St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1904-03-02


trial came to an end Friday evening,
Feb. g. when the jury gave in their YER
dict. The parties concerned stood high
in social life, in public Office, and In the
confidence of the public at large. The
trial has occupied seven weeks and has
had six prominent lawyers for the prose-
cution and FIVE leading lawyers for the
defense. Holmes Conrad was the special
counsel appointed by President Roose-
welt, who made the masterlv argument
at the conclusion, and Charles ]. Bona
parte, special counsel: Charles A..
Douglass, the famous criminal lawyer
and counsel for Machen, former superin-
tendeut of rural mail, made strong pre-
sentation for the defendants at the close
of the trial and stirred the emotions by
referring to the great grief a conviction
would bring to the gray-haired parents
of Machen and to his wife and family.
Judge Pritchard, the presiding judge in
charge, asked to have Mrs. Lorenz set
aside as he felt assured that she was not
involved in the accusation Of her hus-
band. Judge Kumler of Toledo had
charge of their case. Holmes Conrad
closed the case for the government. He
is an elderly gentlemen, with large ex-
perience and very clear in statement, TAX
ing very simple illustrations from every
day life Ito brush away any drift wood"
from the minds of the jury. He told
them the parties accused had better have
thought of the disgrace coming to their
families before they committed the crime.
He explained the meaning of reasonable
doubt and presumption it was too
late to talk about gray hairs of mans
aged connections now; he complimented
Inspector Mayer, who had been largely
instrumental in working up the case and
I,<,l hao II Il H.
the contrary he had boldly gone to the
banks and called for checks and records
and carefully worked out the case in full );
if the men had been innocent, they would
have shown their checks and not con-
cealed them. Conspirators hire go
between so as not to get caught. A Con-
spiracy must be proved by circumstan-
tlal evidence. The go bet ween usually
gets the grub-that was Lorenz and he
scored him well. A former postmaster
in Toledo, Mr.. Douglass had accused In
spector Mayer of being the 'personifica-
ton OF persecution and wrong doing"
and that the lawyers on the opposition
had been guilty of a jugglery of statistics;
but Holmes Conrad in his quiet, calm.
manner, showed the utter absurditv of
the accusations and he indulged occa-
sionallv in dry witticism, like Bliss N.
Davis, formerly of Danville, Vt. He told
the jury to be courageous and do their
duty, the same as they would in matters
of business in common life; to fear no
man, nor the result. The judges charge
to the jury was admirable and clear.
The jury were eight hours in arriving at
a verdict. Holmes Conrad had told them
that he failed to find Samuel A. Croft,
the inventor, guilty, only his brother
which lett three perso it was thought
to be considered, so it was a matter OF
surprise when the foreman, Carl Peter
sen. brought in verdict of guilty." tor
four persons. There were five ballots in
all before the decision was made. The
defendants made for arrest of judgment
and new trisl was made and the four
men were released under bond for
$50, 1000 each, and Charles A. Douglass,
the lawyer, says they will fight it over
again. The court room has been packed
at each session for several days by ladies
and gentlemen in high life. Some idea OF
the great labor involved may be formed
by the % books containing the evidence,
of more than 200 pages each, orr nearly
one million words. The officials OF the
government arc much pleased, as they
say they think 1.-The verdict will have a
most wholesome effect" that dishonesty
will meet with punishment in public
service. A. M. c,
Washington Feb. Fl, 1904.