Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-11-01
Policy Writers Testify i'm n Case In the
d Police Court.


n Police Court.
The trial of Moses johnson. colored. charged
with promoting policy. as heretofore published
in THE STAR, was called in the Police Cour;
today. When the case was first called his
counsel, Lawyer Moss, demanded a jury trial bu,
today he withdrew that demand. saving he
would have the case heard by the court. as be
knew thst Judge Miller was well acquainted
With the witnesses who would DE produced by
the government.
Albert Beckett. colored. was the first witness.
he testified that be was approached by John
son. who asked him to take a book. The bool
was No. 4 and he got il from Geo Bowie
Witness said that johnson was aware that ne
(Beckett) was policy writer.
Witness said that in addition TO writing policy
ne had piowed corn and done other work in the
country.
Edward Green. a colored policy writer. tes,i-
fed that johnson met him and asked him 10
write. At first he did not want TO 90 10 ,ror.
because be had gotten in trouble once
before for working for ar independent
urn; o'iI h,er"afd De consented ana johnson
said he would get his book from George Row,e,
johnson told him that if he wrote policy he
would be all right, that he would he protected
Witness said he gave Mr.. Mullownev a state
ment In presence OF his counsel Mr. Moss
That was while he was in Jail. Witness under
Frank Honesty, colored. testified that John
son came to his house and wanted him 10 GO 70
work. johnson told him that he would be al
right. and that if he got in trouble he would be
gotten out.
Sometime afterward witness vent 70 work
for Bowie and later he found tina. he was en-
ploved to work for Maj Horbach
Thomas Ennis was called. but he said he had
never had any conversation with johnson about
the policy business.
William Long was sworn, but he knew
nothing of the defendants connection with the
game.
Jerome Cauliiower testified that johnson
asked him TO write. and he consented, johnson
gave him a book and told him it WINS number o.
Witness said he wrote policy. and he understood
that he wrote for Horbach and King
johnson. he said. told him that he would he
protected and that if he got arrested he would
get out on bail; that a lawyer would get him
out
Lawyer Moss moved to strike out the testi-
mony introduced By the government
Capt Cole said he thought that if there was
to be any testimony TO be introduced it had
better be put in and have the arguments
later.
Mr.. Moss said he going to put his client
on the stand and said he would tell something
startling.
The court took a recess for half an hour
After recess William Robinson and Mouse
VIBRATIONS they had with Johnson
Robinson said that he was never told that
he would be protected and SO he knew he
would have to take his chances. He had
worked for the "old firm" before thew we're
raided two or three years ago. Henry Sears
testified that he had worked for Horbach's firm
and had asked him on different occasions about
the delay in the drawings.
EMPLOYED By A DETECTIVE
Tba Grot a.
Detective Sutherland He said he had been a
detective about seven or eight months and was
assigned to duty in connection with policy
He says he knows Moses johnson and he
(witness) had used him in detecting people sus-
pected OF violating the policy law.
For the last six weeks or two months witness
said he was working on firms that had never
been arrested. His instructions to johnson
were to ascertain the names of writers and re-
port to him.
1.-The two firms that / was working hardest
on. said the witness. were in Alexandria" He
told johnson to use any decent means to sscer-
tain what was going on. He reported that he
had been in Horbach's Office on the ground
floor, but he had never seen anything there.
Were you ever in there?'
81 WAS
did you ever get in the upper room?"
mo, sir
Witness went on to tell the court that he had
told johnson to watch certain persons and to
use any means that would not implicate him
self. He was after information against the
hackers. johnson gave him information con-
corning z. Cade. who was arrested.
"Myi dea. said witness. Twas always to get
at the hackers and not the writer's"
When questioned by the court witness said
that Johnson had worked with him on and off
ever since he was first after the old firm.
Witness mentioned the two alleged policy
Of nd nali ,,,A II.