The story of the manner in which the paper came to be in Rogers's possession, however, was quite as sensational as the statement itself. Lonergan, the driver of a bakery wagon, confronted by the keenest practitioners at the California bar, harassed and confused, stammered out explanation of the manner in which he had been induced to sign the paper in Rogers's hands. Long before he had signed it, one Dorland had secured introduction to him. Dorland had represented himself to be a magazine writer, who held that the ousted Supervisors had been misused. Dorland stated that his purpose was to set the Supervisors right in the East. He represented that he was to prepare an article on the San Francisco graft situation from an independent, unbiased standpoint. Dorland made himself very agreeable to Lonergan. He took the unhappy fellow to lunch. He gave him and members of his family automobile trips and expensive dinners. Lonergan finally signed the statement which the agreeable "magazine writer" was to use in his behalf, and with which the graft defense[298] confronted him on the witness stand. The statement which Lonergan had signed was a rambling account of conditions in San Francisco, the one pertinent paragraph touching upon the United Railroads graft being buried in a multitude of words. "And you intended to say to all the readers of the magazine what you set forth over your signature there?" demanded General Ford's attorney. "Yes," replied Lonergan, weakly, "but when I made that statement I was not under oath." Then Lonergan was confronted with the affidavit which he had signed at the opening of the Graft Prosecution when Langdon was fighting against Ruef, Acting Mayor Gallagher and the Schmitz-Ruef Supervisors to keep himself in the office of District Attorney and Ruef out. In that affidavit Lonergan set forth that he had "never committed a felony of any kind or character," and had "never been a party thereto."[299] "I didn't read that paper at the time I signed it," faltered the miserable witness. "I did not consider I was committing a crime when I signed that document." "If it be a crime to have me sign that," he continued in answer to General Ford's attorney's merciless hammering, "then I must have (committed a felony)." Then on re-direct examination Lonergan testified as to how he had come to sign the affidavit. George B. Keane, clerk of the Board of Supervisors, Ruef's right-hand man, secretary of the Sunday-night caucuses, had, Lonergan testified, said to him, "Tom, there is a document across the street there for you to go over and sign. All the boys are signing it." Lonergan testified that he had gone over and signed it. "I am almost sure," Lonergan continued, "that some of them said to me that it was a matter of form, merely eulogizing the board." "When proper inducements or circumstances occur," sneered General Ford's attorney, "you will testify falsely concerning your offenses."