The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-11-17
UNITED STATES SENATOR
INDICTED FOR CONSPIRACY
Another Count in the Bill Charges Bribery in Con-
nection With Appointment of Postmaster
Dietrich Of Nebraska Alleged to Have Worked His Office For All
There Was in It.
\ 1IAHA. Neb.. Nov. 16.-The fed1

n MAHA, Neb, Nov 16.-The federal
grand jury tonight returned true
bills against United States Senator
Charles III. Dietrich and Postmaster
Jacob Fisher of Hastings. Neb., chaTC-
Ing them with conspiracy and bribery in
connection with the appointment of
Fisher Co the position of postmaster.
Tho indictments were brought into the
United states district court al O'Clock.
Judge Munger presiding. and were
placed ON file. The court merely ac-
cepted the report of the grand jury,
making no remarks on it's contents be-
yond making an order to the clerk for
filing OF the bills.
The indictment against Senator Diet
rich charges that ne accepted money
and property in consideration of his
recommending Fisher FOR appointment
as postmaster at Hastings. That
against Postmaster Fisher charges him
with making an agreement with Sen
ator Dietrich by which the former was
10 pay I'm property and money 81 300 for
securing 20 Fisher the appointment
Evidence was presented to the grand
jury To- show that Fisher had bought
postOfncc fixtures from the Grand Army
post at Hastings of the value of $500
and later turned the property over to
Senator Dietrich, TO whose building &C.
was removed. and to whom was paid
rental by the government. Tn addi-
,. lion 20 turning over this property. it is
charged that Fisher paid to the SEN
ator $500 I'm cash
; Tonight it was stated that the grand
jury has been investigating the Hast
ings pOstOfice case for nearly three
weeks, and that "a number Of witnesses
were present from Hastings and other
points I'm the state.
Senator Tnfnfr-frh is NJ r.racorF
Washington and there was no attorney
or other person I'm the city tonight au-
tnorized 90 make "a statement for him.
All the witnesses i'm the case left this
afternoon for their homes. among them
Postmaster Fisher of Hastings and no
statement could be had from him.
Evidence Of Go-Between.
The last witness called before the
grand jury was William DuttOn
hardware merchant Of Hastings. who
gave his testimony today. According
to buttons testimony he DuttOn)
acted as Intermediary I'm all the alleged
transactions between the indicted men,
and after hearing his evidence the
cand jury excused the remaining wit
nesses who had not testified and at
once prepared its report.
The jury was composed of twenty
members. nineteen of whom are said
10 have voted for the Indictment and
one against. The members came from
an parts of the state no two Of them
being a resident of the same town.
The foreman. Frank r. White Of
Omaha, is secretary Of the grand lodge
Of the Masonic order Of Nebraska. The
other members are mostly prominent
business and professional men
Other Cases.
sgFour other cases. said to be OF a sim
liar nature, are being Investigated by
the grand jury and a report on all or
part of them is expected very soon.
All are cases I'm which pOstoffices and
postmasters are concerned.
This indictment Is said 70 be the
first ever returned against a United
States senator on charges Of this ma
ture and caused intense excitement in
government official circles I'm Omaha
and I'm adjoining towns when it be-
came public.
The section under which the separate
indictments against Senator Dietrich
and Jacob Fisher are drawn rs section
Isl OF the revised statutes of the
limited States which forbids members
or congress from prOGung by contracts
or receiving valuable consideration for
procuring contracts or Offices. The
conspiracy indictment is drawn under
section 5440 of the revised statutes.