The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-06-01
SBARLHS GOES FREE.
Senate Had No Right to Ask
the Questions Which the
Sugar Man Would
Not Answer.
WASHINGTON,

WASHINGTON, June 1, 1sg.-The
Searles trial was resumed today and
judge Bradley rendered his decision on
the motion of the counsel for the defence
to order an acquSttal in the case of the
government against John E. Searles, Sec
retary of the Sugar Trust, for recusancy
before the Senate Sugar Investigating
Committee. Both Mr.. Searles and Mr.
Havemeyer were present
The judges opinion was exhaustive. 1t
had been reduced to writing and was read
from the bench. He pointed out that Mr.
Searles had testifedD specifically that no
money had been contributed by the Sugar
trust to the National Campaign or for
the purpose of Influencing legislation 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 purpose.
The questions asked of Broker Chap
man, the court said were manifestly
pertinent because they related to the
question of speculation in sugar by Sena-
tors, subject the committee was
dlrectly charged with investigation. This
the decision Of the Supreme Court had
settled. The question, put to the defen-
dant was claimed to be pertinent to the
second and third divisions of the Sena-
to1lal inquiry, namely as to whether the
sugar trust had contributed sums to
campaign funds with the purpose of in
nuenclng the election of a United States
Senator and whether and Senator had
Deen party to compact with the Sugar
Trust
Certainly, the Judge said, a simple in
vestigation as to whether the Sugar Trust
had contributed to a campaign fund
a a arl1 an n
plainly beyond the power of the Senate
Here he referred at length to the Kill
reported that nc. testimony had been pro-
duced to show that the Sugar Trust had
made any contributions to any National
qaa}ah eamGalgn fpnd or for the purpose Of
gone for the purpose purpose of electing G mem aau
bers of State, Legislatures who in
sgnaor ms wGqa II Was seee the 9n5d st
United States to go behind the election
OF legislative members If this were
true as to State matters how much more
Remotely speculative" was the way he
characterized District Attorney Davis
suggestion made in his argument that To-
cal and State contributions could have
Deen traced to their ultimate destination
possibly into the pockets of United States
Senators. if the defendant had given the
names OF the persons to whom the monies
were first paid. 1t would be the widest
conlecture 10 assume that the money so
con1rIDuted in any way had gone to
make up the sugar schedule.
appeared from the report of the
committee that they were not in the pos
session of any facts upon which they
could base the fnost remote hope of show
ing an ultimate connection between the
sugar trusts contributions and the sugar
schedule. Under these circumstances it
must be held that the, questions asked
were not pertinent, and if construed to
be pertinent that hey were an unwar-
ranted prying into the private affairs of
the sceslapan n.y., and therefore beyond the
jurisdiction of the Senate. Judge Brad
defense and ordered the jury to return
verdict of acquittaI. The jury according
~ rendered a verdict of not guilty and
Edwards and John S. Shriver, the news
paper correspondents, were postponed un-
til next Monday.