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Show SENATOR GEARIN MAKES OPENING PLEA FOR HERMANN Portland. Feb. 10. Former United Senator John M. Genrln made the opening plea today for the acquttal of former Congressman Ringer Hor-manu Hor-manu of the charge of conspiracy to del rami the government . of public lands. Genrln urged the Jury to try and keep' the issue beore them clearly. clear-ly. He said thut the charge Is conspiracy con-spiracy to defraud, no wanting to be a United States senator. Ho said that tho plue Mountain reserve was an old proposition when, in 1901, the government gov-ernment allegos the conspiracy was formed ',. " i Ab Prosecuting Attorney Heney declared de-clared yesterday, Senator Gearin de clnred that the whole fabric of the erne staildp. or falls according to tho truth or falsity of the evidence t Ilcnrv Meldruu). ex surveyor general of Oregott. Meldrum testified that u conspiracy 'bad "been formed betw een Mermann ano Mays in his office In September, 1S01. The speaker went oq nt great length to elaborate his belief that Meldrum, Influenced by hopes or by fears, had fabricated the conspiracy story he related re-lated In his evidence. He branded as unreliable the testimony of Valk. the general land ofllre clerk, who testified testi-fied tu giving Hermann the no-called, "citizen" letter In 1900. whleh. describes de-scribes the fraudulent methods ot western lund speculators. |