The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1903-10-02

ment. yesterday related to United
States Commissioner Heacock all his
activities in assisting his friends to eN-
plot the letter-boX indicator, the pur-
pose of the witness being to demon. |
strate his innocence so clearly that the
Court would refuse TO authorize his
removal to Washington to stand trial
on the charge. District Attorney Wood /
worth engaged i'm a cross examination, /
however, that had not been finished
when an adjournment was taken till /
this morning at 10 o'clock.
Erwin is represented by Samuel
Knight formerly Assistant United
States Attorney.
Knight called the defendant to
the stand Erwin said that he was AZ
years of age, and had been connected
with the PostoffiCe Department since
June q, 1887, when he was appointed
an inspector. He continued to serve
in that capacity until July 1. 1909. when
he was promoted to the office of as
sistant superintendent of the free de
livery system. He neld that position
until he was removed by order of the
Postmaster-General on the 10th inst.
In November, 1892 he made a trip TO
Washington from San Francisco in
company with Daniel ). Richardson,
cashier Of the local office, but generally
known as its superintendent. They
left this city on the evening of No
vember Sd, the witness testified, to go
to the capital city on business for the
Montague Indicator and Letter Box
Company, as the concern which was
exploiting the invention was called at
that time He was the possessor of
fifty shares in that corporation.
THE purpose of our trip" continued
Erwin, was to try to bring to the at
tention of the department the indicator
invented principally by Mr.. Richardson
and perfected by myself and others.
The device was made to show on the
street boxes the time the next collec-
ton of mail would be made and when
it would reach the dispatching office,
which in this city is at the ferry. 1 had
been granted a twenty days leave of
absence by the department. having APP
piled for it in order that 1 might go to
Washington.
81 had then been familiar with the in
vention for several months. / saw it
first in the summer of 1899, when Rich
ardson asked me to examine it careful
ly and make any suggestions for i'm
provement L might think Of The only
addition 1 thought advisable was a lock
and key arrangement whereby the box
could be opened by an inspector and
examined without disturbing the cor
rect operation of the register. My sug-
| gestion was adopted.
Richardson and l stopped at Chicd-
go, Detroit and Toledo while en- route
to Washington, where we arrived at
noon, November 18th. l personally in
| PRODUCED Richardson TO officials of the
Postoffice Department, and we invited
l f1nV1
what criticism they could as to its
merits. l had then been connected
with the service for twelve years, had
made a number of official visits to
! Warrington and became we'll acquaint-
ed with men in the department. |
think 1 must have presented Richard
son to forty or fifty of them.
During our stay of ten days in the
city Richardson and L were together
much of the time. The indicator re-
| ceived commentator on every hand 1t
was set UP in an alcove of the free de-
| livery division, of which AuEust w.
Machen was superintendent, in the de-
| partment building A convention of
| first-class postmasters was in session
in Washington at the time, and to
many of them we exhibited our contri.
vance.
Richardson and l then went to New
York, and on December list l returned
to Washington remaining there until
the 9Th, when I started on the trlu
home. Richardson followed few DAY
! later"
Erwin declared positively that while
he was trying to introduce the indica-
tor, his duties as inspector were in no
way connected with the purchase OF
supplies, nor was his judgment ever
asked for in such matters by the de-
partment He had never handled any
stock of the Postal Device and I'M
provement Company other than the 6OE
shares given him by Richardson. Hav-
ing never received the slightest COM
pensation for his journey to the East
he presumed that the gift of this stock
was the reward for his services. He
had paid $3.50 for the Government
stamps on the certificates but this
was his only cash outlay for the
shares. He had taken no part in form
ing either the Montague Indicator and
Letter Box Company or it's successor
the Postal Device and Improvement
Company. He was emphatic in deny
ing that he had ever tried to place
stock of the concern among any postal
employees; that he ever advised Rich
ardson to attempt disposal o/ the
shares in this manner, or that he had
any knowledge of plans 10 sell stock
to them. He was never at a meeting of
the stockholders and knew absolutely
nothing of the company's affairs He
had been present at a meeting of the
directors just before the departure of
himself and Richardson for Washing
ton.
Was it planned to distribute stock
| T1nn Hnf D1 - he
partment at Washington asked At
torney Knight.
Certainly not" WIS the reply
The witness swore that he had never
taken any part in The making of a
contract with the department for the
sale of the indicators. He knew notn-
ing of the cost of manufacturing them
and was never in a position to enter
] into any business arranPaments