Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-26

said would enable them to catch two men,
they would promise me immunity from
prosecution, would secure for me $4,000
that the government owed me, and would
see that l was given a seat in the govern
ment band wagon
"And transport you to perennial super
fluffy" INTERCEPTED Assistant United States
Attorney Taggart. thereby melting Attor-
ney Lorenz to urge, with spirit, that MI.
Taggart'S remark be expunged.
Did you not say that you did not know
a man named LorenZ?' Assistant United
States Attorney Taggart asked Mr.. Croft.
1.-The inspectors asked me If l knew
man named NJ. ]. Lorenz, and said did
not.
when the inspectors called on you later.
and asked concerning the fastener transact
ton did you not say that you had made a
statement and would stand by itf' Mr..
Taggart then wanted to know.
Yes" was the answer, but I specified
that l stood by the statement solely as it
related to government officials
Inspectors Manner.
The defense then called William Thomas,
who said he resides at Brightwood, and is
a manufacturer of paper straws. He was
in Mr.. Groff's office the morning the post
office inspectors called there last April. In
the opinion of the witness, Mr.. Croft was
not we'll. According to Mr.. Thomas, Mr..
Croft informed the inspectors that he was
not capable of then making a statement,
but they insisted that they must have 1t.
The manner of the inspectors was COM
handing and threatening.
On cross-examinati ton, conducted by At
torney Holmes Conrad, it was brought out
that some one was coming out Of Mr..
Groffs office as Mr.. Thomas entered, last
April The inspectors entered as though
they owned the place
Did they use force?" Attorney Conrad
wanted to know.
"They demanded a statement of Mr..
Croft" replied the witness.
Inspectors Side.
The government next called Post Office
Inspector Thorpe. His account of the April
visit to Mr.. Croft was substantially the
same as that given by Inspector Rolfe. Mr..
Thorpe was subjected to a very searching
croSs-eXamination, conducted by Attorney
Douglass and during which counsel uttered
many sarcastic references to post Office in
spectors. Inquiry was made regarding the
methods of the inspectors at such length
that the court felt impelled to remark that
the examination had proceeded sufficiently
far.
Attorney Douglass, in explaining his rea-
son for going into details, said, among
other things:
THE securing of this statement was
honeycombed with intimidations"
Attorney Conrad protested against the
making of such statements in the hearing
of the jury
You say that Mr. Croft was not sick
the day you called?" Attorney Douglass
desired to be informed
Il don't think he was replied the wit
ness drily. Il didn't make a physical ex
animation"
The witness further said that Mr. Groff
read over the statement in controversy af-
Ter IL mad been reduced to writing
You are positive of that?" counsel ask
ed.
II am declared Inspector Thorpe.
Y GU areE added Attorney Douglass and
everybody present laughed. That's all"
Statement Admitted.
The government formally offered the
statement In evidence as against D.
Gror The defense objected and the argu-
ment proper was precipitated Attorney
douglass opening. Assistant United States
Attorney keigwin closed the discussion.
justice Pritchard admitted the statement
IN evidence as against d. B. Croft only
and the defense noted an exception
The question of whether the statement
was voluntary one or was secured nv
coercion was left to the jury
In the statement Mr.. Croft Is quoted as
saying that only himself and his brother
We're interested in the fastener. and as
making statements of details regarding
the fasteners and the sale of the same.
After the statement had been read to the
jury Inspector Wolfe was recalled at the
request of Attorney Maddox and asked If
Mr.. Gron had not actually said he had
seen Mr.. Masten in regard to installing the
forth in the statement. The reply was in
the negative.
A Pleasantly.
Attorney Maddox called attention to the
fact that some erasure had been made at
the point where the letter M" at the be-
ginning of the name 'Machen," appeared
in the statement
You gentlemen had the paper in your
all 10 icrl,t
States Attorney Beach.
do you mean to charge that 1 made any
erasure? demanded Attorney Douglass
! pugnaciously. rising and facing counsel for
the government THE paper was in my
possession last night
THAT remark was a mere pleasantly on
the part of the United States attorney"
explained Justice Pritchard, assuming the
| role of peacemaker. Proceed with the
case, gentlemen.
At this point the usual midday recess
was taken.
Denied Knowing Lorenz.
At the opening of the afternoon session
Assistant United States Attorney Taggart
| read to the jury a statement, signed and
sworn to before Post Office Inspector
| Fosnes. April last, by Samuel A. Croft,
| the inventor Of the fastener. In this state
ment Mr. Groff declared that no one but his
| brother and himself was interested In the
Croft fastener, and that there were no
others concerned IN the prOmotlon OF the
| invention. The statement was made vol
unfairly by Mr.. Croft, so testified Post
Office Inspector Thorpe, who was present
when the statement was made.
Inspector Thorpe said he could not recol-
| lect that he had told Samuel A. Croft that
| 1t would be best for him to then make a
| statement. as it might save him from
trouble later.
Post Office Inspector Edwin L. Mckee
was then called to testify regarding a con-
versation he had with Samuel A. Croft
| May q last. Mr.. Croft told the witness,
| according to the latter, that he was paid by
| his brother one-half the net receipts from
1 the sale of the fasteners.
The same day the witness. in company