The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-05-22

3HE Custom UOCSI SUISDLE PRCJLJ,
mn NO8ODi COSITCILD.


Indicted Mon Prosecuted b. WAY that
GoniG Not Harm 4hem a (si4nnitt Dob
IuiiS TNposrd Anew, lot 20 no Iuirnse.
Cucoo. Nav 2o Th, rrotrrro nf lrD-c-
cutting the Chicago Custom llnu- hn.. hos
10 .eu kou NJ for thra1 wD..e iu tAr United
States District Court. nul the oArec."I result
hns hrnn nearly arromi shot, Ihro. H ur
indicted mon have been acquitted, anl lopr
moro 81 il probably lo as Lalmlut-N Qoa4f uilu
within few days. Tho-n s.von were ac'uscl
{ dcirHudug the Government Jut oi ;e.OtuO
tiat -Im being only u Part of tlo money which
Tie Unite1 Stntos uaid for avlrhl lUllut
Tho proof of the gigantic fraud joe iu ti.' -,ruc-
tute itself Tho stone WIS Of such % .ot g1. lily
That the walls had to De pafcL.l in huuiiDia OF
places before they were moro ,Aan erected. and
thu upper stories were altered uui STRENGTHENED
10 save them from coilapsing under tuDir own
weight The building was one OF Supervising
Architect Munctts planning. md the story Of
the outrageous swiudlr oi its erection is OH and
familiar. The work was begun in 1872. ami for
years 10 was the means Of almost OPT robbery
Of the Government. The immense building is
in itself proof Of the iobbery. for its insecurity
l. apparent to the expert observer, and the
patchwork aud discoorati,n are hlcmishes
that oven inoNpericnecd Dyes ran readily Sec
\ Grand jury AT length took hold ol thH mat
ter and easily convinced itself that thousands
Of days luhor had been charged for and never
prices higher than ihH market rates Tor good.
nnd that nearly every feasible device for draw
ing money dishonesty had boon used. Tho
extent of the steal may Ice judged from III. fact
that four chiWneys cost more than did tho
whole front Of the fremont House. one 81 the
jurors, impressed with the fnr-reaching nature
Of th" conspirncy, wanted To ndit certain
Washington officials. aus we'll us the mon who
had been active at the Chicago end Of the COM
What 10 do with the indictments TINT the
Grand Jury found lpHufup "a O. tNn
Federal on hero To- decide. The plan
adopted seems to have been n mock trial OF
some of tho men implicated. District Attorney
Bangs was inrustcd with making tn" show Of
Prosecution, ami for an 1850 lat. he was given
the Hing In PREVIOUS cas.s rho indictments
were for conspiracy 10 deiraud the Govern
mont against Supervising Architects Potter and
llii. Burling and Prussing, who rcceiyed and
approved the defective stone; and Mueller and
Mills. wn" FURNISHED materials. The theory OF
the Grand Jury wa- thn' there was an arrange
mont 10y which Hin. Bur.ing and prussing made
neycr performed: that Mueller and Mills So.
cured the payment 10y certifying tothc honesty
OF the charges. and that Po.terand Hill ass stcd
wcr" called In the United States District Court.
before Judge DYER. on Nav O. Daily until yes.
terday the stand was occupied hy with 'ssrs who
told In minute detail how the number of days
work actually done was incroasl Il 90 per cent
ore in tho stone when sawed through
caused rouing and discolorntion. yet the
lNNH''tNIN an NOT TtIN'l llnSt u'IrctlNt
pieces and how tho various departments of
the labor Wore systema'2ed. The showing NJ
OF the swndle In a general way was thorough
enough and the share Of the indicted mon in
the matter was vaguely indicated; hut the pros
ecution introduced no evidence Of an explicitly
eliminating character against anybody. Tho
character 81 the Job was shown again and again.
by oral and documentary evidence So tciiously
that some Of the jurors slept but no attempt
was made 10 prove n conspiracy between the
men concerned in i. Although positive proofs
on that point ara almost certainly known TO D"
the session ~ the District
OF them We're used. The case for the Govern
mcnt was closed yesterday. or IL may he said
to have feehly died out. The counsel for Hill
ana Potter moved to dismiss the casa AGAINST
Them the District Attorney nssented. and the
Judge. rcmarking truly that there was no proof
against them, instructed tn" jury to acquit The
alleged trial OF the others Is being continued.