Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-24
A Personal Attack.
MR.. DOUGLASS RESUMES.
Continuation Of Argument in Defense
of Alleged Conspirators.

Attorney Charles A Douglass resumed
his argument for the defense this morning
by detailing to the jury the points which he
discussed at length yesterday, endeavoring
to establish the valid consideration of the
So, 600 note, which forms the real defense
of Machen, LorenZ and the Groffs. He
then detailed to the jury the line of his
argument for today, which, he said, would
comprise the remaining four of the six
general propositions upon which the defense
rests its case. He declared he would first
address himself to the most remarkable
juggling of facts and figures in the history
OF this or any other court ROOM which,,
he alleged was contained In the opening
argument of Assistant Attorney General
Purdy for the government. This juggiery,
Mr.. Douglass said. consisted of selecting
checks here and there, from the different;
transactions involved. declining to use
others. He declared the dates of the checks
offered in evidence did not always coincide
with the statements made by Mr.. Purdy. I
Sometimes the esteemed representative
of the Attorney General said Mr. Doug
lass, would take two checks dated before
a certain transaction and two dated after
the transaction. On one occasion Mr.
Purdy went back eight months, with hop,
skip and jump, for no other reason than
to get check which would enable him to
show the exact divvy between Machen and
Lorenz tell you the government cannot
meet the issue of real figures and it cannot
cope with all the facts.
ION another occasion Mr.. Purdy skips
four years between checks. This is an at
tempt to deliberately and purposely exclude
any checks or papers which argue against
the governments case. 1t is an attempt to
twist and distort the facts and figures and.
/ warn you now gentlemen of the fury
put confidence in the statement that
figures don't lie.' {"
Discusses Specific Checks.
Mr. Douglass then took up specific checks.
endeavoring 10 show how Mr.. Purdy and.
Post Office Inspector Mayer added and sub
tracted and divided to suit their conyen-s
fence. adopting any method to arrive at the.
remarkable condolences" upon which the
government has placed much emphasis.
Are you going 10 let these two king
magicians. Purdy and Mayer, guess AWAY
the liberty and steal away the character OF
August w. Machen, George Il. Lorenz and.
the Croffs? They take whatever suits their.
purpose, and disregard everything which.
does not condemn the defendants.
Il do not want to charge Mr.. Purdy with
intentional wroHgdoing, but 1 do charge.
him with craftsmanship. His overzcai has car
ried him beyond the bounds of fairness. and
beyond the bounds of right. He has done
these defendants an injustice, a wrong. In
deed, a gfievous wrong
Mr.. Douglass characterized the checks
produced by Mr.. Purdy and which MIR
Purdy declared cried Guilt Guilt, as a
chorus
Mayer and Purdy were the directors of
this chorus said Mr.. Douglass -.and they
only selected the cheristers which would
produce harmony.
s.There were thdrty-seyen ehoristers. apply
ing for a job in this chorus. There were
tkirty-seyen checks gentlemen of the jury
but choirmasters Mayer and Purdy only
selected seventeen, the seventeen which they
say cry guilt. They disregarGfed the re-
manning tAsnty. because that would have
de stroyed me harmonious cry. There would
have been a discordant note; there would
have been twenty discordant notes, and the
chorus would have cred innocence ',s.
Machen, Lorenz and the Groffs.
Mr.. Douglass tEen driftcd into detailed
account of transactions between Machen,