The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-01-11
Damaging Evidence Against the Num-
Gle Man Given by One of His
Former Clerks.
RATHB0NE ALSO ACCUSED
ALLEGED TO HAVL SAID 1T WAS AN
EASY WAY TO MAKE MONEY.
story of the Destruction of Sur
charged Stamps in the POST
office at Havana.

HAVANA, Jan. 10.--When the trial of the
cases arising from the Cuban postoffice
frauds was resumed in the Audiencia Court
to-day, after having adjourned on Tuesday
last, on account of the illness of counsel
for Charles F. W. Nicely w. H. Reeves,
one of the defendants. was again called to
the stand, and testified regarding the
stamp-burning incident. He said the
stamps were not counted, and that Neely
told him Estes C. Rathbone acquiesced in
the whole matter.
The government has finished the exam
ination of Reeves and tomorrow he will
be cross-examined by counsel for Nicely
and Rathbone. 1t was evident throughout
Reeves's testimony that the charge against
all the defendants is based on Reeves's
statements, for the fiscal conducted his
examination by questions from a typewrit-
ten copy of the accusation, and Reeves's
testimony substantiated the conclusions
drawn in the accusation. Reeves said that
Rathbone had appointed him chief postal
accountant but that he had originally
been appointed to this position from Wash
ington. He said he had a discussion with
Neely about the destruction of stamps
that Neely told him Rathbone was willing
TO do business, and that the stamps had
been burned at the suggestion of Nicely.
Reeves Marfield and Neely appointed a
commission. Marfeld did not know about
the intended fraud. He figured up the
amount Of the value and marked each
package of stamps, amounting to total of
$4,000 Reeves testified that Neely made
up declaration and that some days after
ward he, Neely and Marfield signed il.
Rathbone, he said, ordered him to credit
the amount on the books.
Here Senior Lanuza called attention to
Reeves's statement in Assistant Postmas-
ter Bristow's report that Reeves did not
know fraud had been committed when he
had made the credit in the books. Reeves
refused to recognize the printed statement
as his. Reeves said that before burning
the last surcharged stamps. amounting TO
| $1,000 Neely told him that the amount
credited for the first burning was wrong.
and that there was $1,000 to be divided up
between him, Neely and Rathbone Reeves
/ testified that Neely told him that Rathbone
| had paid off a mortgage in Cincinnati with
1 this money.
| Shortly after this Reeves said that Rath-
| bone in referring TO the burning OF the
/ stamps, said that il easy way to
/ make money. He also said that Neely told
| him that Rathbone would be civil Governor
/ OF Cuba, and that they would beneht there
BY, because Neely would be treasurer of
/ the island and Reeves auditor. Reeves al
/ so testified that Neely had credited Sl2 600
/ in his own department in charging ac-
counts 10 the North American Trust Com
/ many and that he (Neely) mad appropriated
/ this amount.
Regarding Rathbones trip to the United
States i'm October 1899. Reeves said that
1 $500 had been drawn for expenses. and
/ that Rathbone returned him $673 He said
| that he thought Neely gave Rathbone $3.50