The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-04-11
The First Bit of Evidence Introduced
Shows the Defense Will Fight Hard
for Every Technical Point.
COMPOSITION OF THE JURY
Opening Statement of the Gov
ernment Reveals New Charges.
Defense of the Coffin Brothers and AL
bert s. Reed Outlined-Expert Hayes
the Only Witness Allowed in Court.

Francis A. Coffin, lately the president Of
the indianapolis Cabinet Company, Percival
B. Coffin, the vice president, and Albert S.
Reed, treasurer of the same corporation,
were placed on trial in the United States
District Court yesterday. The charges
against them are summarized as aiding and
abetting President Haughey, of the Indian
apolis National Bank, to willfully misapply
the funds of the bank to the extent of $780,,
900 and to make false reports to the Con-
troller of the Currency During the day a
jury was impaneled, opening statements
were made by the government and by the
defense, and preliminary evidence intro
duced. The first Introduction showed that
the fight of the defense was to be largely
a technical one.
The government made known several allie
cations that have not heretofore appeared
in the press, all of them relating to the ac-
tions of the Collins in connection with the
looting of the bank. The defense claimed it
would show that the Indianapolis Cabinet
Companys plant and good will was suffi-
cient to cover all of the companys indebt-
edness and that the moneys alleged to have
been fraudulently taken from the bank
were obtained i'm a manner not unusual in
the ordinary course of banking business
The opening statement, made by Assistant
United States Attorney Corr, in the after
noon, was not considered very strong one
by attorneys who gathered in the court
room. but it was regarded very clear by
others, and sufficiently explicit without 60
ing into details.
There was a large crowd in the court
room. both at the morning and afternoon
sessions, but there was no uncomfortable
jamming. Judge Baker is a very prompt
judge, and at O'Clock precisely he ordered
the bailiff to open the court, the bailiff S
''Oh ye, oh, ye. bringing the lawyers to
their tables. The jury box is in the same
position where it during the famous
tally-sheet cases, the last notable cases
tried in this court room. The members of
the jury are in the dark southeast corner
flanked by two windows that flood glaring
light into the eyes of the lawyers as they
address the twelve good men, and true. The
two brothers. Francis and Percival Coffii.
and Albert s. Reed came into the room
with their lawyers and sat down at the end
of the table furthest from the judges
bench. They have as strong a legal corps
enlisted in their behalf as has appeared in
the federal court at any preceding criminal
trial in the Indiana district. On one side of
the table for the defense sat Messrs. John
b. Elan, w. III. II. Miller, Ferd Winter and
Solomon +. Claypool and on the other side
of the same table was "A. c.. Harris. At the
table for the prosecution were United States
District Attorney Burke Elmer Corr, his
assistant, and John W. Kern, with expert
Hayes to advise them and furnish them
with points and information.
Francis A. Coffin was very cool during
the day, and showed no signs of nervous
ness. Occasionally he would perch his eye
glasses on his nose and look about the
room. His brother Percy seemed to have no
impression whatever of the proceedings.
Reed. whom it is somewhat generally be-
lieved was a tool in the hands of the Cof-
fins, appreciated the seriousness of the sit
uation. Once during the day he bent his
head down to the table for a few moments.
Francis Coffin was faultlessly dressed, from
his neat black cravat down to his patent
leather shoes.
Expert Hayes and Receiver Hawkins will
probably be put the stand to-day.