The herald., 1897-05-28
HAVEMEYER
ACQUITTED
Under Instructions by the
Trial Judge
IN THE MAGNATE's OPINION
EVERY DECENT MAN SHOULD
BE PLEASED
IN THE MAGNATE's OPINION
Contrary to Expectation the Case
Against Secretary Searles Will
Not Be Dismissed
Associated Press Special Wire.

Associated Press Special Wire.
WASHINGTON, May 27.-Interest in
the trial Of Henry o. Havemeyer Pre-
Company, for contumacy, before the
Senate Sugar Investigation Committee
was greatly intensified this morning by
the pending motion Of the defense to
of not guilty. 1t was understood. Of
course, that if the Court should order
the acquittal, the case would come to
an abrupt close and the indictments
the Sugar Refining Company, and Ed
wards and Schriever would be quashed.
When Court opened District Attorney
Davis entered upon reply to the mo-
tion of the defense to order an acquit-
tai, which Havemeyers counsel argued
yesterday. Davis took up six pro-
positions upon which the defense based
the motion and met them seriatim, al
though not in the order laid down by
the defense. Johnson replied at some
length to the arguments of Davis, after
which the Court announced a recess
until one o'clock, during which inter
val he was to take the motion of defend
ants counsel under advisement.
The court sustained the motion of the
defendant. and the CAGE against Have
meyer was dismissed.
The jury, in accordance with the in
|structions of the court, returned a YER
dict Of not guilty. District Attorney
Davis said the verdict would not affect
the caee Of John E. Searles secretary of
the Sugar Refining Company, whose
trial would be proceeded with tomor-
row. Davis said Searles directly re-
fused to answer questions and his case
was in no way parallel with that of
Havemeyer Havemeyer said: "The
verdict is satisfactory to me and to
every decent man in the community"
Certainly am satisfied with the ver-
diet" said he to an Associated Press
reporter, few minutes after the jury
had returned a verdict of not guilty.
''The verdict" he continued, "ought
to be satisfactory to every decent man
in this and every other community
That was the only expression the
president of the American Sugar Refin-
ing company would make upon the re-
suit of his trial.
The conclusion of the trial was abrupt.
The defense produced no witnesses
When the government rested it's case
yesterday the defense moved that the
court instruct the jury to order an ac-
Guittal on six grounds, the principal
one of which was that the committee did
not have Jurisdiction, and that the
questions asked were not pertinent.
The court held it was unnecessary to
rule on the main contention as to the
Jurisdiction of the senate committee
and he sustained the motion upon tha
single ground that the question calling
for data as to state and local contribu-
tions) demanded information not within
the knowledge of the witness, which hi
had testified he had no personal knowl-
edge of, and which, if given at all, must
have been procured from books, and Of
which the books themselves were. the
best testimony. Although the verdict OF
not guilty was given by the jury it was
a verdict returned under the courts
decision and amounted practically to
the judges throwing the case out OF
court
The case Of John s. Searles, the secre.
tary of the sugar trust, who was in
dicted with Mr.. Havemeyer for occus.
ancy, will be called tomorrow.