As for Montague, it is safe to state that he presented the most abject appearance of any that had thus far been called to the witness stand. Remorseful and hollow-eyed, full of contrition, with blanching features and quivering voice, and eyes that constantly sought the floor, he had told the story of his downfall and shame, and it had become part of the history of the fraudulent transactions. He was not cross-examined, as our attorneys thought he had been punished enough.
W. F. Hammer, Clerk of Linn County during 1901-2, testified that he had no knowledge of the fact that his deputy was signing his name to papers other than those of a legitimate character. He corroborated Montague in regard to the signatures.
Miss Minda McCoy, stenographer in the office of the Linn County Abstract Company, who knew McKinley, remembered having furnished him with the abstract for the George A. Howe claims.
Colonel A. R. Greene was recalled, and related the incident connected with his interview with Dr. Frank H. Walgamot at the time he called upon the latter for the purpose of securing a statement from him relative to his homestead entry in township 11-7. The Colonel declared that Walgamot had informed him that one of his witnesses, Charles Burley, was in California, while the other, Joseph Wilson, was the newsboy on a Southern Pacific train, and investigation had proven the so-called "Joseph Wilson" to be none other than Thomas R. Wilson, chief clerk of the State Penitentiary at Salem.
When Colonel Greene was excused from the stand. Air. Heney called for Thomas R. Wilson, but it was found that he was not in the courtroom, and it was discovered later that John H. Hall, for some reason known only to himself, had excused the witness some two days previously. It was evident that Mr. Heney was considerably displeased on account of the absence of Wilson, but so far as McKinley and myself were concerned, we were perfectly indifferent about it, as we had seen and talked with Wilson but a few days before, and he assured us of his intention to "stand pat," no matter what the consequences might be.
Special Agent Edward W. Dixon, of the General Land Office (at present chief of Field Division No. 3, comprising the State of Washington and a portion of Idaho), corroborated Colonel Greene with reference to occurrences in Dr. Walgamot's office.
John P. Marshall, who claimed to be cashier of the Ainsworth National Bank, of Portland, and to be a handwriting expert of vast experience, was the next witness. By the aid of enlarged photographs of the signatures taken from the bonds, and filed with the Court as a standard, he compared the signatures of Emma L. Watson, Marie L. Ware, Horace G. McKinley, Dan W. Tarpley, Frank H. Walgamot and myself with those attached to the filing and final proof papers of the fraudulent homestead entries in township 11-7. This self-constituted "wizard of penmanship" declared that the signature of Joseph Wilson had been forged by Horace G. McKinley; that the names of George A. Graham and George L. Pettis had been forged by Marie L. Ware and Horace G. McKinley, who had used the handwriting of Miss Minda McCoy, of the Linn County Abstract Company, as a standard for operation; that the names of Emma Porter and Emma L. Watson, in his opinion, were written by the same hand; that George A. Howe's signature, as well as that of Thomas Wilkins and Joseph Wilson, had been written by McKinley, while the body of the testimony in the final proof of the Maud Witt entry had been written by myself.
Our attorneys literally made a monkey of Marshall under cross-examination, developing the fact, much to his discomfiture, that the self-styled expert of long experience, had been, at one time, connected with the Ainsworth National Bank, and had, indeed, been privileged, while in the bank's employ, to stand within the wicket of the cashier's department, much in the same capacity that the janitor or porter might have been there, but not, indeed, as cashier of the institution. He had, nevertheless, drawn upon his imagination to the extent that, because of having touched the garments of his superior, he believed that the raiment belongedPage 160
