Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1903-10-15
BEGIN POSTAL
SCANDAL TRIALS
About Two Dozen Cases Under
Indictments Against Post
office Officials.
CHARGE Is CONSPIRACY
Former Assistant Attorney General of
the Postoffice Department .. v.
Miller and a Friend Of j.. N.
Jones Are tho Defendants.

Cincinnati, O., Oct. I5.-The first trial
under about two dozen indictments
against postofice officials, secured in
different parts of the country by the
government recently, was begun here
yesterday. The defendants are Daniel
Voorhees, Miller of Terre Haute, Ind,
formerly assistant attorney general for
the postoffice department at Washing
ton, and his friend, Joseph M. Johns, an
attorney at Rockville, Ind.
The government charged a conspir-
acy between these defendants for the
purpose of obtaining money from John
b. Ryan, a turf commissioners, with Of
fees in Cincinnati and st. Louis, for
protecting him from postoff1ce officials
in the use of the mails for his business.
Miller claims absolute ignorance of
any transaction II a may have oc-
CURED between Ryan and Johns.
Johns claims that he made an ordi-
nary contract with Ryan as attorney to
assist in securing a decision from the
postal department after presentation OF
the case.
Both defendants emphatically deny
any understanding between themselves
or with Ryan, or any conspiracy. The
most eminent counsel is engaged on
both sides. Miller and Johns are old
friends, having lived in adjoining
ties in Indiana for years, where both
have been prominent politically, profess
sionally and otherwise.
While District Attorney Sherman Nc
Pherson n his assistants, Mouliner
and Darby, have been working on the
case for some time they We're assisted
today by Charles II. Robb, assistant
attorney general for the postal depart
ment at Washington; d. G. Cochran,
chief of p%ostoffice inspectors; Inspect
ors Vickery and Fulton, who arrested
Miller and Johns, and others.
Six Conspiracy Charges.
The defendants have been indicted
Jointly on six counts of conspiracy to
obtain a bride from John Ryan & Co,
OF Cincinnati and st. Louis. The gov
eminent has called a dozen witnesses,
and the defense three times as many,
SO it is not expected that the argu-
ments will be reached until the latter
part of the week.
The first witness was Richard M.
Webster, a clerk in the legal depart
ment Of the postmaster generals Of
fee. He produced the books in which
were recorded the decisions and all
other actions taken in the case of j.
Ryan's concern, and stated that the
Ryan concern had been put on what
Webster identified many papers sthat
postal inspectors had secured and that
were admitted as evidence.
Webster was sharply cross examined
by Attorney Rulison as to the records
brought from Washington, indicating
that Miller had heard the Ryan case
on November IL of last year, and that
it was dismissed on the same day, hold
ing that there could not nave been a
bride therefor at Washington.
j. NJ. Morrow, a telegraph operator at
Rockville, Ind., testified at length re-
garding the work of the inspectors at
Rockville, and produced about two
dozen copies of kilograms that passed
between Johns and Ryan, and II that
passed between Johns and Miller.
These kilograms We're admitted as
evidence.
Ryan as Star Witness.
John j.. Ryan, the star witness of the
government, was on the witness stand
from 8 O'Clock until court adjourned.
He gave a history and an explanation
Of his cooperative Investment com
pany, telling how he advertised in the
and received answer with
money by mail. Last November he
was called on by %postof1ice inspectors,
and soon afterwards received a notice
from ID. v. Miller, as assistant attor-
ney of the postoftice department, that
his turf commission operations We're
llttuuuICIlIs 4IdlClN ~ kAoA q -
fore Attorneys Christiancy and Miller
on November II in Washington, Whei.s
the whole matter was finally referred
to Miller. AT this meeting Ryan prom
Used to reorganize his cooperative in
vestment company so that his oper-
ations as turf commissioner would
come within the requirements of the
postal laws. He continued, however,
to have trouble, and 500 after his re-
turn from Washington he received a
letter from Joseph NJ. Johns, in which
the latter said he could be of service
to him. After considerable correspond
ence by mail and wire they met in
Terre Haute, where Ryan stated he
registered under the name OF Rose.
Ryan described in detail how they
mingled about the hotel in Terre Haute
and finally retired TO his room, where
Johns opened the conversation about
his troubles with the p%ostofiica depast-
ment. Ryan was proceeding TO repeat
the conversation that took place when
he two We're alone in a room at Terre
Haute, when he was interrupted by an
objection from Rulison to the witness
testifying as to What Johns recited
about Miller saying to him.
Ryan testified that Johns claimed TO
be close to Miller and able to advise
Ryan What Miller had said could CT
would be lone in the pending case.
Rulison objected to connecting Miller
in a conspiracy before any conspiracy
had beer established.
After much argument the court took
the objection under advisement until
today.
Monuments Are Dedicated.