Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-16
Cross Examination Resumed
in Cincinnati Trial.
PAYMENT BY RYAN
WITNESS QUESTIONED ON HIS
KNOWLEDGE OF POSTAL LAW.
Qualifications for Practice Before the
Department Discussed-Denials
by Miller.

! CINCINNATI. October 16-In the trial OF
! d. V. Miller and J. NJ. Johns for alleged
! conspiracy to eXtort brbe for favorable
ruling from the Post Office Department Dis
trict Attorney Sherman Mcpherson today
resumed the animation of Johns
| The witness was asked to explain copies of
letters and kilograms. Miller had tele-
graphed that witness would receive letter
| the next day Mcpherson asked why Johns
| did not mail the decision inclosed In that
! letter to his client Hyan) rather than ar
| range for meeting Ryan in Cincinnati.
The witness replied that although he had
| written contracts with Ryan he wanted to
see him to make sure OF getting his money
| He denied that payment was contingent on
| getting specific rulings.
| The witness was closely questioned as to
| how Ryan could make him any trouble.
and as to why witness did not give Ryan
| the ChriStiancy decision of December
when they first met at Cincinnati. but with
held the document until Ryan paid the ball
| ance of $45yo the next morning.
| Johns was again questioned to what he
| had read postal laws and his special
| qualifications for practice before the Post
| Office Department, where the Ryan case
| was the only one in which witness partici-
| pated.
| Johns denied that Miller was the person
who was expected to revise Ryan's litera-
| ture or that friendship with Miller was
| witness special qualification. He said his
| telegram to Miller, reading, "Our first prop
| osition accepted" did not refer to the writ
| ten contracts with Ryan, but to another
| matter
telegram was presented showing that
| Johns had offered his services before the
| Post Office Department to Secretary Smith
of the National Surety Company of ST.
! Louis, and then the witness was questioned
whether he considered it permissible to So
| licit business.
w II. Nichols. cashier of the Rockville
National Bank, was examined to Johns
| business and produced the records of the
| bank.
Johns Bank Accounts.
| Fred H Clark cashier of the Park State
| Bank at Rockville. was examined regarding
| Johns business with his bank. At Johns
request the accounts of Johns We're turned
| over to Post Office Inspectors Vickery and
| Fulton.
| Thomas Aydelotte sheriff of Parke coun-
| ty, Ind. and brother-in-law of Johns, testi-
| fed to accompanying Johns to Terre
| Haute, November 2S, when Ryan was first
| introduced Rose. Ryan then asked wit
| ness what kind of a lawyer johns was.
| Witness said he a good one. Ryan
| then told the witness he had just employed
, Johns Sheriff Aydelotte also accompanied
not hear Johns tell Ryan: Here, brought
| you the goods" or 1T took clever work to
| get the signature of Christiancy." any
| thing of that kind. He saw Ryan settle
| with Johns on that occasion by paying the
/ balance of $4500 in checks and cash.
Chief Inspector Cochran Recalled.
When the defense of Johns closed. Chief
| Post Office Inspector Cochran of Washing
| ton was called the first witness for Mil
! ler and re-examined regarding the inter-
views of the witness and Gen. Robb with
/ Miller when they had stenographers pres
ent.
| Inspector Cochran testified to a prior in
| terview when he took Miller to saloon in
Washington, on March H. and charged that
| Ryan had been held up and wanted Mil
! Ter to explain it. All that time the inspect
/ ors suspectded another attorney in the EN-
| ploy of Ryan, and not Johns. Inspector
! Cochran testified to Withholding Miler's
| mail Miller had given him an order for
| the Jim" telegram and other kilograms,
| and insisted that they were personal and
| not official.
Francis Huebner's Testimony.
Francis Huebner, clerk in the Office of the
assistant attorney general for the Post
Office Department, testified to taking part
in the hearings and considerati ton of the
Ryan case by Christiancy and Miller.
Huebner testified that Chrstiancy thought
it would be better to have Ryan & Com
pany revise their literature to COM
ply with postal requirements than TO Issue
a fraud order, and SO instructed Miller,
who prepared the questions to be pro-
pounded to Ryan & Company, and the next
Cay brought in the draft of letter to
Christiancy with stpulations to be sent to
| Ryan & Company.
The witness said 1t was agreed in No
vember that the Ryan case would be
| closed if the stipulations then submit
| ted were observed.
Miller on the Stand.
| D. V. Miller was the next witness. He
| recited a full story of his life up to the
time when, over year ago. he became
second assistant attorney in the office of
the assistant attorney general for the
Post Office Department Witness work.
ed on a farm and taught school previous
to practicing law. He explained that he
was not related to Mrs Johns. He first
new Johns a neighboring farm boy
twenty years ago.
Testimony as to Reputation.
United States District Judge Albert B.
Anderson of Charlottesville, Ind, was the
first witness for the defense yesterday
| afternoon and testified to knowing the de-
| PENDANTS for years. to whose good reputa-
| tions heretofore he gave evidence
Numerous witnesses testified to the good
reputation of D. V. Miller. and then john
J. Ryan, principal witness for the prose-
cution, was recalled by the defense and
sharply examined as to the certificates ana
processes of his bookmaking concern.
Johns on the Stand.
Joseph NJ. Johns. one of the defendants.
testified that he had been employed with
Miller in several cases. and they were
closely associated. Last September Miller
told the witnesses that practice before the
Post Office Department was desirable.
Johns said there was no arrangement be-
tween them and nothing like a conspiracy.
He made a study of the United States stat
rtes on postal matters He solicited service
from the Cledge Commission Company OF
St Louis, as we'll as from ]. J. Ryan &
Co.. and wrote to other concerns.