Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-10-23

Conclusion Yesterdays Proceedings
VI sterday, in the Criminal COurt, JUICE
Humphrers, after our report of the trial OF
Whitley, Harrington and Williams, for conspi-
racy in connection with the alleged safe bur
glary. closed Mr.. A. q. Riddle, special assistant
attorney general, continued his opening for the
government. He remarked upon the grave i'm
pertance otEthe case, which well merited all tn b
attention the jury could give it. 1t was a case
which had attracted public notice from one end
OF the country to the other, and had passed a
n Wspaper ordeal. This was because OF the
grayeDess OF the crime; because of the iuYesti-
gatien from which the conspiracy grew, anu
because of the high official characters soms OF
those on trial have borne. Neither the jury nor
ment on the subject. They must follow the
beaten hig hH ays of the law, and seek the truth
Ia the way the law points out; and if there
should be some discrepancy between the facts
~h.ch would be brought to their attention and
the popular nature of what the state of facts was
1t could in NO wise affect the duty of the jury.
WHAT THE GOVERNMENT EXPECT TO PROVE.
He read from the indictment the facts as the
government expected to prove them, as follows
That on the 81 of April last there was pending
before committee Of the two Houses of CON
gIess certain iDveStig alton or inquiry concern
ing the official conduct OF the Governor and
other officials Of the District as alleged in the
memoria! of sundry citizens, and one Columbus
Alexander, one of the signers OF the memorial
being engaged in procuring evidence to sustain
the allegations of the memorial in which GER
tain books OF entries anf accounts of one John
" CNdns was presented ana referred to and
used in evidence; that Whitley, as chief OF the
90 called secret service division OF the Treasury
Nettleshtp, of same service, Albert Cunz, Of
same service, Richard Harrington, lawyer, one
81 counsel before said committee, Gustave ZIr-
ruth, Arthur B. Williams, lawyer, Michael
Hayes, ana other persons unknOwn-with force
and arms, sunawfully combined, confederated q
and conspired with each other against said Co.
lunbus Alexander, to cause it te be belle ed by
the people of the United States that he WAS a
corrupt ana infamous man, by charging him
win consortiDg with burglars and thieves, and
that he employed such to break and enter the
Office OF said District Attorney, in the night
season and to force open the iron safe there situ
ate, and steal and carry away the contents OF
tne same, ana they then and there further COM
bined, cOntederated aud conspired to cause
the arrest of said Columbus Alexander with
such stolen property in his possession, and TO
cause him to be indicted therefor, prosecuted
and punished under the laws of the United
States, with the intent aud for the purpose then
ara there to in lure the said Columbus AlexAn-
der, and to cast discredit and obl0quy upon
him and other persons engaged with hum in
maintaining the allegations contained in said
memorial. That in fuTtherance of the cOnspi-
Tacy they caused Michael Hayes, under the as
sumsd name of Butler, arttuly to make the
ACC quaintance OF Alexander and hold q CONVEX
satiOn with him, and that Hayes falsely repre-
sented to Alexander that the books, entries
and accounts presented before the committee
AS the books of John U. Evans were false and
spurious, and that he would procure the genuine
books Of John o. Evans and place them in the
ZION; that Alexander was induced to express a
wish to receive the books and TO pay the reason
able expenses for them. That in accOrdaDce
with the combination they caused TO be deliv-
eIed TO Harrington an anonymous letter, which
purported to inform him that on the second or
third night after, the Office of the District
Attorney would be broken open and the
saIe robbed, the object being to give Har-
FingtOn pretext for watching said Office for
the purpose of aiding in the execution of
their conspiracy without incurring suspicion.
That they are charged with having produced
70 be in readiness for the further execution of
the conspiracy, one George +. Miles, alias Bliss,
eliss Albert Williams, a skillful burglar; one
Walter Brown, alias William Benton, a pro-
fessed thief who were permitted to examine the
premises (the office and Safe), the residence of
Alexander, and the streets leading from the
Othce TO the residence, ard each was then and
trere faithfully instructed in the part in which
they were to act. That on the 23d of April said
harrington procured two of Evans books and
placed them in the safe, so that they should be
iaken therefrOm and delivered TO said AIexan-
der, and so arranged said office that the Off ce
could be entered and robbed. That on the night
II the robbery Harrington and Williams took
TWO officers of the police for the pretence of
watching the threatened robbery by said Miles
ana Williams, and they (the Off cersl acting
under the direction of said Hsrringt gton, folio we'd
one of the parties, allowing williams to escape.
That Harrington, acting as assistant district
attorney, directed the officers TO pursue Brown
alias Benson, and, IL Alexander received the
books, both should be arrested. That Brown,
Alexanders house and deliyer the books and
the police officers refused further to obey Har-
rington and arrested Brown, by which the oou
splracy failed in complete execution.
Dir. Riddle, referring to the law of the case
said conspiracy does not consist in the doing of
an unlawful act, but in an agreement to unite
IN the doing OF an unlawful act. The conspir icy
in law is complete when the agreemant is COM
pleted. The things done in execution of con-
piracy are what the law calls covert" acts.
rhe hrst question for the jury was, is the con-
spiracy proved? and then they ought to inc uire
are the persons indicted guilty OF this con-
spiracy? One methed OF proving a Conspiracy
was by the statements OF the parties enyaoed
In IT.
at O'Clock the court adjourned until =,
O'Clock day. ii
0dav,s Procaadiups
Todou ,oroh - ;t~e. ~
nIuoh nlore interest," appeared 10 De
taken IN tne case than heretofore, judging from
the large number who gathered in and ahout
rbe court.room Tbe oei cos OF tha oorrsoI go.
the court Sonse nrior IN III onsnyn or eea ts
conrt nresentsd re onsorae 10 oPSs ~ VI sue &c
esnecisIiv tha Oistr;ct PttaS Va a, - ,,
CnIte a Iryymher % itasI - DOe, nIaeLo @
wee onersti,es and Na1 YorH
n0rted for the defencs These as tbev wayyLsd "a
nm Ionsiana ayenne nassad oIits ~, rntan ~
aitnesses for the ooar,st ~ fatt 10 ~, "a
ofice of MT RiddIs Il" iA0"' VI INC
TEp CnTRr coxvRxpn
The court WAS Convened nromDtlv at II