The times., 1898-12-15
The Defendant Former Clerk of
the District AssessOr-An Alleged
misrepresentation of Fees - The
Jury Empaneled-Many Witnesses
to he Called.

The trial of Frank II. Miles, alias Frank
Herbert Miles, who is charged with en-
bezzling the funds of the District while
employed as a clerk in the office of the
assessor for the District, was begun yes
terday before a jury in Criminal Court No.
!, Chief Justice Bingham presiding. The
accused has been under Indictment by the
grand jury for many months, but some
thing has always intervened to cause a
postponement of the investigation of the
charge under which he is held. When the
case was called yesterday another post
ponement seemed liable.
AS soon as District Attorney Shillington
announced that the Government was
ready to proceed. Mies's counsel, Tracy
L. Jeffords, filed demurrer, in which It
was alleged that the indictment did not
set forth any specific charge and was in
other respects defective. Argument was
heard on this point from Mr.. Shiilington
and his associate, Assistant District At
torney Laskey, for the Government, and
by Mr.. Jeffords in support of the de-
murrer. Chief Justice Bingham overruled
the motion AT the beginning of the after
noon session Miles was called upon to
plead to the Indictment, ana Mr.. Jeffords
stated that he would waive the reading
Mr. shilington interjected: You mean
the re-reading." After some furth oss-
firing Chief Justice Bingham ordered
Miles to stand and plead TO the indictme t
The defendant answered mot guilty" after
Clerk of Court Galley finished the reading
of the twenty-eight counts
The crime with which Miles is charged
was committed over a year ago. He was
employed as a clerk In the office of AS
SCISSOR Matthew Trimbe in the District
Building. One of his duties was to make
out certificates containing a statement of
the taxes due on any piece of property
in the District upon the application of
any person interested.
The customary way OF doing this was.
according to the testimony of Assessor
Trimble for Miles to give the applicant
slip. stating his purpose. This he would
carry to Collector Davis, who, upon the
payment by the applicant of fifty cents,
the legal charge, would instruct Miles to
make out the required certificate contain
ing statement of the taxes due upon the
property in question. Some time in the
Spring of 1897, Mr.. Trimble said this
method was changed for the purpose of
expediting the business of the office, and
Miles was allowed to receive the fees for
making out the statement of taxes.
When Niles was Indicted by the grand
jury last Spring, he claimed that he was
not properly charged in the Indictment
because his name Is Franklin and not
Frank. The matter was sumbitted to a
jury which found that he was indicted
under his proper name.
When it came to the selection of a jury.
however. no difficulty was experienced.
Jury No. j, composed of the following.
was empanneled: Alexander ID. Tucker.
foreman; Alex. F. Leathns, w N. Lewis.
George W. Banagan, John Mel. Dodson,
Benjamin b. Bradford, Mordacai Parke,
Motley Anderson. Joseph E. Washington,
]. 3. Dant, James NJ. Johnson, and James
E. Dalgleish.
As soon as the jury had been sworn Mr..
Laskey presented the Governments side
of the case and the defense waived its
opening.
The first witness for the Government
was DR.. William Tindall. secretary of the
board of District Commissioners, who tes-
titled only as to the appointment of Niles
to a clerkship. He was followed by AS
SCISSOR Trimble who gave detailed ac-
count of the methods connected with the
issuing of certificates of statements of
taxes. These witnesses will probably be
recalled before the conclusion of the trial.
There are nearly fifty witnesses sum
moned on either side, and the prospects
are that the trial will extend over ten or
twelve days.