The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-02-22
COMMISSIONERS HALLIDAY.
He is Accused of Corruption i'm Of
fice-The Charges and Halliday's
Reply Thereto.

He is Accused of Corruption i'm Ofs
fice-The Charges and Halliday's
Reply Thereto.
August Kuchenmeister, keeper OF a
saloon at No. "a Twelfth street, who was
arrested last July for passing counter
felt So bill. indicted and tried, but found
not guilty, comes to the front now with
damaging statement in reference to U.
s. Commissioner Franklin Halliday, be.
fore whom he was trie1.
His statement in brief Is that after he
had been released on bail Casper West
meier promised to help him out OF his
trouble. A short time after Westmeier
said that If Kuchenmeister would pay
him $500 he could fix it all up with Halli-
day and the case would not 60 before
the Grand Jury. At his second hearing
Kuchenmeister was bound over to the
Grand Jury, and becoming alarmed he
went with his friend to call OH West
meier at his saloon. At this time he
stated that it could still be settled for
$780, One hundred of this was paid and
Kuchenmeister got receipt for it. He
saw from behind some carriages on Vine
street Westmeier taking the money and
depart in company with Halliday. A
short time after they joined Kuchen.
Halliday looked pleased and treated to
beer. Westmeier said the other $100
could be paid by building him kitchen
and furnishing him cigars. Kuchenmeis-
ter thought that the whole matter was
settled until he saw in the newspapers
that he had been indicted. He then
went to see aboutit, and Westmeier said
that Halliday had put the papers away,
but somebody had stolen them from his
safe, and the case had been thus brought
before the Grand Jury. Halliday still
kept coming to his saloon, and one day
Kuchenmeister asked him, in the pres
come before the Grand Jury when paid
You 500 to get away with the papers p"
Halliday replied that he got but $40. Ku-
chenmeister says that he is going to sue
Halliday for 500 which he has lost
through him.
George Stoppelkamp stated that West
meier had several times visited him and
endeavored to get $500 from him to pre-
vent prosecution, but not having the
money 1t was not furnished.
COMMISSIONER HALLIDAY's STATEMENT.
In reference to the above charges
United States Commissioner Franklin
Halliday spoke as follows to STAR re-
porter who called upon him this morn
ing: "Now Kuchenmeister says that
when his first examination came he had
the case continued at a cost OF sgt, which
he paid to me. The case was contin.
ued the second time on applica-
tion of Kuchenmeister. He did
not pay the $27, but only about $l3. He
paid that to me, and paid it out to wit
nesses as costs. In regard to Kuchen-
meisters statement that Westmeier
| promised him to see me and have the
thing Strengthened up, don't know any,
thing. Nothing was said to me by West
meier about fixing it up,only this: West
| meier came to me one day and said, IL
want you to be as lenient on Kuchen-
meister as you can, for he is friend of
mine.' 1 replied, If he is not guilty, l
shall OF course discharge him, but if
guilty l would have to hold MIN over.n
He came, think, once after this, and
L told him the same thing. He never
fixed up any cases with me, as he says
he has; never in God's kingdom. What
he says about John Berger, tobacco
dealer, that he could fix Kuchenmeis-
ter's case, / don't know any thing about.
don't know John Berger. Now, here
is another statement which is not cor
rect. Kuchenmeisters says asked il he
didn't want his case continued again!
say that is false in every particular.
And about that statement OF Kuchon-
meister's that Westmeier would arrange
with me to make way with the papers
in his case. don't know of course
what Westmeier said to him, but this I
do know, that he never came to me
with any such proposition. AS
to Kuchenmeisters statement that he
hid behind the carriages and saw me re-
ceive money or due bill from West
meier, on Vine street, two doors from
the corner, will say that it is false as
false can be. I never received cent
from him, except little cost bill, about
a dollar and half In all, and this amount
was not paid me at that time, but at his
(Kuchsumeis saloon one day, when
l happened to drop in to see him, being
up in.that part of sown. l see further
that Westmeier states that L
had said to him that the papers in
Kuchenmeister's case had been stolen
from my safe. Now, for one thing,
have no safe. All the papers that there
were in the case was the transcript,
which was sent to the Clerk Of the
United States Court, where they now
are. Another lie in Kuchenmeisters
statement is that drank OF his beer
without paying for it. never did any
thing of the kind. All his statements
are lies from beginning to end"
si..