Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-05
Justice Pritchard and the
Counsel in Chambers.
JURY ALSO THERE
NO ONE WOULD TELL WHICH WAS
TALKED ABOUT.
Continuation of the Cross Examination
Of Lorenz-Tilts Between Wit
ness and Attorney Purdy.

Immedia tely following recess IN the trlai
of the alleged Post Office Department con-
spirators this afternoon, after the jury had
taken their seats and the trial was ready
to proceed. Justice Pritchard summoned
into his chambers the jurors and all the
counsel on both sides appearing in the
case.
A conference of several minutes was held,
but none of those participant ting In 1t would
make any statement regarding its nature.
All sorts of rumors were af1oat, but
cloak of secrecy thrown around the
conference and it was impossible to con-
firm anv OF them.
Mai Conrad of the special counsel for
the government. when asked by an Evening
Star reporter as to the cause OF the CONFER
ence. replied:
'It is better that I should not say any
thing about it. as Justice Pritchard called
the conference, and what took place was
in the privacy of his chambers"
Others of counsel for the defense, as we'll
as for the prosecution. gave similar replies
when approached on the subject.
The cross-examination of George E.
IorenZ which was begun shortly before
court adjourned yesterday afternoon, was
continued throughout the forenoon session,
and Mr.. Lorenz was still on the witness
stand when at 1890 this afternoon recess
was taken.
Assistant District Attorney Taggart was
the only member of counsel on either side
who was absent He IS suffering from a
hard cold and is confined to his home Major
Conrad special counsel for the government,
Is slowly regaining his strength.
He watched the proceedings carefully
from seat to the left of the jury and as
on yesterday. took numerous notes, which
will be of assistance to him in making the
closing argument to the jury. Samuel A
Croft. who was yesterday suffering from an
attack Of neuralgia, felt much better To-
day.
The sentimental stage OF the trial seemed
to have been reached today. when mes
senger brought to Mrs. Lorenz a box or
candy 1t was evidently from sympa-
thizer of her own sex. There was no ad-
dress On the package and nothing that
would indicate the name of the donor she
thanked the messenger and placed the PACK
age with her wraps on the table behind
where she sat
Justice Pritchard Uneasy.
Justice Pritchard became uneasy several
different times during the forenoons pro-
ceedings over the slowness with which the
cross-examination proceeded. He arose
and strobe up and down behind the bench,
q fayorite mode of recreation. justice
Wright came into the court room about u
o'clock and was a spectator from the bench
up to the time recess was taken.
August w. Machen sat close to the trial
table. occupying a seat between Attorney
Charles A. Douglass and Judge kumler,
the Ohio lawyer who represents the Lo-
renzes. He listened attentively TO every
question that propounded by Assistant
Attorney General Purdy, and when ms old
friend Lorenz gave answer that pleased
him a broad smile enlightened his face.
Mr. Purdy was successful in getting the
witness to admit that he knew that Machen
held a position in the Post Office Depart
ment which gave him the power to provide
supplies for the free delivery. The assistant
attorney general did not mlnce matters III
his interrogauons
Jorenz displayed anger when Mr.. Purdy
asked him II he weren't sent by Machen to
gee the Groffs. His usually mobile face be-
came whittier than ever He took his glasses
from his nose and almost rising in his seat
leaned forward and said in a loud voice:
II won't stand your insinuatons. No, sir
didn't do anything of the kind
Mr.. Purdy continued his examination
much in the same way. The mutiiated let
ter bobbed up again today and formed the
basis for part of the cross-exarninat1on.
Mr.. Purdy, in his questioning, brought
out the fact that for two years LorenZ had
been receiving money with regularity from
the Groffs without thinking of a contract
or even a memorandum, and yet he wanted
to preserve the contents of this letter so
badly that he had fshed through the refuse
of an old furnace to find the bits and paste
them together.
"As business man, you knew that the
Groffs could have repudiated at any time
they chose a verbal contract, didn't you?'
Mr.. Purdy demanded.
II never thought of it, the witness re-
piled.
Mr. Purdy touched upon the question of
the work actually performed by Lorenz in
return for his share in the profits of the
fastener.
Never Did Amy Work.
You never did anything, did your"
asked the assistant attorney general
Il was ready at all times to do what 1
said would" the witness replied, but
IT has never been necessary. The Groffs
We're satisfied so l.
You got in six and one-half years $50
COO from the sale of the fasteners with
out doing anything. then?' ased Mr..
Purdy.
Yes" Lorenz retorted, exultantly, that
was my good luck"
When Machen heard LorenZs answer he
smiled all over, and patting his counsel
on the back, in an undertone said:
That's good one
The ledger containing what Is purported
to be by the defense a running account
with Machen kept by Lorenz, again figured
in the trial today. Mr.. Purdy called atten-
ton to several drafts that Machen received
from Lorenz, and of which no account was
kept in the ledger. The witness said he
didn't remember why this was so. He
thought it must have been some incident
that considered closed. and had moth
ing to do with the money that was sent to
be applied on the $25.O0 O note.
Mr. Purdy got Lorenz to acknowledge
that he kept no account of moneys re-
ceived from the Groffs. yet he did essay to
keep a strict account of the moneys that
he paid to Machen.
II ueVeiOpeu tndt IN the aggregate x3o,CsO
received from the Groffs was deposited In
the account of Mrs. Lorenz. This was all
gone into by Mr.. Purdy in the cross-exami-
nation.
At one time when Lorenz had not an
swered question asked by Mr.. Purdy and
was about to argue. the assistant attorney
general admonished him that he was on
the stand to answer questions rather than
to argue with counsel.
The little tins and encounters between
counsel for opposing sides during the pro-
ceedings are usually followed by a love
feast during recess.
Mr.. Lorenz closed his testimony at 2:46
pm and Mrs. Lorenz was called to the
witness stand.
ToDAY'S TESTIMONY.