The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-10-17

In the Ingham-N Hewitt Bribery and
Conspiracy Case. q
HEw1rTs THREAT TO MR.. BECK.


would Not Want TO ADMIT.
Philadelphia, Oct. 1.-THE defense
yesterday finished its presentation Of
testimony in the United States district
court In the case of Ellery p. Ingham
and Harvey X. hewitt, charged with
| conspiracy to protect counterfeiters
and bribery of secret service official.
1t was day Of sensational proceed
ings, Mr. hewitt, who underwent q
rigorous cross examination by the gov
eminent, at one time hotly threaten
ing United States District Attorney
Beck, alleging II 1t were possible for
the latter to 60 on the stand he would
make him disclose what he would not
want to admit. Judge Mcpherson
promptly put an end to this. Mr.. Beck
had previously called attention to the
assertions made about him by both de-
PENDANTS while they were on the stand.
and said they did It knowing that he,
as prosecuting attorney, could not 60
upon the stand and answer them.
Another sensational event was the
appearance of witness who charged
that William J. McManus, secret SER
vice operative, had admitted to him
on Oct. last that he was in hole
and would have to swear to things
to support Chief Wilkie.
The witnesses of the day for the
defense included. beside Mr.. hewitt.
typewriter and clerk in Ingham &
Newitt's Office. newspaper reporter
and the city editor of a newspaper.
William J. McManus was on the stand
for a brief time.
The great effort of the prosecution
was concentrated in the cross examina-
ton upon the now famous "decoy let
ter" written by John e. Wilkie, chief
of the secret service. to William J.
McManus, and given to hewitt by the
latter on April 10, just before the lat
ter's arrest. This letter was designed
by Mr.. Wilkie to throw the alleged
conspirators into panic, and have
them endeavor to communicate with
each other The letter warns McManus
that information had been received
from Ohio that Jacobs and Kendig
were parties to a counterfeiting con-
spiracy, and giving instructions for
their arrest. Mr.. hewitt said he did
not think it was strange that McManus
should show him this letter, and that
it was his duty as counsel to at once
notify kendig and Jacobs. He admit.
ted having copied the letter and hav-
ing endeavored to get Kendig on the
telephone
F. P. Vincent. assistant United
States appraiser, and Lewis ]. Murphy,
United States customs examiner, were
called by the defense and stated that
Secret Service Operative McManus had
testified at the commissioners hearing
that hewitt offered him $4,000 If he
and kendig McManus on the stand
said the amount was $4,000.
John F. Bremen and Jacob Zook, of
Lancaster, and julius Vetterlein, of
this city, dealers In leaf tobacco, were
mentioned on the stand by Ingham,
who said that Kendig told him these
men were in conspiracy to ruin Ken
dig and Jacobs. The three men were
called. and denied that there had been
any conspiracy.
In his testimony Mr. Ingham said he
wac NV owoiV lHut SCSiCt oCi WIG LhCA
were employed for any investigations
other than counterfeiting cases. DR..
A. r. Barrett was called and testified
that while he was an operative Of the
secret service he assisted Mr.. Ingham
in the preparation of the Spring Gar
den bank cases. and also in the case
of H. H. Yard, who charged with mis-
appropriating the funds of the Key
stone bank.
Mr.. Ingham identified letter writ
ten by him to the authorities at Wash
ington commencing W. H. Thompson
and DR.. Barrett. of the secret service,
for their work in the bank cases.
Mr.. Thompson was called, and tes-
titled that while he was in the secret
service he had assisted Mr. Ingham in
the bank cases.
Assistant Secretary of the Treasury
Frank A. Vanderlip, of Washington,
testified that the secret service was
a duly recognized department of the
government and that the operatives
were employed per diem, and not by the
fee system.
Operatives Henry and Griffin tes-
tiicu tAaI thCy hou uCCh ShplOycu
by Mr.. Ingham when he was United
States district attorney to investigate
the famous chat trimming" cases tried
in the United States court in 1897.
These cases were suits brought BY var
ious firms to test the legality Of duties
paid on millinery articles.
This was to refute the statements
of Ingham and hewitt that they had
never known Of the employment of
secret service agents in revenue cases
or In any case other than where
was concerned.
Mr.. Beck questioned the reliability
Of Mr.. Logan, newspaper reporter,
as a witness, on the ground that he was
addicted to drinking.
All the testimony having been pre-
se7ted, court adjourned until today,
Iii