The news & observer., 1897-05-28
The Judge Takes Case Out of
Jury's Hands.
SETTLED ON ONE POINT
THE ACCUSED HAD NO PERSON
AL KNOWLEDGE OF FACTS.
TEC @NlCAL Wi! EVA n
Case Of Searles 10 Come Up o.
daY on Different QaesI.o, al
the Sena'e's 5 Juusdtc on
VIII be decided.

VIII be Decided
Washington, u. G., May 27.-"Certain-
! ly | am satisfied with the verdict" said
| Henry o. Havemeyer the sugar king, to
| an Associated Press reporter Il few min
| utes after the jury had returned a YER
dict Of not guilty this afternoon. The
verdict" he continued, ought to be sat
isfactory to every decent man in this and
every other community.
That was the only expression the presi-
| dent of the American Sugar Refining
| Company would make upon the result of
| his trial. which had been in progress for
| three days before Judge Bradley. Inc
| veraict was the elimination of a long le-
| gal battle which began three years ago
| wnen Mr.. Havemeyer declined as a wit
ness before the Senate sugar investi-
eating committee to furnish the commit
| tee with data as to the political cOntribu-
lions made by the company of which he
| is president to the local and State cam
paigus of 1892 and 1893. Broker Chap
man. around whom the preliminary bat
| tie waged, was found guilty and is now
| serving tbiFty-day Seutence in the dis
| rict Jail The conclusion of the trial was
| abrupt The defense produced no Wit
4es1es " hen The government rested lis
case yesterday the defense moved that
| che court instruct the jury to rider an ac-
IGuittal on six grounds, the principal one
| If which was that the committee dld not
| nave jurisdiction and that the question
| asked was not pertinent. This morning
the District Attorney made a valiant at
| tempt to induce tne presiding judge to
| overrule the motion. But the court, aIteF
| aking IN hour and half to weigh the
| arguments. sustained the notion
| In rendering ms accession, which was
very lengthy and consumed over an hour
il its delivery, Judge Bradley declined to
rule on TIE many questions as to the ju-
| isdietion of the Senate committee. lie
said the Question involved in that propo-
sition were of such grave Importance that
ae would not rule on that point without
| further and more careful examination
8ut he held ft was necessary to rule
I'm the main contention. Practically, he
sustained the motion upon the single
ground that the question calling for data
10 State and local contributions de
manded information not within the
zuowlcdge of the witness, which he had
| testified he had no personal knowledge
-
been procured from books, and of which
the books themselves were the best testi-
mony. Although the verdict of mot
| auiItv' was pIypn hy the iury. it was A
vardict given under the courts decision
and amounted practically to the judges
brewing the case ont of court Mr.
| rT.,or,evn,,s ATTORNEYS were naturally
a,,,l,' ,l,+od o,or tbair yictorv o"Tb;s ends
~, ,i' f1ro,,or , sa;a Mr. Jobnson Of
51e .,-,y.i.4 80 1r. ITa,-orno,yor,s cbinf
o1 illioe'1
eoui'Sei
| ne case Oh Johh ". oeafles' lhe sec
retary Of the Sugar Trust who was ID
dicted with Mr. I1avemeyer for recusan-
cy, VIII be called tomorrow District
Attorney Davis who will likewise con-
duet this case for the government, says
that the cases are not analogous and the
Searles case could not .e dismissed on the
Isamp ground because Mr.. Searlcs declined
| answer questions of which he presuma-
btv had knowIedge Rut i'm thc Searlos
ooso 4 ie nroboble that tbo main contep
L.. o., 20 tbo i,r:;sdict;o, ord nort;noncy
In 10 roiso5 and tbot Judoa Prod1ey
IN ho oonneIIod to ruIo unon II os ba
~ ,,e,o,,,,,,od h., ,,,,,,,d H., - ,,,.e
80, lo."' -, 10 d;rao+ ;ssuo
i"lsei
Judge nrao,ey, III announcing MS oe-
cislon, sald that the propoSltlohS upon
which the motion OF the de1ehse was
founded involved questions OF great I'M
portance, questions winch could not De
decided by the court without the most
careful consideration, especially that one
which related TO the power ana JnriSdlc-
tion ot the spe1al coihhiltlee appointed
by the bnlFed states senate. II nad neeh
! Impossible 1or the court III tle rev MN