"What am I to expect in the nature of testimony from this man Kribs?" inquired Mr. Heney; "and furthermore, what does he look for in return?"
"Mr. Heney," I answered, "I have something which I desire to tell you at this time which I have held back, for the simple reason that I did not know, when I first resolved to attempt this plan, whether or not I would be successful. I believe now, however, that with your co-operation, I will be enabled to perfect these plans to our mutual benefit, and by so doing, you will be placed in a position wherein no possible doubt can exist as to the conviction of Senator Mitchell, and at the same time, I shall have vindicated myself in the minds of the public, in that every statement previously made and sworn to by me before the United States Grand Jury will be corroborated, and the truth of which I have every reason to believe, has heretofore been questioned."
"Do you believe, then, that you will be able to substantiate your testimony through Kribs?" asked Mr. Heney.
"Not exactly my testimony—I had no idea of substantiating that, but I did think that if Kribs can be induced to divulge all he knows, it will be productive of additional weight, and insure the conviction of Mitchell."
"Do you know that Kribs is in possession of evidence sufficient to convict?"
"There is no question of that in my mind."
"How long have you believed this?"
"I had never given the subject any thought until my friends, after Senator Mitchell delivered his noted speech in the United States Senate denouncing me, and the Oregon State Legislature had passed resolutions indorsing Mitchell, asked me if I had not made a mistake. It was claimed, as you know, that my testimony resulted in the indictment of Senator Mitchell, and many there were who were under the impression I had deliberately and wilfully lied about the man, with the result that even my personal acquaintances passed me up with contemptuous glances. I was made to look like thirty cents, and was determined to prove, however difficult the task, that I knew what I was talking about, and that I had not misrepresented the facts."
"But how did you come to connect Kribs with this matter?"
"Well, Kribs, as you know, has acted as agent for C. A. Smith, of Minneapolis, Minn. He pays everything by check, and I know this. I also am aware that Senator Mitchell is, and has been for some years past, on Mr. Kribs' payroll. Kribs is very methodical in his business transactions, and being so, undoubtedly still retains his old cancelled checks and also the stubs of his check books. I thought, therefore, to put Mr. Kribs in a hole, and force him to give up what he knew about Senator Mitchell, through promise of immunity from prosecution. It is now up to you, Mr. Heney, and I am here to plead in his behalf, provided I can induce him to inform on Senator Mitchell, thereby making of himself a good witness for the Government, and at the same time, square me in the eyes of the public."
"Are you sure that Kribs will tell all he knows?"
"That I am not in a position to guarantee, but I believe, because of the corner in which he has been placed through the testimony of the witnesses who appeared recently before Mr. Burns, that he can be brought to seeing the error of his adopting any other course."
"You may bring Mr. Kribs up and introduce him to Mr. Burns," said the Government prosecutor, and the interview was brought to a close.
I went direct from Mr. Heney 's office to that of Kribs, and informed him that I had talked with Mr. Heney and believed that everything looked favorable, provided, of course, that he would decide to tell everything he knew, and further, that he would be required to substantiate his every material statement through the production of documentary evidence.
When I called upon Mr. Kribs, I found him busily engaged at his desk, and when I enumerated the conditions, he became engrossed in deep study for the moment, and seemed to appreciate the fact that he had no other recourse Page 202
