The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-01-31
MAKE A LONG FIGHT
CEED WITH eau
TION
WILL MOVE FOR A DISMISSAL
Dispositions Taken In Japan Are
Observation-Disclosures Will
Give His Side of the
Case.

The crime for which Francis S. Mayer
who has been confined in the Hennepin
county jail since Dec. 10, and for which
the Japanese government asks his eX-
tradition, is forgery. Mayer was arrest
ed by United States Marshal Grimshaw,
acting under instructions from the attor-
ney general of the United States at
Washington, while he, Mayer, was on a
Great Northern train with his wife and
two children en- route to the home of his
nativity.
AS the telegram was shown him author
izing his arrest for forgery, he was at a
loss apparently to understand why such
proceedings were necessary and thought
there must be some mistake about it. In
the meantime he was held in Jail await
ing papers and dispositions to arrive from
Japan so that the matter could be clear
ed up.
Mayer retained as his counsel Messrs.
LAWYER and Arnold, of st. Paul, who ap-
beared for the defendant yesterday when
the case was called before United States
Commissioner Abbott. NJ D. Purdy,
United States attorney, appeared for the
prosecution.
Toshiro Fujita, imperial consul for the
empire of Japan at Chicago, was also
present and presented the dispositions and
documentary evidence that had been sub
mitted TO him through the minister of
foreign affairs at Toxic and the minis
ter to the United States at Washington.
As the case was resumed yesterday
the attorney for the defendant objected
TO the taking of evidence or reading of
any dispositions, because the counts on
which the defendant is charged allege no
offense within provisions Of any treaty
between the United States and Japan,
or under any laws of the United States
or Minnesota. Further than that there
were no allegations to show that the in
strument said to have been forged would
have any legal validity or financial value,
If genuine, and that there was nothing
to show that forgery of the name of E.
V. Thorn would give any financial value
Further that the allegations were not
sufficient to apprise the defendant Of the
nature Of the instrument forged described
as debenture, as to whether it was a.
note, bond or other financial obligation
OF the Yokohama Steam Laundry COM
pany, or what effect the signature Of E.
". Thorn would have on said instrument.
Mr.. Fujita was sworn and testified as
to the method of procedure and what
trnspired between himself and his gov
eminent. and the instructions he had re-
ceived with regard to presenting the pa"
pers to the proper parties, before whom
the case of Mayer would come up for de-
He was asked by the defense to pro-
duce his authority to show the court that
he was the duly authorized person from
his government to present such papers,
and he refused to do So claiming that
the records between himself and the min
lister of foreign affairs at Toxic were
confidential, and he refused to bring the
letters and cablegrams into court
The dispositions were then read from
various witnesses at Yokohama in re-
gard to the alleged forgery. 1t appears
that Mayer was general manager of a
paper known as the Japan Herald, and
was at one time a director in the Yoko-
hama Steam Loundry company, but,
through some difficulty, he severed his
connection with the laundry company,
and it was after he had severed his
connection Win this company that he
issued ten debentures, to which, it is
claimed, he forged the name of E. V
Thorn and used the private seal of the
Yokohama Laundry company in order to