The Morning News

FORGERY OR FALSEHOOD
A PECULIAR CASE BEFORE THE SUPREME COURT.

A Man Engaged to Make Government Surveys Plats the Land in His Office and Supplies Fictitious Field Notes to Accompany the Plats—Judges Divided in Opinion

WASHINGTON, April 8.—Argument was begun in the supreme court of the United States to-day in three important California cases entitled "The United States, plaintiff, vs. John N. Hall, George H. Perrin et al., and M. F. Reilly, respectively."

Hall in 1885 made a contract with the United States surveyor general of California to survey public lands and it is charged that he did not survey them at all, but that he platted the lands in his office without making a survey and returned the plats with fictitious field notes to the surveyor general, accompanied by an affidavit, stating that he had done the work as required by his contract.

PERRIN AND REILLY IMPLICATED.

It is averred that Perrin and Reilly were also guilty of making false affidavits, and Perrin and the others are in addition charged with conspiracy to defraud the government.

The defendants were all indicted for forgeries. They took exceptions to the indictment, contending among other things that the offense alleged was not forgery as it was not that they had falsely simulated other persons' writing, but that they had in their own handwriting made false statements of facts.

THE COURT DIVIDED.

There was a division of opinion on this point between the judges of the circuit court of the United States for the district of California and the matter comes here for determination by the supreme court. The cases are of considerable interest and it is understood that a number of civil suits depend upon them. Solicitor General Jenks opened the argument for the United States and was followed by Hon. Frank Hurd in behalf of the defendants. Senator Stewart of Nevada is also of the counsel for the defense.