Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-01-09
SENATORS TESTIFY
Sugar Trust Witnesses Case Con-
tinued Today.
SENATORS GRAY and jones PRESENT
Lawyers Continue to Argue Every
Minor Point.
SOME DECISIONS TO-DAY

S ON E DECISIONS TODAY
The presence of Senator Jones of Ar
kansas and Senator Gray of Delaware.
seated beside the district attorney in the
court room, added interest to the case Of
Mr.. Elverton r. Chapman, the alleged re-
calcitrant sugar trust witness. when the
hearing was resumed this morning before
Judge Cole in Criminal Court No. l.
AS soon as the jury had been called and
taken their seats in the box Mr.. Birney di-
rected Senator Jones to enter the witness
stand. He was sworn, and in answer to
questions stated that he was member of
the United States Senate in 1891, was a
member of the finance committee of the
Senate and was affiliated with the demo-
cratic party
The court might take judicial notice of
that fact suggested Judge Cole.
Il object said Judge Wilson, with as
sumed seriousness. Ito the court taking
notice of the political party of any man in
these degenerate days.
How did it happen that the Jones
amendment to the Wilson bill was offered
by you individually instead of by the
finance comnittee?R the witness was asked.
1t was offered by me with the consent
of the majority of the democrats in the
Senate was the reply.
Senator Jones was not cross-examined.
Senator Gray was the reXt witness. He
stated his fun name to be George Gray and
went en- to testify that he was chairman of
the Senate investigating con mittee appoint
ed to investigate the charges of bribery
against Gel tain Senators, the other MEM
bers OF the committee being Senators Lind
Sey, Davis. I,odse and Allen. The loss of
the original subpoena served on Mr. Chap
man and the fact that the latter was placed
under oath before the committee, was
sought to he proved by Senator Gray. but
his recollection was dim on those points.
The witness asked by ex-senator Ed
munds If the Senate had ever taken action
the report made by the nvestiga x
committee, leading to the proposition to
prove by the negative that the Senate
which is the higher power, had not taken
coeniZanca of the offense and had. in eff
feet, by it's inaction. declared that the
questions asked were not proper and that
there was no recusancy.
Objections Sustained.
MIR. Birney promptly entered objection,
and ex-senator Edmunds went on to argue
III support Of his proposition. Mr. Birney
made reply, and then Judge Wilson submit
ted that the court has no jurisdiction over
the case under the existing condition of
things as they are in the Senate today.
The court sustained the objection of the
district attorney, and an exception was
noted. The defense then stated that it de-
sired to prove ty Senator Gray that the
Senate had never authorized the use of its
seal in transmitting the case to the court,
that the Senate has never taken action on
the report of the investiga ting committee,
and that the Senate, by it's silence. had
virtually decided that the questions asked
Mr.. Chapman were Improper.
Mr.. Birney objected to the propounding
Of these queries. Judge Cole ruled in his
favor, and Senator Gray was excused.
,ly1 10
vestigatng committee, testified that all the
refuse paper. and the like of the commits
tee was burned. but he could rot state
whether or not the subpoena was destroyed
in the manner mentioned.
VIM. A. Feds, file clerk of the Senate,
was recalled to say that he had made a
careful search of the file of the Secretary 8
office for the missing subpoena, but could
find no trace Of 1t.
The district attorney at this point offer
ed in evidence the copy of the subpoena
admitted Tuesday, under the supposition
that it was the original paper. The defense
objected, contending that as an original
existed it should be presented. Mr.. Chap
mans counsel further maintained that a
proper search had not been made for the
missing subpoena.
Judge Cole, after going over the facts,
ruled that the copy might be admitted, and
again the defense excepted.
This ruling will also apply to the case of
Mr.. John S. Shriver. Washington CORE
spoLdent of the New York Mail and E,x-
press. as the original subpoena served on
him to appear before the committee, has,
likewise, been lost or misplaced.
An Article.
Mr.. Jeffords read an article from the
Philadelphia Press o. Monday morning,
May IA, 1894, headed Told at Last. Shame
full pledges made before the election now
on the verge of being fulfilled" This was
one of the newspaper articles quoted from
in the Indictment and it set forth, among
other things, that the sugar trust con-
tributed funds for campaign purposes. in
return for which legislation was enacted in
the Wilson bill favorable to the trust. On
objection, the reading Of the head lines of
the article was thrown out.
benjamin Durfee, employed in a clerical
capacity by the finance committee of the
Senate since 1915 who was the next wit
ness, testified that he possessed consider
able knowledge Of! the sugar industry,
gained by preparing the details of tariff
bills, prior to that through a position he
held in the Treasury Department. and by
reporting some big sugar cases in Balti-
more in 1878.
Mr. Durfee explained the meaning Of the
expression, mo. 16. Dutch standard in
color" as applied to sugar. TO mean, &C
ccrding to the Dutch system, one degree
lighter than No. To- there being twenty
numbers in the system, No. 20 siynifying
pure white sugar The witness, in reply 10
questions, explained the meaning of certain
terms used in sugar phraseology as well as
the nature of sugar tests.
During the examination of Mr.. Durfee the
question of protective tariff arose and was
discussed at some length by counsel and the
court, the matter growing out of question
whether or not the proposed amendments
to the Wilson bill would be more to the in
terest of the manufa turers than the bill
as it passed the House of Representatives
Question Admissible
The court ruled that the question was
admissible, and the usual recess was then
taken.
After recess, answering the preceding
question, Mr.. Durfee stated that the Jones
amendment was more favorable to local
manufacturers than the Wilson bill, as it
vas sent to the Senate from the House. The
witness, continuing, stated that the large
proportion of raw sugar is imported, cane
sugar from the West Indies, other material