Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-10-15
Sprung on Defendants in the
MilIer-Johns Trial.
stenographic Notes Of Talk With
Miller Used as Evidence.
Ryan Tells How He Was 6ied by the
Syndicate.

for conspiracy in connection with the
recently exposed postal frauds. Nine
witnesses were examined, today, and
the government has four more to cali,
so that the defence will not begin until
the afternoon of the third day and the
case may not go to the jury until the
last day of the week.
The principal witnesses included Ryan
and the officials of Washington. The
defence was not taken by surprise un-
i'll afternoon, when the stenographlc
reports of the private secretaries OF
Fourth Assistant Postmaster General
Bristow and of Gen. Robb of interviews
with Miller were introduced as evil
dence.
Judge Thompson decided that a
prima facie case had been sufficiently
made out to permit the testimony OF
RYAN to be admitted. Counsel for the
defence excepted to the ruling and the
examination of Ryan by the govern
ment counsel was resumed.
Ryan repeated in detail the alleged
conversation between Johns and him.
self in the room at the Terre Haute no.
tel during which the witness claimed
to have made a contract with Johns
for $45OO for a favorable ruling from
Miller. Ryan said this sum, $1l00 of it
in cash and the balance in two checks,
he gave to Johns in the Gibson house
at Cincinnati, last winter. He told of
subsequent transactions in which he
said Johns wanted more funds right
along until the witness finally made a
statement of the whole matter to the
post Office inspectors and made no fur
Their efforts to get bets on the races
through the mails.
Ryan testified that Johns told how
fayOrably Miller had been impressed
with the witness in Washington, that
Miller's salary of only $4,000 was small
and that both needed money. Ryan
claimed to have made two contracts
with Johns in Terre Haute, one for
$500 for a favorable decision and the
other for $4,000 for revising circulars
and other advertising matter so 1t
would pass through the mails. Ryan
testified that Johns insisted that 1.-THE
amounts would be small when divided
On cross-examination Ryan admitted
he had given Johns a complete state
meiit of his bookmaking, so the latter.
as his attorney, could present the case
to the post office department. 1t was
brought out that there was to be no
division of the $4,000 for the revision of
Ryan's advertising literature. Ryan ad-
mitted that he took in over $1,000,U0O
through the mails and had 100000 OIL
hand when the post office inspectors
took charge of his concern.
The witness denied that any bargain
1,o " 60
him. On redirect examination Ryan
testified that Johns dictated the state
ments and contracts that We're in his
Handwriting.
Nicholas Filback, proprietor of the
hotel in Terre Haute, testified to Ryan
registering as George T. Rose and iden-
titled him and Johns as being ut his
hotel together.
George Fabb, clerk of the Gibson
house in Cincinnati. testified to Ryan
and Johns being together at the Glib
son house at the date when Ryan
claims to have paid Johns $45oO.
In the afternoon. Judge Miller Outcalt
of Cincinnati, testified to appearing be-
fore Christiancy and Miller at the post
office department in Washington, last No
vember, with John ]. Ryan. as his at
t6rney
Richard M. Webster. a clerk in the post
office department. was recalled to identi-
fy certain papers, and Chief Inspector
Cochran to identify certain reports in the
pending cases.
The monotony of the trial was broken
when J. T. Watson testified that he was
the private secretary to Fourth Assist
I1,,;c o,,1 toll
of the letters passing between John j.
ryan and the department. Finally. AS
.si@'1nj District Attorney Darby asked
him "a describe what took place in the
nc- of Fourth Assistant Postmaster
General Brstow. May IA. when Gen. Robb
and Chief Inspector Cochran had an in
terview with Miller.
He was asked to describe everything in
detail in the room and told about Fourth
Assistant Postmaster General Brstow
concealirg him behind his roll top desk
in one corner of his Office while Gen.
Robb and Chief Inspector Robb were ir
the room. Then Mr.. Bristow retired and
Mr.. Miller was soon sent into the room
where Robb and Cochran awaited him.
Meantime. Watson was seated on bum
die of old newspapers in the corner, TAX
ing full stenographic notes on his knee.
Then Watson proceeded to read to the
court from the original notes and occu-
pied an hour and half in doing so. The
first question propounded to Miller was
by Gen. Roth when he said:
Mr.. Cochran and / have an unpleasant
duty and it must be performed now. Be
fore anything is done you had better talk
the matter over You are a lawyer and
it is unnecessary to tell you that subter-
fuge will be useless and we will have none
of 1t. We will leave that aside. The ex-
au1nerS have been at work in the West
on the Ryan matter We have their re-
ports and their statements have been COR
roborated. 1t looks mighty bad for you
and we want YOU to explain"
Miller said he would explain whatever
he could and then he was Intercepted in
regard to his old friend Joseph NJ. Johns
and his connection with him from the be-
ginning of the case to the end. He was
not only questioned closely by both Robb
and Cochran, but he was also confronted
with the reports of the post office in
spectors.
Mr. Watson proceeded to read from his
stenographic notes question by Gen.
Robb that Ryan had turned over $500 to
Johns on the same day that the latter
got the ruling from Miller. Miller denied
any knowledge of that transaction and
insisted that he had never received, d.
rectly or Indirectly, a cent for any copy
of q ruling or any information regarding