The evening times., 1895-10-16

Whatever surmlses there may have been,
and neutrality-suspicious. been wide spread that
the so-eaiied recalcitrant Senate inyesti-
CATION committee witnesses would not be
Drought to trial. have been allayed by Dis
trict Attorney A. A. Birney, who is now
making active preparations for the prosecu
tlon Of the cases.
The test case of Mr.. Elyerton r. Chap
man, a broker of the firm of Moore 6 Schley,"
said he to The Times reporter this morning,
will come up on the 9TH Of next month.
His counsel, Judge Jere Wilson and Senator
Edmunds, have long since been so Notified.
and 1t is my intention TO call the case
on that date. l presume. OF course, they
have prepared their defense sufficiently to
go on with the trial.
Thefe are seven persons whose fate viii
uepend mainly on the outcome of Broker
Chapmans trial In addition to Mr.. Chap
man are Messrs. John W. Macarty. Allen
Lewis Symoar, John D. Searles, and Henry
.. Havenieyer, brokers, and Mr.. Elisha j.
Stewards, q correspondent under the nom
de plume OF Holland" for the Philadelphia
Press. and Mr.. John 8. Shriver. correspond
ene OF the New York Mail and Express.
HISTORY OF THE oFFENsE.
The interesting incidents connected with
these cases are well kno wD to every reader
from one coast to the other, and at the
time OF their enactment produced the
most profound sensation throughout the
country.
The Wilson bill was passed by the
House, February l. 1894, and Immediately
referred to the Senate. The Senate FL
nance Committee. on March 20, 1894,
referred the bill back to the upper House
with the amendment. among others. that
sugar be removed from the free list and
that sugar testing above the number
16, or the Dutch standard, be subjected
to certain duty.
Immediately, 10 is said. the stock of the
American Sugar Refining Company. a
corporation with ST5. 100000 capital,
went up tn valve. BY the Jones amend
ment, subsequently, passed by the COM
mittee, providing for the 40 per cent. ad
valorum duty. the corporations stock is
said to have again enha need in value.
Then the publications were made in
the New York Sun and Philadelphia Press
that bribes had been offered certain Sena-
tors to induce them to vote against the
tariff bill as II stood.
An investigating committee of five Sen
ators headedb by Senator Gray OF Dela ware,
was appointed to look into the statements
that accused the members of misconduct
FORMER PROCEEDINGS.
The brokers above mentioned as repre-
sentatives of the corporations that were
alleged to have dickered with the Senators
were called, and at the me time the re-
po ed authors OF the newspaper statements
were called upon to state their relations
with the Senate, and their authority for
statements made. They ali declined u
answer.
The rand Jury was called upon to isvesti-
gate the charges against the men. They in
dicted all for violation OF section 102 OF
the Revised Statutes, compelling persons
TO divulge Information before a Congres-
sionai committee.
The indictment against Mr.. Chapman
was returned October l. 1894. 1t took
the prosecuting attorney three months to
frame it, and Is comprised In seventeen
printed pages, probably the largest indict-
mene ever drawn in the District.
It was decided to make Chapman's a
test case. He plead not guilty before Judge
Cole, and demurred to the Indictment. The
demurrer was overruled and an appeal
taken. The court of appeals affirmed the
judgment OF the lower court. and the case
went back for trial Last spring ii was
To this term OF court.