The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1903-11-04
ERWIN IS
EXONERATED
BEFORE COMMISSION
Err HEACOCK BY d. $. RICHARD
SON SHOWS HIM INNOCENT.


SAN FRANCISCO, October 23.--Be-
fore United States Commissioner Hea-
cock yesterday morning Daniel 5.
Richardson, general superin tenden- of
the San Francisco Postoffice, testified
that he went to Washington in the in
terests of the device of the Montague
Time Indicator Company, and that up-
on the request of August w. Machen
and George w. Beavers he gave them
large blocks of stock in the company IN
consideration of which they secured
$50 600 worth of contracts for the de-
vice from the department of the Post
office, in which they were high Off
cials. He practically assumed the en-
tire responsibility for the bribery him
self.
The resolution by which the direct
ors of the local company issued the
stock to Machen and Beavers; under
other names, of course, than their
own, was placed in evidence. The
document bore the letters 80. XIV.
w. M" and Richardson testified that
the "W. w. M" stood for w. w.
Montague, Postmaster of San Fran
cisco, then president of the device
company.
After Machen and Beavers had
given the order for a large number of
the postal box devices, at 81 each
Richardson succeeded in getting the
price raised to 1925 and 81. D. each, and
a letter written upon the subject by
Richardson to Machen was introduced
in evidence, which says, referring to
the additional sum required to meet
the increased bill: 81 have laid the
matter as frankly before Loud as
have before you, and I am assured by
him that the money will be provided"
Congressman Eugene F. Loud was
chairman of the House Committee on
Postal Affairs.
The whole testimony of d. S. Rich
ardson, understood to be practically
the same as the testimony which he
gave before the Federal Grand Jury
at Washington, was a series of revela-
tiOns even to those outsiders who
have followed the case most closely,
and the bringing of the names of
Postmaster Montague and former Con-
gresham Loud actively into the scan
dial We're but two Of several surprises.
Instead of involving James w. Erwin,
the former Postoffice Inspector, now
under indictment, and in the interest
of whose removal to Washington the
present proceedings are had the tes-
timony of the governments chief wit
ness, Richardson, showed his connec-
ton with the whole affair to be re-
mote and his participation such as
might have occurred without any
criminal intent and without any
knowledge on his part at the time
that bribery and other illegal prac-
tees were going on.
The case before the Commissioner
was reopened upon motion of the Gov
eminent, it being said that District
Attorney Woodwork feared that the
Commissioner might not hold the in
dictment as sufficient grounds for or
dering Erwins removal to Washing
ton for trial in the face of evidence
already offered in Erwin's behalf. IT,
by putting on the witnesses here who
appeared before the Washington
Grand Jury, the Government sought
to strengthen it's case, it is difficult
to see where it has succeeded
1t is equally difficult to see how
Richardson could hope to escape in
dictment upon his own testimony ex-
cept upon the assumption that he has
been promised immunity in order to
get him to turn states evidence.
In reply to questions by District At
torney Woodwork, who took the stand
at ten o'clock, D. S. Richardson said
that he had been in the local Post
office service for twenty years. He
was the originator of the main idea
of the postal device and formed the
Montague Time Indicator Company
for the purpose of putting it on the
market using the name of Postmaster
Montague, who was given half of the
10000 shares of stock and became pres
ident A fourth of the stock went to
Hoagland. a mechanic who developed
the invention, and Richardson retained
the balance. j. W. Erwin became a
stakeholder in August 1899, when he
was given fifty shares for services per-
formed in perfecting the invention
Late in 1899 the board Of directors of
the Montague Time Indicator Com
pany paid the expenses of Richardson
and Erwin to go to Washington to
bring the device to the attention of
Postoffice officials to see if contracts
could not be secured. Erwin was
asked to go because of his acqpaint-
ance in Washington. Richardson could
not recall any conversation with Err
win about distributing stock at Wash
in fn int
to Machen, Richardson being already
| acquainted with Beavers. Richardson
had several interviews with Macher
and Beavers in restaurants, at some OF
which Erwin was present.