The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-10-18
Testimony Of Ingham and hewitt Most In.
pudent Ever Given In a Court.
THE ARGUMENT FOR THE DEFENCE.
Attorney Shields COnlendsd That His Clients,
Ingham and Rewtl, We're Victims Of Con-
spsy Investigated BY Operative Burns.

Philadelphia. Oct. 1S.--The jury in the
trial of Ettery f.. Ingham. ex-United
States district attorney. and his former
assistant. Harvey X. hewitt. on the
charges OF conspiracy and bribery in
connection with the Lancaster revenue
stamp counterfeitiag case yesterday
heard argument on the testimony. Dis
trlct Attorney Beck characterized, the
defence as periured and impudent. He
also Indignantly scored the attempts
OF defendants and their counsel 10 cast
aspersions on his character when he,
as prosecuting attorney. could not de-
fend himself.
h. Mr.. Beck assured the jury that he
had absolutely no personal feeling IN
the prosecution of the defendants. AS
regards the crime with which they
were charged he said he considered il
the most unpardonabe in the calendar.
Ingham and hewitt. ne declared, had
not the slightest excuse for becoming
parties TO il. They were not in need
Cf money They were lawyers who had
sworn to defend the constitution OF the
United States. Yet they had permitted
themselves TO participate in conspir-
acy which would result in the debauch-
cry of the currency.
FALSrTY SNOWY.
In proving the falslty Of the conspir-
acy which Ingham had said Kendig
told him had been formed against Ken
dig q Jacobs TO ruin their business,
Mr.. Beck called the attention of the
jury 10 the fact that neither Kendig
nor Jacobs had suggested "A detective,
but that Mr.. hewitt had done SO. He
characterized the testimony of lngham
and hewitt that Jacobs and Kendig
paid them money 10 employ secret
service operative for the purpose OF in
vestigating an alleged conspiracy as
the most improbable and the most i'm
pudent lie ever perDetrated in court
room.
In concluding MIR. Beck asserted that
very little impOrtance could be attach
ed TO the cha racter OF the witnesses. y
Nnan may have an excellent reputation,
ne said, and vet be guilty of crime. He
quoted the examples Of Judas Iscariot,
Lord Bannon and Benedict Arnold,
whose regulations We're good until their
crimes had been committed.
CASE OF THE DEFENCE.
In presenting the case OF the defence
20 the jury Attorney Shields rehearsed
the testimony adduced on both sides
and announced that he was willing to
-rrfeet -tfrP prosecution on the issue %
the credibiltv Of witnesses. He as
serted that with one or two exceptions
every witness called by the government:
had practically convicted himself OF
perjury. and was consequently un-
worthv Of belief. He scored the secret
service operative numerically. and
spoke OF the testimony against 1ngham
and hewitt as having emanated from
blacklegs and confessed criminals.
He said there could be no doubt that
his clients We're the victims of con-
spiracy. and had been caught in a trap
instfgated bv operative Burns With
regard TO William T.. kendig. one Of
the defendants. who had confessed 10
counterfeiting. Mr.. Shields declared
that he had hypnotiZed MIR. lngham i'm
20 believing a falsehOod. and IL was his
opinion that Kendig had also hypno-
tized District Attorney Beck. Sustain
ing the contention of the defence that
InSham and hewitt were the victims
Of conspiracy. counsel asserted that
the motive was ambition, and that
Chief Wilkie as well as his subordi-
an tes had Welded TO the impulse which
some times stirred a man 10 gain fame
and distinction.
Towards the conclusion Of his argu-
ment Mr.. Shields appealed 10 the jury
for sympathy by referring in a broken
voice 20 Mr.. Inghams little child and
Mr. Nswitt's AGED mother
District Attorney Beeh-ebierted on
the ground that II was irrelevant. and
its purpose was obviously TO prejudice
the iurv.
His objection was sustained by the
court and Mr.. Shields ended his ad-
dress.