The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-04-24
MR.. CARPENTER GOES FREE
BECAUSE OF ONE OF WOODS RULINGS
The Evidence in the Case showed Con-
clusiveIy That Carpenter Was Guilty
of Bribery, But He Claims
Twas All For Himself.

| at the conclusion or the trlal OF Samuei y.
Carpenter. in the L. s. court for bribery, Judge
| Woods Friday instructed the jury to bring
| in a verdict for the defendant, which was done
| without the jurors leaving their seats The
/ judge based his instructions upon the interpre-
tation which he recently gave to the law re-
/ lating TO these cases-namely, that ii required
\ of the prosecution evidence that the defendant
! had bribed voters to vote for congressional
/ candidates, the mere fact of bribery being in
sufficient to convict in the U. 5. court.
/ The evidence that Carpenter had been guilty
| OF bribery was conclusive. lie himself was
| his worst witness. When placed on the stand
| yesterday morning he injured his own case
| very materially By his hesitating testimony
and his rather wholesale denial OF statements
| on which the other witnesses in the case had
agreed, and which, if admitted, would not have
| injured his case.
| With Judge Hord conducting the direct ex-
! animation, Carpenter began his testimony with
| a statement as to the time he had been citi-
! zen of Shelby county, and the size OF the
| family of which ne was the head. He stated
| that he did not drink intoxicating liquor, and
| that he had been elected senator last fall by a
majority of seventy-nine. He denied that he
| had contributed anything to the county repub-
| lican campaign fund, and insisted that he had
| been very sparing OF his means IN canvass IN
| which he had been put forward as a candidate
/ without his own consent.
When Mr. Chambers began the cross-exami-
| nation Carpenter grew evaslve In his replies,
compelling the prosecutor to frequently appeal
/ to the court to compel the witness 10 make
| more direct replies The prosecutor endeavOred
/ to learn of the witness whether or not, when
/ he was securing the influence" OF several
| democrats in the county who were opposed TO
/ Ray, he was not working for the entire repub-
/ hcau ticket.
"No. sir. I was not" replied Carpenter
/ GDid Won not act in behalf of the other can
/ didates well yOursef?
"No: had all could do to take care of my
self don't remember ever having election
eered for another candidate"
! You were one of the regular nominees of
/ the republican party, were you not!
| ayes, sir; but ] made no effort TO get the
nomination 1t was given me without my con-
i sent"
"Do you mean to say you did nothing what
/ ever before your party convention met in order
to receive the nomination.
! 81 do"
"Did You not see Mr. Maholm, one of the wit
nesses here, on the day before the conven-
/ tion?"
Yes, saw Mr.. Maholm, and told him ex-
pected would be nominated at Greensburg
| without my consent, and that II they did nomi-
| nate me / wanted to know If he would be for
| me"
The witness became mixed up when he testi-
| fed as 10 his transactions with SaloOnkeeper
| Doran. saying at first that he did not under
stand that Doran was to receive anything for
! expenses in working for him. but atterward
| cOntradicting this and saying that Doran de-
| manded that his expenses be paid il he should
| go out to work.
Carpenters story of his dealings with young
| Majors substantiated in the main the testimony
| of that young man on the previous day, with
| the exception that the defendant said II was at
| Majors suggestion that the two repaired to
| secluded portion OF the livery stable TO talk
about money matters, and that the young man
also suggested putting the money in the feed
| box of one of the stalls, whereas Majors testi-
fed that these suggestions came from Carpen-
ter. Questioning the witness about this stable
| transaction, the prosecutor said:
| "Was there not an Office in the stableY
! ayes; l believe there was"
! at was supplied with chairs"
/ al suppose il was"
| "Why didn't you 60 in there%
"Well, we stopped at the first place we
struck"
"What was that-one of the stallsf
"NO, we weren't in the stall; we were In the
/ driveway"
"Where-up toward the front?"
| About half way back"
! GLOW did you come to go back thereT
/ ''IIe suggested IT."
/ "What did you say when you got back
there%
well. Mr.. Majors had been helping me"
Pm not asking you what Mr. Majors had
/ been doing. l want you TO tell the jury the
conversation that occurred there between you
/ and him"
The witness hesitated somewhat, and the
/ court directed him TO answer the question
/ put.
Il told him." said the witness, "that was
/ ready to compensate him for his services to me
that | was ready to pay him for it. made a
demonstration as if to pull out my pocketbook
| and give him the money"
WAS there amount mentioned?"
| "Nn"
4 al 80, do +heno ~
| 'He said he'd rather not take the money
| from me; he'd rather get it from some third
/ party"
What did you say"
| 81 said all right"
| 'What did he say?"
ole said he would GO back further in the
| stable, and so | just dropped the money into
/ the bOx-at his instance"
did he come back and get it,"
/ al suppose he did"
/ GLOW did he learn il was in the feed-box? ?"
"He intimated by his actions that he would
look for it there. | understood what he
meant"
/ How much was it?"
! twenty-five dollars"
Judge Woods here Intercepted the witness:
"What did the young man give for
not wanting to get the money directly from
/ youP
know he had received money from repub-
! lean"
"Was that the only explanation he gave
| for it?'
"Well, he had been a candidate for county
| superintendent on the democratic ticket, and
he said he didn't want the democrats TO know
what he was doing"
The witness further testified that he on the
same day paid $40 Through the medium of a
feedboxl to e. A. House. near friend Of
! Majors. The defense sought to prohibit the
! testimony because the count in the Indictment
| in which Houses name was mentioned Tecited
the wrong name. Judge Woods however adj
/ mitted the testimony. House was then put on
the stand by the prosecution. He recited the
4 transaction in the stable, which was very SINH
! lar to the case of Majors. The witness did not
want to testify, but was spurred up by the
I court.
AT whose suggestion did you go back into
| the stable" asked the prosecutor
Il do not know; 1 believe he led the way
back"
After explaining that he got $40 out of the
I feed-Oox, the witness was asked if he did any
work for the money and replied that he did
not. He had, however, received through the
mail some pastors with Carpenters name.
| These, he said he burned.
! The attorneys tor the defense appeared in
censed at house for his testimony as they re-
lied upon him to sustain Carpenter. When in
the crOss-exaninatiOn House was little slow
/ in answering question put to him by Judge
. Hord the latter said, menacingly, Think up;"
and again, when the witness did not appear 10
nd fta of 81,