that the lands described therein would have long since gone to patent, and the unlawful designs of said Thayer and others would have been successful.
"That I have, by every means in my power, endeavored to thwart the unlawful designs of said Thayer, et al, and have, through my contests, procured the absolute forfeiture of $5,356, paid by said Thayer, et al, into the Oregon City Land Office for thirteen claims situate in the same townships and ranges as the lands mentioned in the indictment, besides causing said parties to expend a large sum of money in defending the contests waged by me.
"That said Thayer, Hadley, Leach, Nolan, Tuttle, Smith and Coates are well aware of the steps taken by me to prevent them reaping the harvest they had planned, as above set forth, and by the position I have taken I have incurred the ill will of each and all of them, and any attorney employed by them, if entrusted in the slightest degree with my defense, would, if loyal to them, be compelled to suppress testimony necessary to be adduced to establish my innocence, as such testimony would tend to show the guilt of Thayer, Hadley, Leach, Nolan, Tuttle, Smith and Coates."
Hall was defended by Lionel R. Webster, County Judge of Multnomah County, Oregon, who made a remarkable fight for his client's liberty, but without any apparent effect, as the jury lost little time in finding the ex-United States Attorney guilty as charged in the indictment. An appeal has been taken from the verdict, pending which Hall is out on bonds.
With such marked ability was the defense of Hall conducted by Judge Webster, that Mr. Heney took occasion to compliment the Portland lawyer dur- ing the course of his argument, and called attention to the fact that it was the only case in which there had not been more or less friction between counsel for the opposing sides.
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