, 1879-06-08
SCOT FREE.
notorious End Of the Prosecution
of the Custom-House
Cases.
The Jury Talk the Matter Over, and
Find the Five Defendants Not 4:
Hnilty.
Judge Dyer's Charge to the Eleven Ar
biters Model Of Clearness aud
Fairness.

The Building Stands q Living Witness t.
the Honesty Of the Job.
The twenty-eiehth and the last day OF tn
tri.l Of Mueller, Mills, Burling, Prussing, an
R.ed. fot alleged conspiracy to defraud the GOV
.rnment in the construction Of the Chicag
fnstom- House, brought genuine relief to every
.hodr engaged In the case, and positive joy t.
ths anfntette above named at the stviudication
-rarhtd. in the latter part Of the uay, through
the medium Of verdict Of "Not gullty.'' Th
a.nt1emcn WHO tried to get a conviction ant
tailed breathed long sighs Of relief a. the,
-ested from their labors, and, in their mind'l
.ve enfoyed the reward to come. The defend
.nts whom a verdict had declared tswhite
eon1ed.n rejoiced as those having: cause
md experienced but one regret,-the neces
stv Of "shelling-out T" counsel fees. Whe1
they thought Of paying the several expensive
,,ner1. their hearts we're sad within them
tbourh to all outward appearances they bore Ut
hrarcly and enjoyed the II *'vindication ~ for all
It was worth.
On the opening Of court Ut 9:35 o'clock In the
morning, the one-man~short jury werc on hand,
and :1udge DYER came in promp tly with q pro
d;p,ous roll Of manuscript under his arm. Coun-
sel and defendants were all ou deck, with the
exception Of Mr.. SWEET, who was probably
s.br;arcdn again. but who came in smiling q
lev moments after proceedings had gotten IN
der way.
The only thing remaining to be done, the tes-
timony being all in and the arguments having
been concluded the day before, was to charge
the iury, and this the Court set about to do. Be
began at twenty minutes to 10, and read the
last uord Of his voluminous instructions
at half-past II. The courtroom Was
crowded with representatives OF the legal talent
in Chicago, and the unanimous verdict Of all
vas that clearer, fairer, more impartial, or
more explicit set OF instructions rarely, II ever.
esme from the Bench. Judge Dyer has Bon
hosts Of friends during this protracted and
tedious trial, and the common respect for him
was but increased at the perfect, absolute i'm
pastialty with which he laid down the law OF
the Gaze, reviewed the mass Of testimony which
has been piling M for more than month, and
gave the jury such directions and suggestions IS
would guide them in their determination as 70
What was the proper thing to be done.
. !. JUDGE DIER BEGAN BE SAYING
that the ind;ctnent was hased unon that nart of
sec san Of the Revised statntee de8n;np con-
.o;rarv tn defrana the I1njted States. T,ba
cbano,s was that The dcfendonta conenfrsd
IN dafr,nd Tho co1ovn,,.nt ~ ~
<s5o nm n t1a const,n,tio,, ~ Tho -e,1 c,,,+,,-
Houeo \ re.6;,v reso,ved },eelf ;nto IVA ,,art.
The 7efendants were tirst CHARGED With con-
cr;r,- =, f7efra,,a +ha 11ritoa s,s+a, h. o,t.;1-
III, f,r .t,,r. ~ o.r+,;,, ,harno+or .5 o.s,,+.-
1.1r,.r,t ., ,,,d for s.o-a ~ ,1o+ha- ~ 5;+ro.
.nt character and ona1;tv. serond1r .that Mra,-
i, h. o,,1,e;,,, ,r5.h ~ ,+t,o. 5sf..do,t. -
.;nsd r,yr,,s,,+ for r,.Tr, ~ f,,,~,d
L,-a,- -..;.1 .o..,,s:... . go .. -,
,aso~ ~ fn~;eh.a anS -a+ 49, ~
-orn-a ,s ,ra fo- 1ohor r,a-fo-rnsa. +or-+h,r
+h,+ t,a11 consn,raa ~ ott.;, saonh,a .a-rna:t
for han,nc. and feth,v th,+ +hev - c,nsn;rad . ~
,htain n,Tmant m :, f,,sr md orer~1naa.7,.s,
nent of some of the stone furnished Thss.
mi 4heee the Conrt nroc-edet1 tn sta+a ~ 1.n1+1
They we're. first thar the defendandts. Mneller
nd Mills. presented fraudulent claims to thc
and obtained vouchers therefor
;econd}r. Eur1inp ard Prussing s;ded in thin
rork. Thirdly. that Burling and Prussing an
,royed these claims Us correct, Fourthly, that
dne]ler and Mills presented fraudulent claims
or saving stone. Filthy, that. Burling and
'russing approved the payment of these claims.
ixth1v. TINT Mueller and Mills presented fraudu-
ut claims for labor in saving and carving
tone. Seventhly, that Burling and Prussing
ided In the payment of these claims; and,
fghthly, Mueller and Mill presented fraudu-
mt claims for hauling stone.
There were two questions Of fact which lay
the bottom OF the case and were to he de-
.zmined BY the jury: First, Was there in ex-.
tence at or about the time stated in the indict-
lent a conspiracy such as was alleged, to which
ae defendants or any of them were parties?
econd, II such conspiracy aa alleged was
'Tmed and existed, were any or either of the
It's charged in the indictment as done to carry
ito effect the conspiracy committed or done
) alleged to effect this oDjecta
4 vast amount Of evidence had been laid
der IT. VIII DISCRIMINATING care fol-
Winp With = conscientious eudeayor to |
zach q lust conclusion. the line Of |
7idence AZ It Law before them. The evidence
as addressed to certain general subjects, which
prooeeded to detail referring then to the