National Republican., 1884-06-24
ACTON ACQUITTED.
CasC-Acion Took the Money for Legitimate
Expenses.

Casc-Acion Took the Money for Legitimate
Expenses.
The criminal court wns occupied yesterday
for about thrcO hours and the only business
engaging the attention Of the court were the
cases Of cx.DcteCtivc Joseph Acton He was
charged with misCouduCt iu oilce,,i in receiving
a reward FOR services, cxtortion, and violating
section 3j7 orthc revised stntutcs, which makes
It q criminal oflenso for an officer 20 demand
aud receive pay for services rendered.
Assistant District Attorney THgg0rt appeared
for the government and Mcssrs. Daniel
L. Cabin und EJwnrd u. Wright for the
dctcn1nut. The three cases were con-
solideted aud. jury sworn question
was thon raised as 70 tho indiotmSnt
t1s sno iiSnaSs dssSsson Judge f Wyc ordcfs @ that
bc qunshCd on the ground that tho police reg,i-
lations provided that punishment for misbc'
huVior lu office should be removal ana me
rcnalty had bycn enforced, aud further that
thcrc was no law, common or statute, upon
which an indictment for such an otlense would
lie. This ruling will have the effect of throw.
ing ont the indictments against the other OK
detectives for the same charge.
Mrs. Mary Fnirbrothcr uns the first govern
mont witness called. She testified 70 the
rObbing OF her house IN octOber lSsl, and the
hrcaSpin. All the property but one ring was
recovered. She saw no money paid 10 Acton
una never know OF his asking for any
Mr.. George Feirhrotbcr testified To- the loss
of the watch aud jcwclry reporting the namc
nnd receiving tho property back, He called,
by request, Ut headquarters, and thought that
hc saw Mr.. Acton, who told hin. thut be bad
received some of tho property. Mr. Acton said
that one ring had been pawned and u would
take 81 to get II out lie gave him That SUN.
Mr. Acton did not aly anything about any
moro money. Amor the ring wasobtained tho
witness asked " there were any charges and
Mr. Acton, he thought, sald that bo had been
10 al expense Of $40 or sl2. Mr.. Acton innde
no dGmdud for 4, nnd probably, nothing'wonld
have been said II the witness bud not intro
dUrcd the subject. lie paid the money.
On CrUSS.cxnmnutiOn the witness said he
was not certain about tho conversation, but
thought Mr.. Acton told him that he Actonl
had been 10 slO or sl2 expenses in recovering
the property.
NJ D. 'Go1Gpnn, clerk nt police headquarters
submitted the property book, showing the re-
turn Of ,nS properly to Mr. EiID,o,hef. , ,,.,,ooa
Tint thc receipt book failed to show that Mr.
Acton Ind turned over any reward In the caSc,
hut the book would not show II mono was re-
CCvrd 10y him.
with this testimony the prosecution an
Joseph Acton, the defendant, wasthen called,
Md tFga to reccyhms hssn the money from
innu 10 ussist him Ia got the
property, which the man did. and delivered II
W wv Nllnc,a Nv lullVt HNuutlNNllNNlF' Niuh
Mr.. Fnrbrohcr HSkcd hin as 20 expenses, he
told him that II had cost sld or sl2 10 get the
property, und when he received the money he
paid every cent Of 1t TO Robert Campbell, who
Ind gotten the icwelry, aud Campbell was in
court to testify, if they wanted him.
on crOSs-cXHminntion the witness said he
said he asked others beside Campbcll to us
siSl him to recover the property.
A number OG witnesses us TO character were
then introduced, and after their testimony the
dCfUnsC rested
Mr Tnggurt asked where was Robert Camp
bell and Mr. CHhill answering tint he wus In
court hc was put ON the stand. ITu testified to
Acton asking him 20 hclp get the properly, and
hr succeeded IN securing II. liG took II To
| headquarters and delivered II 90 Acton, lIo
received y from Acton Mt one time ana over
/ SO at another.
Judge Wylic IN charging the Jury, snil that
| the law forbid officers ohurping for their ser.
1 vices, but this was payment to cover cN'
| urnscs.
The Jurors thought thoy had agreed upon II
verdict without leaving the box, but ono OF
| their Uumbrr wits not ready, 20 they retired,
I aud II was not until 1880 that they were Of one
mind, an hour lutcr Judge Wy)ic camo into
! court uud received the verdict, which was for
| acqui,iul
| While the Jury worQ ont two cases against
| Acton, almost identical with those upon which
! he wuS tried, were nollc prosecuted,
| Mr.. 9ul!Ill wanted day set for the trial of
| the remaining CaSu.
Judge Wylie suid, IA tho government was
| showing disposition 10 try ull the cases, no
| further action would he taken by the court
! TIE swcltcrlug weather make thin clothes u
| topic of interest We have them In the largest
! variety nnd mention them among our bur.
| gains Inpmun Bros, corner 1th aud Il.