsely. Nugent replied that he had always been told to tell nothing but the truth. Rush said he had never heard of Nugent’s connection with the Pritchard complaint and desired time to look into the matter. and the court adjourned for the day.