The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-12-23

Bertelmann Committed
to Grand Jury of
Next Term.

4
of personating a Federal officer, was,
upon examination before U. S. Com
missioner A. F. Judd yesterday after
| noon, committed to appear before the
| Federal grand jury on Wednesday,
January %, 1906. His bail was fixed at
$500.
| Mrs. VIM. Orth, Iandlady of the Del
| monico, Beretania street, testified that
| when she asked the defendant to
square up his room rent he told her
not to be afraid. as he was an officer
Of the Inland Revenue service getting
800 month salary with SIS allow
ance for expenses.
Roy H Chamberlain, Collector of IN
| ternal Revenue. gave evidence that the
defendant had left the service in 1901,
since which he had not been connect
| ed with the department.
Bertelmann, in his own behalf said
Mrs. Orth had asked him about reven-
| ue licenses, when he referred her to
| the Collector, mentioning his former
connection with the Office. He had
never told her that he was still en-
p1oyed by the Internal Revenue office.
| The defendant called two witnesses,
Ho Kan and Lau Lum Kee. BY these
| he endeavored to show that his bust
ness among the Chinese merchants was
solely that of a canvasser for Husted's
Directory. They however, testified
| that the defendant asked them to show
him their registration certificates, and
when they did so he collected money
from them on his undertaking to have
| the certificates so changed that they
| the United States, without paying any
more fees. either now or for twenty
years hence.
| He took a dollar first, saying he was
United States officer and could do
what he said, and came back again for
| fifty cents. The certificates and de-
| PENDANTS receipts were in evidence.
..Ah, you are heightened, I see," was
what he said to Lau Lum Kee on see
| ing his certificate. as that witness re-
lated. Then he told him he could have
his certificate changed so that he might
| travel on the mainland.
Bertelmann said he had no more wit
nesses when questioned by the Com
missioner. Then, District Attorney
Breckons having stated his readiness
to submit the case on the evidence,
the defendant was asked if he had any
thing to say. He did not understand
the offer of the privilege until told he
might, being his own lawyer, make an
argument. Then he made this state
ment:
Last year I had the same work for
Mr. Hustled, and I had to see their
certificates to see that the names were
spelled right. That is the reason I
asked for the merchant paper some
times. There was more advertising
taken in than ever before from both
Chinese and japanese. I have TWEEN
ty or thirty Japanese the same as this. |
wouldn't bluff the Chinese any more
than the Japanese. So it seems to me
that am not guilty. Hustled told me
to keep at this work until he came
back in April. All these names-they |
have not been in the directory before, |
they are all new Names"
Commissioner Judd-"Have you any
thing to say about this case? All this /
about the directory is very interesting |
in itself. but it has nothing to do with /
the case
Bertelmann-"T That's ALL"
Commissioner Judd-"From the evil
dence of these witnesses probable
cause has been shown that you have
committed this offense 1 therefore
commit you to the grand jury of the
United States District Court on We'd
nesday. January %, 1906 and fix your
bail at $500, until you furnish which
you are remanded 70 the custody of
the United States Marshal
The United States accepts no cash
bail. Nothing but a bond of free
holders goes with Uncle Sam. Bertel-
mann did not put up bond up till
office closing hour. so had to go to
Jail.
AS previously reported. Berte1n1ann
has been prosecuted in the police court
for assauIting his wife, and sued in
the Circuit Court for divorce on the
ground of cruelty and mons support,
besides meeting this Federal prosecu-
ton, all within this week. Moreover,
he is one of the party defendants in
the suit of DR. Alvarez, now of Mexico,
for foreclosure of mortgage on Kali
hi property against whom judgment
pro confesso was rendered the other
lay.