as his bondsman, resuming my journey as soon as he was released, and going direct to F. Pierce Mays' office as soon as I reached Portland, where I explained all the circumstances attending the arrest of McKinley, and asked Mays' advice concerning the best course of procedure.
He seemed much surprised to see me. stating that it was reported I was in Chicago, and that had the Northern Pacific people known I was in Oregon, they would not have molested McKinley. He admitted that it was the railway corporation behind the scheme to prosecute McKinley, thinking that by this process, coupled with the fact of his being in jail, it would have a terrorizing effect upon the fifty-seven entrymen, making it an easy matter, in the opinion of the company's agent, to scare them into relinquishing their rights and enable the Northern Pacific to scrip the land without opposition.
According to Mays, the company was proceeding upon the theory that by exercising a little persuasive force of this character with the entrymen. Practically all of whom were ignorant backwoodsmen, they would accede to their wishes, as most of them realized that they had done something contrary to law. and were liable to prosecution by the Government.
So far as McKinley was concerned. Mays assured me he would come out all right, and advised that the best thing to do would be to expedite his preliminary examination, and he would see that his brother. Edward P. Mays—then Assistant United States Attorney—should be sent to Albany to prosecute the case, so we need feel no anxiety over the matter.
After a brief conference. McKinley and I proceeded to interview the entrymen, informing them of the game of bluff being played by the Northern Pacific people, at the same time cautioning them to stand pat and talk to nobody.
We then employed A. M. Crawford, ex-Receiver of the Roseburg Land Office, and at present Attorney General for the State of Oregon, to defend McKinley. The case was set for hearing within five days after his arrest, before the United States Commissioner at Albany.
In the meantime McKinley and I decided to visit Roseburg and if possible, "round up" Special Agent Mathers, who had sworn to the complaint, believing that for a few hundred dollars he could be induced to view things in a different light about McKinley, and assist in having him cleared. We likewise deemed it good policy to have Mathers on our side during the pendency of the contest proceedings, and also to aid us in securing the patents.
As soon as we got to Roseburg we commenced to hunt for tracks, making the rounds of Mathers' various haunts until we finally found him in one of the numerous saloons of the place, surrounded by a coterie of charmed and enthusiastic admirers, to whom he was relating gilt-edged narratives concerning his many deeds of prowess on the battlefields of his country. As each tale had been accentuated by a round of drinks, and as the valiant Captain was wound up for all night, we considered him in prime condition for opening up negotiations.
Several members of the crowd around the bar, including Captain Mathers, recognized us as soon as we entered the establishment, and our appearance was the signal for an invitation from all hands to join in the festivities. To say that we accepted with alacrity would be putting it mildly, as we regarded the situation as a golden opportunity for carrying out our plans.
After imbibing freely, all present entered into social converse, the amount of individual talking being gauged by the quantity of liquor already consumed. McKinley and I took a special interest in the various anecdotes, particularly so whenever the Special Agent's tongue got busy. We applauded his maudlin remarks to the echo, and as a fitting appreciation of his recitals, wherein whole regiments had been put to flight whenever he placed himself on a war footing, McKinley tossed a double eagle over the bar and suggested that the entire house join us in bumpers of champagne to the everlasting glory of the great warrior. The corks popped quite freely after that, Mathers keeping up his end Page 38 Page 38
