The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-06-02
JOHN E. SEARLES FREE
Jury Brings in a Verdict of Not
Guilty.
WERE so INSTRUCTED BY COURT.

The Judge Renders Very Exhaustive
Opinion I'm the Case-Personnel of the
Senate Established by the Swearing in of
John l.. McLaurin the New Senator from
South CaroIina-Other News of Interest
from the Capital.
Washington, June 2.-In the case of
John T.. Searles, the sugar trust witness,
Judge Bradley Tuesday ordered the jury
TO bring in a verdict Of acquittal. hold
ing that the questions asked the wit
ness by the senate committee were not
pertinent, and If so were not within the
jurisdiction of the committee. The
judges opinion was exhaustive. 1t had
been reduced TO writing. He pointed out
that Mr.. Searles had testified specifically
that no money had been contributed by
the sugar trust to the national campaign
or for the purpose of influencing leg
islation or the election of United States
senators. AS to the local contributions
Mr.. Searles had testified that he did
not know how the contributions had
been used, by whom or for what pur-
pose.
Claimed To BE Pertinent.
The questions put to the defendant
were claimed to be pertinent to the Sec
ond and third divisions of the senator
ial inquiry, namely, as to whether the
sugar trust had contributed sums to
campaign funds with the purpose Of in
fiuencing the election Of United States
senator and whether any senator had
been a party to compact with the
sugar trust. Certainly, the judge said,
a simple investigation as to whether the
sugar trust had contributed to a cam
pagn fund would be an unwarranted
search into the private affairs Of the
company and plainly beyond the pow
er of the senate The senate committee
had reported that no testimony had been
produced to show that the sugar trust
had made any contributions to any ma
tional campaign fund or for the purpose
Of affecting legislation If money had
gone for the purpose Of electing men,
bers of the state legislatures who in time
would elect a United States senator, IL
was beyond the power Of the United
States senate to so behind the election
of legislative members. If this were true
as TO state matters, how much more true
was II of local elections 1t would be
the widest conjecture to assume that
the money so contributed in any way
had gone to make up the sugar sched-
ule.
Not in Possession of Facts.
II appeared from the report of the
committee that they were not in the
| possession of any facts upon which they
| could base the most remote hope OF
| showing an ultimate connection Between
the sugar trusts contributions and the
| sugar schedule. Under these circum-
stances it must be held that the ques-
! ticns asked were not pertinent, and IL
construed to be pertinent, that they were
an unwarranted prying into the private
! affairs of the company, and therefore
! beyond the jurisdiction of the senate.
| Judge Bradley therefore sustained the
motion Of the defense and ordered the
{ jury to return a verdict Of acquittal. The
l jury accordingly rendered verdict OF
I not guilty, and Mr.. Searles was free
The cases of l.. ]. Edwards and John
! S. Shriver, the newspaper correspon-
dents, were postponed until next Mon
| day