Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-12-01

Some of the Testimony Considerably Sur
p-ised the Prosecution.

Some of the Testimony Considerably Sur
p-ised the Prosecution.
The trials of the special agents of the census
bureau who assisted in collecting the manu-
featuring statistics OF Philadelphia and who
were indicted in the United States district
court for making false returns, were begun
late in the afternoon Tuesday in Philadelphia.
Special Agent Ferdinand De Grandchamp was
indicted for making fictitious returns to the
census bureau as a census enumeration.
Frank r. Williams chief of the special agents.
then took the stand and identified the form Of
the oath OF Office which the defendant took
when he entered the governments employ. 1t
admitted by the defense that De Grand
champ had signed the oath.
His counsel raised the point that the oath Of
Office described his client a special agent and
that the bill OF Indictment described De Grand
champ as an enumeration
District Attorney Ralstou then called Mary
Voorhees,, milliner a. PIP South 18th street
She was shown her census return, which. it is
alleged, De Grandchamp had made and which,
it is claimed, is false and fraudulent. She said
that she never signed the paper that she re-
membered, neither did she give the figures or
data of her business as set forth in the paper.
The returns showed that Mrs. Voorhees, had
on hand a stock Of $500. When asked as to
whether that was right or not she said she could
not say, but she did not think she had that
much. Another item in the return showed that
the value of a certain class of her business was
e, 800 year. She thought that little large,
but could not exactly remember. and said it was
ANYHOW worth $1,000. The returns showed
that she had three employees and she remem-
bered having two. but couldn't recolect the
amount of wages she had paid that year or
whether the amount fixed was wrong. She
kept no books nor memoranda of her business
and had no way of telling the quantity of vel
vet satins, silk or ribbons she used but thought
she used anyhow 500 Yards of ribbon that wear.
The return was S25 yards. The whole amount
of her years business had been set down for
$4,000 She said il didn't equal that, but she
really couldn't tell how much it was.
There were only two more witnesses called.
and rs their testimony was quite surprise to
the district attorney and to the judge and as
other witnesses were absent, the hearing of the
case was ended for the day
These two witnesses were Frederick Kurtz a
shoemaker. S2l Spruce street, and VIM. Idler.
jewelry and fancy goods. az 109 South 11th
street kurtz was German. whose English
was decidedly off, and he astounded the distric.
attorney when he was handed the paper con-
tanning his census return by making answer
that he had signed it.
hat Numbered Mr.. Ralston. did you
sign this parer?'
Yes timidly answered the frightened wit
ness. that is my signature"
Judge Butler intimated to the district attor-
ney that this witness would be of no further
use to him.
ldler. who is quite an intelligent man. when
shown his census return. looked at il intentlv
for a moment or two and then admitted that he
could not say whether that was his signature or
NOT.
Yesterdays witnesses also utterly failed to
assist IN making out a case and the result was
under the instructions of the court. De Grand
champ was acquitted and the remaining three
defendants were released upon their own recog-
nizances to await q conference 70 be held by
District Attorney Ingham with the Attorney
General as 10 whether the bills Of indictment
are TO he qua he'd or submitted and verdicts of
not guilty taken