The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-03-26
TOOK JOB FOR 1 MONEY IN III BurtOn'S Connection With RialtO Company. iSWEARS IN OWN BEHALF No Attempt to Influence Pos
 tal Department. His Duties, He Says, Were to Be in Connection With the Securities
 Department of the st.
 Louis Concern.
SwEARS IN OWN BEHALF

n
 St, Louis. March 8.-Previous to the defense resting it's case late to-day. Unit ed States Senator Joseph Ralph Burton of Kansas took the stand in his own be- haif, In connection with the charge of having illegally accepted fees from the Aialto Grain and Securities Company Of St. Louis s
 When he had concluded, he was excused from the stand without cross exaxnfna- ton by the government
 Senator Burton testified that he had accepted the offer of the Rialto Com pany to act as its general consul becases he had lost heavily in a Financial peria and needed the $500 a month for which his contract called.
 It was assured by the company ho said, that my duties would not be need ed in Washington in any capacity. Tt was explained that Major Dennis. pres- ident of the Ria1to company, had become involved In trouble growing out of the operations of the Brooks Brokerage Cum- pany and that part of my duties would be to defend him in any criminal action that would be brought against him.
 Use of His Name.
 'The Rialto Company was also to hava the use of my name and my services were to have been used in connection with securities department of the Rial- to Company, which at that time was pro- Jected. expected to familiarize myself with the condition of the corporafions offering the securities for sale and be- come acquainted with the creditors of the trust companies which make a spe- eialty of handling securities of that char
 Senator Burton testified that he haa received a letter from Thomas Harlan, local attorney for the Rialto Company. notifying him of his appointment as general counsel November 20, 1902
 Reference was made in that letter to the indictment of Major Dennis" con- tinued Senator Burton, land I called upon Chief Postofice Inspector Cochran at Washington. and ne told me that he did not know anything about the tndict- nfent I theh asked him if tIiers were any complaints against the concern"
 Judge Chester H. Krum, who was con. ducting the examination, asked Senator Burton why he inquired about the com plainants.
 Looked Out for ulegality.
 T had just been employed by the com pany as it's general counsel" replied Sem atoE Burton, and wished to satisfy my- self regarding it's standing in the depart ment had been assured that 1t was all right, but I wanted to satisfy myself
 T told Inspector Cochran" continued the Senator. that should anything coma to his notice in the nature of a complaint against the Rialto Company, wished that he would call my attention to it, as could not afford to be connected with a company that did not obey the laws"
 Senator Burton explained his visit to the Postoface Department with Major Dennis as follows:
 Major Dennis came to Washington to ra1 af1lf ma iri raoard fO ha fv,Iinf.v.avs& that had been returned against him by the Federal Grand Jury. We were driv- ing past the PostofI1ce Department, and suggested that we go in and that [ would introduce him to the fourth assist ant postmaster general Mir. BrIstow Mir. Bristow was out, however, and as we were leaving the building, we passed the room of the chief postoffice inspector. MT. Cochran. suggested that we call. in- troduced Major Dennis, and he and MT. Cochran talked on several matters The events that transplred were suhstantiaI- ly the same as were mentioned by Mir. Burton in his testimony."
 Practice Before Departments.
 Judge Krum asked: Inspector Cochran stated in his testimony that you had ex- pressed desire to him to form a prac- tice before the departments in Wash ington. Did you do so7"
 LGiu MT. OOCnrAus fepueQ senator Burton, that other Senators and Repre- sentatives had built up large private practices during their terms of ofice and that I. in a small way. desired to emu late them. MT. Cochran and I are from the same State.'' Judge Krum then asked Mir. Burton to tell the jury whether at any time he had ever said anything which could be construed into meaning that his purpose was to influence them in the perform ance of their official duties to either Mir. Cochran. the postmaster general, the fourth assistant postmaster general, or the assistant attorney general in charge of postof1ce affairs.
 Senator Burton replied:
 Absolutely none whatever"
 Col w. W. Smith of Topeka. Senator ! Burtons private secretary, testified that he had frequently dictated and signed letters for Senator Burton and picked out one of the letters introduced by the government as one which he had proba- bly, dictated He testified that he had signed three of them.
 Judge Krum then took the stand In behalf of his client and the defense closed it's case. The government placed a wit ness on the stand in rebuttal, when court adjourned until tomorrow morn- ing.