, 1890-06-26
CUSTOM HOUSE CASES
No Evidence Found to Con-
Wet Harmed.
THE TRIAL OF BEECHER BEGUN
No Prospect OF ConvictIon-Other
Cases Against Then --unsatis-
factory Witnesses.

SEATTLE, WASH, June 25.--Thc case OF
the United States VS.. William NJ.
Harmed, on trial for the past three days,
one of the celebrated Beecher customs
house cases, ana the first to be tried
cRne to "a sudden termination III the
United States district court to-day,
Judge Hanford instructing the jury to
find u verdict OF mot guilty." immedi-
ately after the government submitted
its case. The case was an Indictment
for extortion ON twenty-five counts for
charging excessive fees ior the entering
and clearing OF vessels from the Port
Townsend custom house while
the defendant was special
deputy collector of customs.
II was shown that the defendant had 10
coipted for the illegal fees OH white re-
ceipts, furnished by himself and entered
the legal fees on the stubs of tho receipt
book provided by the department, The
court ruled tIat the prosecution had
failed, because IL had not been shown
that the fees were not paid voluntarily.
The defense claimed that the extra fees
were for the blanks furnished by tho
collector.
The case against Herbert II. Deecher,
charged with the larceny frOn the rec
ords OF the custom house of book en-
titled the Record OF moneys received
rom all sources Was called
immediaIeIy after llarned's. Mr..
Beecher is u son OF tho
the late Henry Ward Bcechcr, and was
appointed collector OF customs at Port
Townsend by Cleveland Ia 1886 when
his confirmation by the senate was lost.
Cleveland appointed him special agent
of the treasury Tho witnesses indorsed
upon tue Oil VI indictment, and upon
whose evidence the indictment was
found, were all examined except one,
and every one testified that he knew
nothing about the matter, did not know
what the book was, or that there was
such book. Tho remaining
witness to DO examined has
no testimony against BoeCher. After
he is examined the government will rest
its case without particle Of evidence
before the jury The case against
throughout the country during Cleve-
lands campaigu
Among the witnesses In these cases
are; Leslie Cullom, q nephew Of Shelby
Cullom, Ot Illinois, appointed collector
by Cleveland; q. w. Thurman, nephew
of Allen q. Thurman, acting collector at
Port To susenu under Cleveland, Charles
W. blhhNhtNt llt present tohcSNeI,
and about dozen eN-deputies
~ the opening day OF the term of the
United States court, Prosecuting At
torney Winston announced that the
government had no evidence against
BscCher and that he had been instructed
by the department Of justice to have the
cases dismissed, upon tho ground Of in.
sutficicnCy ot evidence. The court re
fused to dismiss the cases, holding that
tho indictment having been
found by the grand jury, the
department had no right to
pass upon the sufticiency of the eY-
dence, and insisted that they be tried by
another jury, Attorney General Miller
has since denied that he ordered nolle
prosse in the Beacher case.
There Is another case against Beechor
tor cxtortion, which viii be tried this
week, and also another case against
Harmed for embezziinR $3.50 oi the
duty on the cargo OF tho bark Madeira,
which will also be tried thus week.