The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-03-23
ALLEGATIONS ARE DENIED
Kansas Mans Relations With
 Realty Company.
Defense Contends That the $500 a Month He Received Was His sal ary General Counsel for the
 Concern.

St. Louis, March 22.--The trial of Unit, ed States Senator Burton of Kansas. charged with having accepted s2.5Oe from the Realty Grain and Securities Company to use his influence with the Postofiice Department to prevent the issue of a fraud order against the Realty Company, was begun before Judge Adams. in the United States district court to-day.
 It is considered probable that the trial will occupy the balance Of the week. Unit ed States District Attorney Dyer and his assistants have been preparing the gov ernment's side for several weeks, and the defense has been making preparation also for some time.
 Among the government witnesses whO are here are William E. Cochran. chef postoffice inspector: William A. JoneA, commissioner of Indian affairs;a Edwar6 w. Chatterton. private secretary to Com missioner Jones; George M. Smith. of the. Postoffice Department. and Arthur T. Bryce. cashier of the Riggs National Bank of Washington, D. c.
 The Governments Case.
 Colonel D. P.s Dyer, United States dis trics attorney. made tho opening state- r1ent for the government. After reading the indictment he said that the charges againet Senator Burton were based upon section 17S2 of the Revised Statutes of the United States
 According to the etatute." said Colo mel Dyer. 1t Is uniawfal for any sena- tor or Representative to accept pecuniary fees for any service rendered to any per- son or concern In any, matter in which directly interested. Tho government will endeavor to show by witnesses that the defendant accepted certain sums of money from the Rialto Grain and Secur- Ities Company of St. Louis for his inc fliience in certain matters. pending Before the Postofiice Department in which the government was either directly or indi- rectly intereAted
 Tt le not the contention of the g0yern@ Ihenk that Senator Burton used hls fn- fiuence for any matter that in Itself is unlawful The government contends that while complaints against the Rialto Grain and Securities Company were being in- vestigated by the Postonice Department and before any final action had been tak- en, the Rialto Grain and Securities Com pany offered $500 month to Senator Bur ton to take charge of it's interests in the investigation ana that five instaiiments of $50o each were paid to and accepted by him. !"
 Judge Chester IT. Krum, leading conn- sel for the defense, followed. He ad- IlittC0 tue GAuBlOyAHGltt uL lCHANDf 0AA~ tor by the Rialto Company. ''The agree ment was that Senator Burton would be employed as general counsel and that hlg name would be used on the com pany's literature as a guarantee of It's reputabilitJ said Judge Krum.
 Burton's Agreement
 Tt win be shown that Senator Bur ton had inserted in the agreement the express language that he, Senator Bur ton, was not to be required to represent the company before any department of ths United States Government in any capacity"
 Continuing his statement. Judge Krpm denied that any sums received by Sem ator Burton from the Rialto Company were compensations for any services oth- CT than those mentioned in his agree- ment as general counsel,
 Senator Burton did go to the Postofflce Department on the request of Major Hugh M. Dennis. President of the Ri- alto Company, but 1t was because Major Dennis has received, in an indirect way, reports that comolaints had been made agairst the Riaito Company and re- quested Senator Burton to simply verify the report and not to represent the conn pany in any matter before the depart naent
 rOn anoCner occasion senator Burton visited the Postoffice Department to ir- auire regarding the standing of an all legged postofnce inspector who had ap- pro iched Major Dennis in St. Louis. He found that the man was an imposter. and SO notified the attorney for the Ri- alto Company"
 Tn regard to the amounts alleged by the Government to have been received by Senator Burton as compensation for services before a Government Depart menf, Judge Krum stated that, accord ing to Senator Burtons contract as gen | erat counsel, he was to be paid each l month in advance. Several witnesses 1 were put on the stand end identified let | ters alleged to have been sent to the l postofice and used by inspectors as a | basis for the Investigation of the Rialto | Company.
 Court adjourned until 10 o'clock to- morrow.