Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-02
GR OFF TESTIMONY
Brothers Occupy the Stand in
Post Office Cases.
PRICE OF FASTENERS
LIVELY, CROSS EXAMINATION
AND IMPORTANT POINTS.
Senator Quay's Name Brought Into
the Case-Denial of Statements
to Inspector.


bears his name. resumed the witness stand
this morning and was subjected to rigid
cross-examina ton, conducted by Assistant
Attorney General Purdy.
From the very start this morning there
were passa ges and sallies between counsei
of opposing sides. The first real dramatic
scene followed the attempt of the detense
to submit TO the jury the statement, or al
fidavit made by Samuel A. Croft to In
spectors Fosnes and Thorpe, April 3.
The defense contested that there had been
an erasion and a substitution of one of the
signatures of the inspectors. Attorney
Holmes Conrad suggested that it had been
thoroughly explained to the jury by In
spector Thorpe when the latter was on the
stand.
"You are mistaken,' Judge kumler eX-
claimed jumping to his feet and looking
Mr.. Conrad in the eye.
Cool and collected. and with measured
words, Mr.. Conrad replied;
1.-THE witness has never questioned the IN
tegrty of this paper
Judge Kumler was about to reply, put
was interrupted by Mr.. Conrad, who, in
dramatic tones. said:
.rThis is a fertile fancy that doesn't be-
long to the witness He has not questioned
one paper that has been presented
Judge Kumler displayed signs of anger.
Il say we do attack the integrity OF this
paper" ,a
resumed his seat, you may attack the m
tegrity OF any one. The paper mas beeh
before the jurors once; they can sleep WIN
1t for all l care.
the bailiff raped for order The spectators
craned their necks, as If they expected
there might be physical encounter be-
tween the attorneys and they did not want
to miss single incident.
This is the first time that Assistant Al
torney General Purdy has taken part IN
the examination of witnesses since the
trial began. lie is native OF ONO, Dut
moved to Minnesota when ne was chlld.
His experience in the practice OF law In MS
adopted state has been for the most part
confined to the prosecution of cases
Mr. Purdy was not long in getting down
to business. He piled the witness Wlth
question after question.
Mr. Purdy got Samuel A. Gron to admit
that as a policeman. representing the gov
ernment he had often arrested criminals
and persons charged with crimes, and that
he had taken their statements in the same
manner that the post office inspectors had
taken his own.
Croft was also constrained to admit under
the searching croSS-eXamlnal lon OF MI
Purdv that he knew in 1893, before the
nafent papers were issued for the fastener,
that August w. Machen was the man to
ee to get the device adopted py the Fost
Office Department.
The witness could remember with clear
ness conversations had with Mr.. Marche
and with Mr. Willett. the former city post
master, but conversations with any one
else were almost invariably indistinct In hs
mind or not remembered at all.
II do not remember" or. Ito the best or
my recollection 1t was or was not, as the
case might be, constituted the greatest
number of the witness answers. At one
time after Mr.. I'urdy had been pushing
him for an answer on some specific point
and had received no satisfaction, the for
mer showed signs of irritation.
We'll. it's a fact. isn't it, that you be-
gan to think more about these things after
you were iDdicted?' asked Purdy.
Groff said he had.
Mostly Dead.
At several different times during the
cross-exa mination Croft was permitted to
go ahead and give his own version of some
thing that had been asked of him.
you believe all this?' Mr.. Purdy asked.
Croft had testified to having gone to Mr..
Marche to see about getting the fastener
adopted by the Post Office Department.
Mr.. Purdy was trying to find out why he
didn't go to Machen instead of Mr.. Marche.
when he knew the former had charge OF
such matters.
Il think he knew MI. Willett. the post
master" said Croft
"Oh, yes" Mr.. PCrdy retorted with sar-
cdSm. MI. w liitll ne Is the uSdu man,
and Mr.. Marche is another" inferring that
the only conversations that the witness
could remember were those he had had
with persons now dead.
Mr.. Purdy. In his cross-eXamination of
Croft laid much stress on the fact that Tor
seven years the witness was devoted to the
development of the patent fastener, and
that as soon as il had been adopted by the
government and he had received the first
order from the government lie had lost all
interest MIR. Purdy was at times bitter in
dealing with the witness, particularly when
he contrasted certain portions of the wit
..It is queer he declared, looking Croft
directly in the eye. that you can remem-
ber with clearness and distinctness the con-
versa ton you had with Lorenz in the old
city post office ten years ago, and yet have
no reeollections of any kind concerning
financial transactions in which you were
directly interested that took place a year
When the affidavit made by Croft April
was taken up on cross-eXamination Mr..
Purdy stood beside the witness and read
with the question, What do you say to
that?'' or. rs that so? Did you say that?'
Croft was as evasive as ever during this
ordeal. Mr.. Purdy stood within foot of
the witness, and he raised his voice as he
continued the examination. Croft at first
was inclined to believe that his signature
appended TO the affida was not really his
own Pinned down. h ever he admitted
that. Ito the best of his belief" it was his
signature.
Not a Witness,
There was another dramatic scene lust
before the examination of Diller b. Groff
was commenced. Earlier in the forenoon,
when the question of Inspector Fosnes' sig
nature on the affidavit of Samuel A. Croft
was being questioned Mr. Conrad had Of
fered the defense the privilege Of calling
Fosnes TO the stand and subjecting him to a
er;1 mir, 10, the
n he had been examined by the government
Before the examination of this witness
proceeds" said Mr. Conrad 81 want to re-
new the offer that this inspector be called
10 the witness stand and given the most
searching examination. We do not propose
10 have the counsel for the defense fling to
us the statement that the government is
keepiug back any evidence whatsoever that