The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-08-02

In the Washington newspapers of July
20. there appeared paragraph In the re-
port OF the Nicely trial in the United States
Court at New York, concerning William
B, Benham, of the Treasury Department,
who was associated with Nicely in the Blu
reau OF Finance of the Department of
PoEts in Cuba, and who had charge of the
supply department. The paragraph fol-
lows: The next witness sworn was VIII
liam B. Benham, former head bookkeep-
er under Mr.. Nicely. He was in Cuba in
the finance department, from January.
1879, TO June 1899. Mr.. Benham merely
testified az to various methods of entry
1t was brought out that the witness was
discharged by Mr.. Nicely for Incompetence"
Mr.. Benham declares that the statement
| that he was discharged by Mr.. NeeIy for
incompetence is utterly false" Mr.. BEN
ham said today: What actually did
testify to on the occasion of the rearing
IN New York was as follows: First. that
the ledger kept by the finance division
from January 7, 189S-which book has dis
appeared, presumably secreted or destroy
ed ny Neely-was similar to that submit
Ted in evidence and beginning January l.
1917. Second, that Nicely had said to me
Va AIOA q LHdtE Que occasion, Wlen l mad
spoken o. leaving the finance division that
he would make me rich if l would remain
with him, but he did not say by what
method Third, that he had frequently
told me that the late financial panic in the
States had ruined him, and that he was
obliged TO start life over again, and that
was why he was in Cuba on a salary.
Fourth, that the American Club OF which
l was president borrowed $500 of Nicely on
February 3, 1893, and that the same was
paid to him within thirty days with $40
interest Fifth, that he was not engaged
IN any other business in Cuba from jan
uaTy to March a. 1900, and had no money
or other source of income save his salary
another point which came out in the
course of Mr.. Renham's testimony was his
statement that upon opening the books of
the finance division he suggested to Mr.
Nicely that a standard system of bookkeep-
ing be adopted in the department. Nicely
replied: 4 have system Of my own that
is good enough for me-
Mir. Benham retains the following letter
from Judge E. H Lacombe, of the United
States Circuit Court in New York:
wv. B. Benham, esq, Treasury Depart
ment. Washington, D. c.:
Dear Sir: Yours of July 81, enclosing
a newspaper clipping, purporting to give |
narrative of the proceedings Of the appli- |
cation for extradition of C. F. W Nicely, |
asserts that Mr.. Benham merely testified |
to various methods OF entry 1t was |
brought out that the witness was dis |
charged by Nicely for incompetence
'Inasmuch as you are yourself in Gov |
eminent employ and fear lest you may In |
some way be injured or prejudieed unless |
you can secure vindication more expedi- |
ditiously than you could by prosecuting an |
action for libel against the offending news |
paper, there seems to be no good reason |
WHY l should not grant your unusual re- |
quest and make statement of the facts.
THE statement contained in the second |
sentence OF the above quotation is utterly /
and unqualifiedly false; it was not brought |
out before the court that you were dis |
charged by Nicely or anyone else nor |
was there any evidence introduced tend |
ing in the remotest degree to show that /
you were incompetent, nor did either ccun-
sci offer to produce any such evidence
This, therefore, is not case where there
has been an imperfect understanding ard
an inaccurate statement of what took place,
but one where the reporter has either
drawn upon his own imagination or has
attributed to the witnesses some assertion
which he heard elsewhere. I remain yours
very truly. E. HENRY LACOMBE"
Mr.. Benham has also received a letter
from E. E. Baldwin, Assistant United
States Attorney fer the Southern District
says:
THE reporter of the Associated Press.
who is responsible for the article. was
over to see me about it, and seemed will
ing to make any reparation possible, and
he stated he expected to lose his position
On account of it,
Continuing, Mr.. Benham said: Mr.. Bris-
tow's report shows that Nee5y made his
first deposit in the Muncie Bank on Feb
ruary 3, 1899, confirming my statement
that at the time OF loaning the club $500.
February g. 1899, he had no bank account
DR. other funds beyond his salary, and ev-
erybody connected with the Department
1f Posts knows that Neely's living ex-
penses equaled or exceeded his salary
1T will thus be seen that what I actu-
ally testified to and what was given to
he press for publication were widely di-
VergeDt, and the damaging nature of my
evidence undoubtedly furnished an incen-
i've for Nelly, with his artful cunning. to
make this last reyengefuI fling through the
agency OF the reporter his only comforter
and stay in the proceedings at the final
hearing.
When Nicely came into court on the 2sd
litimo l scarcely recognized the hollow
'heeked, sunken-eyed, wretched looking
nan that I had been associated with only .
year before in Havana He sgt with his
Jack to the witnesses and court, scarcely !