Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-23
THE FINAL ARGUMENTS
Attorney G. A. Douglass Be-
fore JuryinP Post Office Case.
COURT ROOM CROWDED
DEFENDANTS LISTEN TO CLOSING
SPEECH IN THEIR INTEREST.
Attorney Holmes Conrad to Make the
Last Argument for the
Government

The final gun in the defense of August w.
Machen, George e. Lorenz, Diller B. Croft
| and Samuel A. Croft against the charge of
conspiring to. defraud the government
| through the sale of the Croft fastener was
| fired this morning. when Attorney c. A.
Douglass began his argument before the
| jury. Mr.. Douglass occupied the entire
day and will probably not conclude until
tomorrow. when ne will be followed by Mr..
Holmes Conrad, special counsel for the gov
eminent. At the conclusion of Mr.. Conrad
address, probably late tomorrow evening,
| the famous postal cases will go to the jury,
and the entire country will anxiously await
it's verdict.
The defendants were all on hand early
this morning. looking fresh after their three
days rest Court convened at 1907 am
with the full gallery of attorneys present
except Assistant Attorney General Purdy
The court room was crowded with specta-
tors. 20 per cent of whom We're of the fairer
sex. The crowd was easily the largest
since the trial began, nearly two months
ago. Mr.. Machen has been remarkably
cheerful the last few days of the proceed
ings, and evidently enjoys the little parties
between opposing counsel, particularly
when Mr.. Douglass, his special attorney,
gets the better of the colloquy.
Mr. Machen sat close to the jury, and
With Conrad Oyfne arranged the papers
which Mr.. Douglass has recourse to during
his argument. Mrs. Machen and Mrs.
Lorenz were in the court room, the latter
remaining the entire day.
Judge John Good Of Virginia was among
the spectators this forenoon. Judge Kum-
Ter, the Toledo attorney who is defending
Lorenz, leaned back in his chair, running
his fingers through his hair. and smiling
broadly as his colleague fired his forensic
torpedoes into the battlements of the pro-
SecutiOn.
The speech of Mr.. Douglas was eloquent
and entertaining. Whether or not it was
convincing is for the jury to say. The
twelve men who are to determine the fate
Of Of the .d four defendants defendants We're intent upon
and dramatic challenges
Alleges Rank Injustice.
II stand before ,you,Y he dramatically in
formed the gentlemen of the jury, "as a
lawyer. as an officer of this court, and
lastly as a man-as a man who has during
the wakeful hours of night and the busy
hours of day, for eight long months, pom
dered over the rank injustice that has been
done and DIS being done to my friend. August
w. Machen whose record as a public Of
fetal is as clean as a whistle during the ten
years of his service. My conscience and
my sense of honesty have compelled me to
give to this case even more time and effort
than should have, with consideration for
my health, but 1 want to see this man
ii6hlCu, anu LIE otiSAud vi uiS5id ace AcLiOhCu
from him. from his wife and his children"
Mr.. Douglass occupied the entire forenoon
in explaining what he termed the first one
OF six propositions. Into which he had d-
vided his argument. He addressed himself
exclusively to the consideration for the note
oe $4,000 which the defense alleges dis
pels every suspicion of fraud in these cases.
He brought out the existence of the oil
wells in northwestern Ohio. which are SAID
to be the basis of the business, a share OK
which Machen claims to have released TO
Lorenz for Lorenz' note. The checks Lo-
REM sent to Machen are claimed by the
defense to have been payments on this
s25 600 note, which, If proved to be valid
and genuine, will constitute the chief point
of defense, according to the contentious OF
the attorneys for the accused parties.
Mr. Holmes Conrad, special counsel for
the government interrupted Mr.. Douglass
several times. assuring him the government
did not look upon the note as an item OF
any Importance whatsoever, but notwith-
standing Mr. Douglass devoted all the fore
noon and a portioon of the afternoon sss-
sion in an endeavor to convince the lnry
that the entire case hinges on the note and
that the note is valid.