The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-10-18
BILLS TRIAL BEGUN.
Preliminary Proceedings Opened Sat" urday Afternoon--Interesting Deyel- opments Looked for

Pfellminary Proceedings Opened Sat"
 ufday fternoon--Interestln DeVel-
 opments Looked for.
 The preliminary trial of Charles E, Blll, the railway mail clerk, charged Wlth stealing from the mails, began Ill the united States court room betore Onlted states Commissioner Wright on Saturday afternoon. The prosecution put in all it's testimony for the present, and an adjournment was taken until october 2o when the defence will begin It's testimony.
 During the trial Saturday, Judge Pickett Rills counsel while cross-eX- amining William II, Currie, whose let ters Bill is alleged to have stolen, ot- l tered as evidence for the defence a let ter and three envelopes which had en- closed letters sent by Currie to his wife.
 When the letter and envelopes were offered as evidence by the defence con | siderable surprise was expressed as to 1 how the defence obtained possession or the letter and envelopes After court adjourned Currie stated that a man representing himself to be a govern ment inspector went to his house in Plainville and obtained the letters from his wife. Judge Pickett stated that the letters were voluntarily given. He stated that it was possible that the man who obtained the letters repre- sented himself to be a government off cial. He afterwards said that certain government officials arc friendly to MT. ! Bill and will testify for him. 1 It is evident flo the facts noW ob- tiinable that some government em- ploye, either in the mail service or oth- CT service secured the letters by lead | ing Mrs Curre to think that the'' were desired as evidence by the prosecution There will probably be later develop ments regarding this feature or the case as the trial proceeds. The penalty for impersonating a government official with the intent to defraud or ob ain valuable papers is S1,000 me or three years imprisonment, or both.
 The prosecution was repres nted Sat urday by District Attorney Comstock { In the court room were George R. Bill l a member of the board of relief and father of the accused; Congressman | N. D. Sperry City Clerk Lyon, George
 filling and few others who were call
 ed by the defence to testify to Clerk Bills previous good character.
 The governments first witness was William H. Currie. He resides in Ports
 mouth, Va, and is a pensioner of the
 United States government. His wife
 resides in Plainville, Conn, where he formerly resided
 | On May 12, 1897, he received pension
 check for $36 from the New York agen cy Witness said that on May 14 he en
 closed it in an envelope, also three 5;
 bills, and directed it to Mrs. Currie al Plainville. He then mailed the letter | himself. After awhile he heard that his | wife had not received the letter, ant reported the fact to the postmaster al | Portsmouth.
 | Currie identified a pension check cashed for Bill some time ago by c, ] Monson as the one he had sent to his his own.
 | c. J. Monson, the jeweler, was called the stand and testified to having eashet I,the check for Bill.
 | James Rulman of Boston, a poStofflct inspector, testified as to facts which ht ascertained while working up the casc against Bill.
 Assistant Postmaster J. N. Rowe tes l tlfied to having been present and hear ing the conversation during q confer | ence between Mir. Pullman and Bill
 Just before court adjourned Congress
 man N. D. Sperry suggested to Judgl Pickett that ha ask Mir Rowe if he hat ever had any complaints of money los
 on the Northampton road, on which Bil
 runs. The prosecution objected to thu question, however, and it was not an 1 sWered before adjournment