Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-11
MACH :.::ExPLA|NS
s,T .n.5 IL
.kst
Severe Cross Examination in
1t
Post Office : Case 9 Today.
DIFFERENT STORIES
THE srArElrE1sdnr MADE AT TIME
OF ARREsT.
Question as to the Now Famous Note
t~ for $25, 900 Given by
Lorenz.


Criminal Court No...1, City Hall, was
crowded to- the wallis at 10 O'Clock this
morning. when the Machen- Groff-L
conspiracy trial was resumed. The knowl-
edge that August W. Maehen, regarded by
the prosecution as the principal defendant.
would again go on the stand for continue
ton of his cross-examination was the main
reason for the unusually large, attendance
so early in the day. The greater portion of
the morning session, however, was of no
more than ordinary interest, but just prior
to the taking of the midday recess the gov
ernfnent produced a statement made by
Machen May q last in the office of Fourth
Assistant Postmaster General Bristow and
in the presence of Mr.. Bristow and several
post Office inspectors. In a letter to the
Postmaster General, dated May 8, Machen
courted the fullest investigation. In his
statement of May %, however, he would
not give certain information that was de-
sired. Explaining this today. he said he
had made up his mind to avoid an inveSu-
CATION into his private affairs. The wit
ness declared that from the day he was
suspended as general superintendent of the
free delivery system his every movement
was observed by secret service men, and
that his house was watched constantly.
Counsel for the government think that
they made a ten-strike today when they
showed that during several years almost
every certificate authorizing the payment by
postma sters for Croft fasteners were signed
by Maehen and bore Endorsements in his
handwriting. The government takes the
view that this fact establishes the personal
interest that it is alleged, Machen had in
furthering the sale of the fasteners to the
Post Office Department and controverts
his testimony that he signed the certificate
authorizing payment for the original sup
ply of fasteners furnished the postmaster
of this city. merely because the shipment
marked the introduction of the fastener
into the postal service.
The Machen-Lorenz oil transactions were
again discussed today and the witness was
cross-examned at length regarding the in
dorsementS he made on the prOmiSSory
note for $4,000 executed in his favor by
George E. Lorenz. 1t was developed that the
only thing In the way of receipt for
money paid Maohen by Lorenz from time
to time on account sof the settlement of
the note were Endorsements on the note,
some of them in pencil.
Machen went intbsa long explanation why
street letter botces.. supplied with Croft
fasteners, had been Greeted on the site sites OF
livery routes, notwithstanding each farm
/ er was required TO- place an 'individual'
box in front Of hishpr6perty. The govern
ment seemed to tank cthat the; street"
boxes were not needed, but Machen argued
that they saved time in the transmission Of
mail. as collections Wegs made from them
more frequently than atrem the individual"
Counsel pressed = = Maae,h i n for reasons
why, during the steamboat trip on Lake
au dfH rega aea TIT interest ter Loren
IN h"n view of n the taet a5st Lorenp owed
aware o. 4fie, Salaai 81 sthe'S fastener
Machen replica that lie fadidaf't want to
know efi log .t%ss< Ifh ''2.'.'ss-
Letters from the postmasters at Chi
cago and Bos ton, sobjechng to the In
stalling Of Groff fasteners in those cities.
were read to the jury. The government
maintains that the fasteners were forced
on those cities. To emphasize this con-
tention, attention was directed to the
fact that the. fastener has. not yet been
installed IN New York city. ,.e.=-y
This was Machens third day on the
witness stand. His examination was con-
cluded at :45 O'Clock this afternoon. For the
most part the day was a quiet one, and
there were no spirited exchanges be-
tween counsel Everybody was interest
ed, however. when Attorney Conrad
whose voice is, not in good condition, ac-
repted from Samuel A. Croft, one of the
defendants. a supply of cough drops and
thanked the donor graciously.
Justice Anderson occupied seat
alongside of Justice Pritchard during the
morning session and evidenced much
concern over a model of letter box and
post, equipped with tiny Croft fastener