Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-11
POST OFFICE CASES ON
FIVE DEFENDANTS IN THE LET
TER BOX FASTENER CASE.
Array Of Legal Talent-Argument OF
Counsel as to Challenges
of Jurors

dallying in the trial OF persons
charged with crimes against the
United States in connection with
the Post Office Department scam
dals.
He rendered decision that the
five defendants were not entitled
each to ten challenges in the Sc
lotion of jury under the code OF
the District, but that the whole
should be treated as if only one
were being tried singly.
The work of selecting jury was
hastened along. At the time OF adj
journment the government had ex-
hausted seven of its ten challenges
and the defense six. Sixty tales
men have been ordered summoned
to appear in court at 10 o'clock to-
morrow morning.
What will be recorded one of the most
important and interesting criminal trials In
the history of the United States began TO-
day. when August W. Machen and four
others who are alleged to have been in a
conspiracy to defraud the government We're
ar.aigned
Criminal Court room No. l. where have
been held many trials of interest In the
District of Columbia. had every seat filed
when Justice Pritchard announced through
his bailir that court had convened
As Is usual when an important case Is to
be heard there was great demand for
getting within the court room, but only
these persons who had tickets indorsed by
the United States marshal of the District
of Columbia were admitted
Perhaps half hundred employees Of the
Post Office Department were there In the
capacity of witnesses. There were men
who. throughout the summer months, when
the great scandal in the Post Office Depart
ment was being probed, lent Their AID 10
fathoming the offenses alleged to exist.
Representative men Of the national capt.
tai, called to officiate as jurors If they
should be found to have the requisite quail
ficetions. sat by themselves on the right of
the court room and listened with intense
eageTIess to the arguments of the counsel
representing both the government of the
United States and the defendants at bar on
the question of challenges of jurors.
1t was indeed picture, this scene in
court room No. l. Within the walls of
this dingy old place held the trial of
the Star Route cases, which caused even
greater interest at the time than the scan
dals of the Post Office Department. In the
same room was tried and convicted man
who shot and killed President of the
United States. And only little more than
two years ago was conducted the trial of
woman who was charged with having
killed a young man who lived in the same
boarding house.
Array Of Legal Talent.
Not in many years has there been seen in
q court Of the national capital such an
array of legal talent engaged on single
case under consideration. From right to
left, in front of Justice Pritchard's bench,
the counsel sat.
To the extreme right was Assistant United
States District Attorney Hugh T. Taggar..
Next to him was United States Attorney
Morgan H Beach. Then came Assistant
Attorney c. A. Keigwin. Near him was
MIR. NJ. ID. Purdy, assistant attorney gem
eral of the United States
The one, perhaps of all others, who was
watched with interest was Mr.. Holmes Con-
RAD, VINO was chosen with Charles j. Bona
parte by the President of the United States
10 look after the interests of the govern
Inent in connection with the legal authori-
ties OF the District of Columbia
Sitting next to Mr.. Conrad was Mr. John
r. huinler OF Toledo, who appeared as
special counsel for the Lorenzes He is
the type OF the prosperous western lawyer
and possesses remarkably expressive face
samuel MADDOX, who looks after the in
terests OF Croft; Douglass & Douglass
Charies a. Scott and Conrad H. Syme made
up the rest of the lawyers engaged in the
case
The first OF the five persons coniointlv
indicted who made his appearance In the
court room was Samuel N. Croft. few
minutes later Mr.. and Mrs Lorenz arrived
August w. Machen came into the court
room little later Diller b. Grofr was the
last OF the defendants to arrive. Samuel N
Gron. the inventor OF the letter box fasten-
er which was adopted by the Post Office
Department under the connivance 1t is all
legged. OF Machen. looked more like a pros
porous business man or a New York alder
man than person charged with serious
offense against the government His broth
er naght be taken for retired capitalist
The Lorenzes have all the appearances of
refinement Lorenz is perhaps hfty-ive
years old he may be older. His mustache
Is gray. almost white. also is the little
goatse that adorns his chin and gives the
suggestion that he might be of foreign
birth.
Mrs. Lorenz is indeed a striking looking
woman. She carried herself with remarka-
BILE dignity throughout the opening session
of the court that is considering the case
against her. She wore a black toque that
set on well the gray hair of which she
has an abundance. neat-ftting bodice
OF some cream-colored cloth that might
have been taken for lace encircled a form
that would be the envy of many women
much her Junior.
Mechen sat next to Lorenz His face
seemed flushed. There was nothing about
his appearance that suggested the conf
dence and bravado that chara cterized his
movements in the trying months preceding
his removed from the office of superintend-
ent OF free delivery and his subsequent in
dictment for the alleged offense that the
court is now considering. Machen wore a
black cutaway coat buttoned tightly about
his rotund form. There was an absence of
cuffs from his sleeves. and. as he folded his
arms over his breast the edge OF his under
garment was noticeable. Machen listened
attentiveiy TO every word spoken by counsel
on either side.
One of the frat things done after court
convened was the reading by the clerk of
the court OF names of witnesses subpoenaed
for the trial. Among the names called was
that Of Mr.. Perry Heath former first as