The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1903-11-21
UNITED STATES
SENATOR INDICTED
Federal Grand Jury at Omaha
Returns Bill, Alleging That
Statesman Received Cash
and Property for Securing
Appointment for Politician.
Postmaster Fisher of Hastings
Also Indicted for Paying the
Money-Says He Is Being
Prosecuted by Place Hunt
ers Who Were Turned Down.

OMAHA, Nov. 16.-The federal grand
jury this afternoon returned true bills
against United States Senator Charles
DIETRICH and Postmaster Jacob Fisher,
Of Hastings, Neb., charging them with
conspiracy and bribery, in connection
with the appointment of Fisher to the
position Of postmaster. The indict-
ments were brought into the United
States district court at o'clock. Judge
Munger presiding, and were placed on
file. The court merely accepted the re-
port of the grand jury, making no re-
marks on it's contents beyond making
an order to the clerk for filing the bills.
The Indictment against Senator Diet
rich charges that he accepted money
and property in considerati ton Of his
recommending Fisher for appointment
as postmaster at Hastings. The bill
against Postmaster Fisher charges him
with making an agreement with Sena-
tor Dietrich by which Fisher was to
pay in property and money $1,000 for
securing to Fisher the appointment.
Evidence was presented to the grand
jury to show that Fisher had bought
postiffce fixtures from the Grand Army
Post at Hastings of the value of $500
and later turned the property over to
Senator Dietrich, to whose buildings
: it was removed, and to whom was paid
a rental by the government In addi-
ton to turning over this property, it Is
charged that Fisher paid to the senator
$500 in cash.
Tonight it was said that the grand
jury had been investigating the Hast
ings postoffice case for nearly three
weeks and that a number of witnesses
were present from Hastings and other
points in Nebraska.
Senator DIETRICH is in Washington and
there was no attorney or other person
in Omaha tonight authorized to make
Il statement for him. All the witnesses
in the case have left for home.
The last witness called before the
grand jury was William Dutton. a
hardware merchant of Hastings, who
gave his testimony today. According
to buttons testimony. Dutton acted
as intermediary in all the alleged
transactions between the indicted men.
After hearing buttons evidence, the
grand jury excused the remaining wit
nesses who had not testified and at
once prepared it's report to Judge
Munger.
Word was sent to the court that it
had report to make, and Judge Mum
ger advised Foreman Frank E. White
that he would hear it at once. The
grand jury thereupon went to the court
room and the court asked:
Have you any report to maker
Foreman White answered: 1--WE
have" whereupon the judge asked him
to read it, The indictments, three each
against Senator Dietrich and Postmas-
ter Fisher, were then read and the
court merely ordered them turned over
TO the clerk for filing, and the jury was
excused The jury is composed of
twenty members, nineteen of whom are
said to have voted for the indictment
and one against. The jurymen came
from all parts of the state. The fore
man. Frank E. White, of Omaha. is
secretary Of the grand lodge Of the Ma
sonic order Of Nebraska. The other
members are mostly prominent business
and professional men.
cress or officer convicted Of violation
of this section shall, moreover, be dis
qualified from holding any office OF
honor, profit or trust under the gov
eminent of the United States.
The section under which the con
spiracy indictment is drawn against
both Dietrich and Fisher is section
SAC of the revised statutes and is as
follows;
Section 5440-(All parties to con.