The Indianapolis journal., 1903-11-17
Charged with Accepting Money and
Property for Recommending Ap-
pOintment of q Postmaster.
JACOB FISHER ALSO INDICTED
HE Is ALLEGED TO HAVE PAID THE
SENATOR 81 300 FOR OFFICE.
Statement by Mr.. Rosewater, Who
Says the Indictment Is the Result
of a Political Feud.

OMAHA, Neb., Nov. 16.-The federal
grand jury this evening returned true bills
against United States Senator Charles H.
Dietrich and Postmaster Jacob Fisher of
Hastings, Neb., charging them with con-
spiracy and bribery in connection with the
appointment of Fisher to the position of
postmaster. The indictments were brought
into the United States District Court at
6 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 its contents beyond making
an order to the clerk for filing of the bills
The indictment against Senator Dietrich
charges that he accepted money and prop
erty in consideration of having recon-
mended Fisher for appointment as post
master at Hastings That against Post
master Fisher charges him with making an
agreement with Senator Dietrich by which
the former was to pay in property and
money $1,000 for securing to Fisher the ap-
pointment
THE ALLEGED BRIBERY.
Evidence was presented TO the grand jury
to show that Fisher had bought postoffice
fixtures from the army post at
Hastings of the value of $500 and later
turned the property over to Senator Diet
rich, to whose building it was removed
and to whom was paid rental by the
government In addition to turning over
this property, it is charged that Fisher
paid to the senator $500 in cash.
Tonight it is stated that the grand jury
has been investigating the postofice case
for nearly three weeks, and that a number
of xxyit
and other points in the State Senator
Dietrich is at present in Washington and
there was no attorney or other person in
the city tonight authorized to make a
statement for him. All the witnesses in
the case left this afternoon for their homes
The last witness called before the grand
jury to-day was William Dutton, a hard
ware merchant or Hastings. VINO gave his
testimony to-day according to Dutton's s
diary in all the alleged transactions be-
tween the indicted men and after hearing
his evidence the grand jury excused the re-
naming witnesses who had not testified and
at once prepared its report to Judge Mum
ger. Word was sent to the court that il
had report to make and Judge Munger
notified foreman Frank Z. White that he
would hear 1t at once The grand jury
thereupon came into the courtroom and the
court asked: Have you any report to
make?" Foreman White answered: "We
have whereupon the judge asked him TO
read IL. The indictments, three In number
against each, Senator DIETRICH and Post
master Fiber, were then read and the court
merely ordered them turned over to the
clerk for filing and the jury was excused
THE JURYMEN.
The jury is composed of twenty members.
nineteen of whom are said to have voted
| for the indictment and one against. The
members came from all parts of the State
no two of them being a resident OF the same
town. The foreman, Frank E. 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. Four other cases, said to
be of similar nature. are being investigat-
| ed by the grand jury and a report on all
| or part OF them is expected very soon. All
| are cases in which postoffices and post
masters are concerned.
| The section under which the separate in
| dictments against Senator Dietrich and
Jacob Fisher are drawn is Section l7SI OF
| the Revised Statutes of the United States
which reads as follows:
| Section 1881. tProhibition upon taking
consideration for procuring contracts
/ Offices. etc. Every member OF Congress-
| or any officer or agent of the government
| who, directly or indirectly. takes. receives
! CONTINUED ON PAGE 4. COL. g.