Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1872-02-08
The Tennessee Bounty Frauds.

L. H. s.; MIR. NJ +. y. Howell, p. W. Z. t.
The Tennessee Bounty Frauds.
TRIAL OF EN-CONGKEssNAN STOKES.
To-day, the trial of VIM. b. Stokes, late a
member OF Congress from Tennessee, charged
with receiving money for prosecuting claims
against the government while he was a repres-
sentative in Congress, was resumed. General
CritttndeR counsel for the accused. proceeded
10 argue the case. claiming that Stokes had done
nothing but his duty in this case i'm advocating,
the interests OF the claimants. his constituents;
that the Law was obsolete, and although 1t nad
been on the statute books 10 wears. il had never
been enforced. and Was violated by members OF
Congress generally. He next spoke Of the prln-
ciral witnesses for the prosecution as men who
had been charged with peri ury. and " no did not
expect TO lie prosecuted therefor and asked the
jury If they could convict on this testimony
lie then read the letters, which, he claimed,
showed simply that Mr.. Stokes had faithfully
discharged his duty to his constituents. Some
of the letters were written after Stokes left
Congress; they showed that. after the expiration
OF bis term, he worked actively for these ella m
ants, making special visits TO Washington in
reference To the claims. He called the attention
Of the jury to the fact that all this correspond
eBce proved that Stokes regarded the money
paid him a gift The evidence of Beatty, "a
of all the other witnesses, was to the effect that
this was gift, made after the money had
been received and accented by Stokes
only a reimbursement for expenses incurred.
Beatty and the other prosecuting witnesses,
during the war, were occupied i'll shooting down
way, which was in reality nothing more nor less
than murder and their total want of discipline
liberty TO roam wherever they chose, and DO
what they liked, made a condition of thinpS
1hat would demOTaliZe any set OF men. These
were the men who were brought here to swear
away the reputation OF "A man like Stokes and
being promised themselves exemption from
prosecution ii they would testify against the
accused, of course they had an incentive to cast
all the stigma possible upon him, and relieve
themselves as much possible.
Il. Harrington stated AT he HOui1
Peclally claim conviction on the fourth and
sixth counts, relative to having received a gra-
tuify.
Mr.. Crittenden read from Webster to show
that the word gratuity rcpugnant to the
statute that IL meant gift given freely, with
cut renCltlOH OF service, or as reward for
anything
Mr. Riddle. for the defence. followed. After
submitting certain prayers, which the Court ex-
pressed general acquieSence in. he proceeded to
state that the statute contemplated the hiring
OF a member. In the way this money was paid
Stokes, could the jury lay that Mr.. :. under
took tor compensation TO do what he did? IL
was in evidence that these men were cOnstitu-
ents o. Stokes, and some of them had rendered
hin some service in his political campaign and
II 1S this that instigated him TO act. Was there
any evidence of agreement to do what he did
Tor i-Oney? Not one OF these lovely witnesses
Tor the pTOsecutiOn-eaCb enc lOyelier than the
"thef-had undertaken TO say that. The evil
dence of Hatfield showed that if Stokes was to
share IN anything, il was in the speculation that
Hatfield and Stronger had entered into TO buy
up thi3 claim after the claim had been acted on:
In his reference TO the letters written by tile de-
PENDANT (StOkes) to the attorney of Stromver
and Hatfield, Mr.. Riddle dehed i'm their in
spectiOE, the remotest allusiOn to any agreement
that either at that time existed, OF had existed,
between Stokes and the attorney, or between
him and anybody. After thorough review of
the entire case, MIR. Riddle closed his Argument
ny brilliant and pathetic appeal to the jury in
behalf Of pis client. At the conclusion OF Mr..
Riddles argument the Court took recess.
kILIFD IY A PI-ToI SuoT- IooyJer Ds,fI
rom The CGssieSs HaRdliHg Of FUe-Grms.-AbOut
O'Clock last evening fatal shooting affair oc-
cured IN a drinking saloon kept by RI. Middle
tsl, on PenRsylva avenue. near A. street.
IL appears thai several colOred men were drink
ing together, and Newton exhibiting pistol TO
ms companions in a careless manner il was
somehow explO0sd, the ball penetrating the
breast and lung of Samuel Lucas. Newton,
who had a horse and wagon standing at the
door, with the aid al the others got the wouRled
man alto the yehieie. and drove of to Sears
drug store; corner OF + and 18th streets where
the services of Drs. Bulkley and Hartgan were
obtained, who, after examination OF the wound,
gave AZ e. their opinion that there yerv lit
tie hope Of the wounded mans recovery. Officer
hinkle hearing of the affair. arrested Newton
and his e5mpaniOns-three in cumberland
locked theS mp in the ceztral guardhOuse. Mt.
Lewis H. Douglass procured a hack and had the
wounded man conveyed &c his home in Potomac
city, where lie died last hight, from internal
hexaorrhage.
Mr.. Gloss, assistant district attorney. this
morning filed q warrant in The Police Court,
charging Newton WITH the nurdsr or Lucas,
and asked that he be committed to answer, and
IL was 90 ordered
READING IN OUR PUBLIC SoEooLs--It las
been q matter of question whether, in view Of
the bad habits acquired in reading in so many
of our public schools and the diff cusy of eradf-
eating such habits IL would not be better to drop
reading altogether, Mt least In the lower grades
OF the schools. Having heard something OF the
quality OF the reading At enc OF the primaries
that taught by Hiss Bowen, in the Fourth
Distinctive yesterday visited the scIycl, ex-
Pectsng to be treated to the familiar d-eary,
hlgh-keyed monotone with t1e dolefui "a ling
infection at every pesiod- We were mistaken;
the reading was really excellent. IL was ami
mated, natural, well emph asjIed, well mo.tu-
lated We suspect that Miss Bowen NAV be
aided as a teacher by her fine ear (she IL know n
as superior vocalist) andy her active temper
ament, intolerant Of siuggisk monOteae, and bad
inodulation. However, this may be, the fact
remains that her mode of teaching reading Is
notably successful. Probably other teachers
may be as successful, and We shall gla<ly note
the fact, II 50, IN order 20 contrsver the some
taught in our public schools is worse than nse-
less.
MAGGIE MITcHELL's "Jane Eyre" il realty
one OF the most interesting presentations on the
stage it n dramatic, and even powerful at
times, and she was warmly applauded last night
by the immense and appreciative audience as
sembled az the National 1heater. Mr.. Sheweft
. nuch better lifted for the character of Lord
Rochester" than more Juvenile parts, and the
as by other members of the company. Tonight
Pay" will be repeated for the last time.
VALUABLE Alexandra Real Estate for sale
On Monday, February II, by Auctioneer Kerby.
Attention OF parties wishing 10 invest Is called
An i'm anIria E0ysffs