Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-01-31
BIG TELEGRAPH BILL
Evidence Presented Today in the
Howgate Case.
VOUCHERS AND ACCOUNTS SUBMITTED
Western Union Officials Tell of the
Company's Methods.
L o n q D r A W n OU T
VOUCHERS And ACCOUNTS SUBMITTED
L o NC DR. A IN OU T

In the presence of a crowded court room,
| the trial Of Capt. Henry w. Howgate on
| an Indictment charging him with the en-
bezzlement, September @. 1879. Of s11, 800 Of
| government funds. and on an indictment
alleging that he forged the name Of Ros-
| well H. Rochester, treasurer Of the Western
Union Telegraph Company, to a voucher
for the said amount October Is. 1879, was
| resumed in Criminal Court No. /, before
Judge McComas, this morning AS on the
| previous days of the trial, the now famous
defendant was accompanied by his daugh-
| ter, Miss Ida Howgate.
At the request CT the defense the New
York witness. John A. Fletcher, was re-
called this morning, ard to Mr. WorthinR-
ton Mr.. Fletcher stated that he learned
the name of Charles H. Williams from
boxes which came to the defendant while
occupying rooms at the house Of witness
The witness said. in reply to a question
| asked by Mr.. Birney, that he never knew
OF the defendant receiving letter while
at witness house.
Telegraph Accounts.
The witness then left the stand, and was
followed by John B. Van Every, who stat
ed that he was the auditor of the Western
Union Telegraph Company. Being asked
as to the number and character of the ac-
counts rendered by the company to the
United States signal service office during
the years 1878. 1879 and $780, he stated
that the accounts numbered thirty-six dur
Ing that time. The accounts, the witness
explained, were for special messages. cir
cult messages. leased wires and few mis-
cellaneous bills. Twelve of these accounts
were rendered during the year 1879
At the request of Mr.. Birney, the witness
produced the books of his office, and was
asked as to the accounts therein stated.
The inquiry was vigorously objccted~to by
the defendants counsel, who explained
that before the books could be used as
keeping the books that they We're correctly
kept. Everybody knew, they said that the
witness could not testify personally as to
their correctness. The government should
produce the man or men who kept the
books
Judge McComas sustained the objection
of defendants counsel. and then the wit
ness testified that the books had been kept
by Stephen H. Wilkins and Edmund I.
Mckay. Neither was with the company,
and both lived I'm Brooklyn, n. Y. The
court, however, allowed the witness to re-
fresh his memory by an inspection of the
accounts. when he stated. despite the OBJ
jections of defendants counsel. that no bill
not dated was ever rendered to the signal
service office by the company or one not
specifying the particular services for
which the account was rendered
The witness, being shown the photo
graphic reproduction OF the s1i.soo vouch-
er, "for services" stated, against the de-
fendants counsers vigorous objections,
that. refreshing his memory from a search
made for tie voucher in 1881, no such ac-
count was ever rendered by the company.
Matter of Signatures.
Mr.. Birrey next handed TO the witness
the accounts rendered by the telegraph
company and paid during the fiscal years
of 1879 and 1889, explaining that he offered
in that way to prove the bills Of the COM
pany paid by the signal service Office.
Mr.. Worthington objected, contendins
that the government could not prove that
the company was not paid the S11,S0o men
toned in the indictments by showing that
certain bills were paid.
His object explained Mr.. Birney, was to
show that all legitimate bills rendered to
the office by the company were properly
dated, ihat they specified the particular
service for which they were rendered, and
that all had been paid and properly re-
Ceipted by Mr.. Rochester, the treasurer OF
the company.
In explaining their objections counsel
for the defendant stated that the United
States Supreme Court had several times
held that an alleged forgery could not be
proven by the introduction Of true sigma
lures But the court had also held that
once genuine signatures or writings Were
admitted in evidence for another purpose.
such signatures or other writings could
then be used by the jury for comparison
with the alleged forged writing Counsel
were Just bad enough to believe that the
district attorney, under the pretense or
desiring to prove the character of the
accounts, was really endeavoring to get
the signatures of Treasurer Rochester in
evidence that later the jury might have
them to compare them with the alleged
forged signatures of Mr.. Rochester.
Judge McComas decided that the vouch-
ers tended to prove or disprove the issues
raised in the trial. and he would, there
fore,> allow the vouchers to be introduced,
asv,fo hot 4
show the whole business OF the company.
Counsel for the defense noted an excep-
ton. and. postponirg the Introduction OF
the vouchers for time, Mr.. Birney pro-
c.eded with the examination of Mr. Van
Every.
Long Accounts.
Mr.. Birney then stated that, although 1t
would prove a long and tedious matter, he
would excuse Mr.. Van Every and recall
Mr.. Webster of the auditors office, having
charge of the accounts of the signal serv-
ice Office. and prove by him and the ac-
counts every bill rendered and paid during
the fiscal years 1879 and $780, Mr. Webster
thereupon took the stand and for an hour
waded through the accounts. reading each
ore. When, at 12:2o. the accounts for the
year 1873 had been gone through, recess
was taken until i o'clock.
After Recess.
Upon the resumption of the trial after
recess Mr. WEBSTER reSuiIieu tne WllhesS
stand, and proceeded to show from the
accounts the payments made by the signal
service Office to the Western Union Tele-
graph Company during the fiscal year
ending June 80. 1850. Among them was
the one for s11 800, the amount alleged to
have been embezzled by Capt HoWgate
That item was found in the accounts for
October, 1879, the number of the voucher
being 73. That voucher. the witness stated,
was one Of those which had been lost.
4f fh4 70 f1rS q
were offered in evidence. the defense Of
fering no objection, and. upon Mr.. Wor-
thington's motion, the court directed them
to be placed in the custody of the clerk
of the court until the further order of the
court counsel for the defendant to have
the privilege of examining them.
IpcrcasfnE Commerce.
The increasing commerce of British CO.
lumb;a with the Hawaiian Islands Is tho
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