Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-02
Denied Statement.

signed the statement because the inspec-
tors commanded him to do SO. The COM
mand was given suddenly.
Now, Mr.. Croft" inquired Assistant At
torney General Purdy, dramatically, have
you the slightest doubt that this is the
paper YOU signed knowing its contents?''
Mr.. Croft, in reply, took occasion to pay
his respects, in terms far from compli-
mentary, to the exalted persons" as he
characterized the inspectors. The most
satisfactory answer to the question that
he would give was that his signature to the
paper was genuine.
Mr.. Purdy secured from the witness an
admission that with one or two exceptions
the contents of the statement were an
accurate summary of about one-sixth Of
what he had said to the inspectors last
April.
Mr.. Purdy walked to the witness stand
and stood at the side of Mr.. Croft for
few minutes while the inquiry as to the
correctness of the statement was in
progress AS Mr.. Purdy started back to
his chair Attorney Kumler directed:
Stay there awhile longer. l want you to
ask about the jurat to that statement"
Il don't care about being seen as much
| as some people do retorted Mr.. Purdy
| pointedly. resuming his seat.
Was Satisfied.
Mr. Croft was next asked If he told T.
Howard Brooks, member of the repor-
torial staff of The Evening Star, the even
Ing of May q last, substantially, that no
person but his brother and himself had re-
cefved one penny of the profits derived from
the sale of the fastener The witness ad-
mitted that he had made such statement
to Mr.. Brooks. He explained however
that he meant that no person except his
| brother and himself received one penny of
the profits after all expenses had been paid.
How about the money paid to Lorenz?"
demanded Mr.. Purdy.
That was part of the expenses" declar-
ed Mr.. Croft.
A moment later the witness said that he
was satisfied that he had received the full
amount to which he was entitled as profits
| from the sale of fasteners
How do you feel about that, after look
ing over these papers-these warrants show
that Croft Brothers received al least $40 600
during 1902. and your bank account dis
closes deposits aggregatng only So, 1907
| the witness was asked.
|. The reply of Mr.. Croft was that he was
satisfied that he had received all to which
| he was entitled.
Attention was next directed to Mr. Lor-
enZ.
Mr. Croft" Mr. Purdy inquired. don't
! you know that Mr.. Lorenz never visited
! postmasters in various cities, as you say he
agreed to do. and that all he did was to see
Mr.. Machen?
No. sir: not to my knowledge" replied
Samuel A. Croft.
After the witness had denied that he sent
John T. Clark. letter carrier, to Mr..
Machen, his testimony closed Clark was
the carrier who was dispatched to several
cities to assist in the work of installing the
fasteners.
Diller B. Croft Testifies.
The next witness was Diller b. Croft, one
of the defendants. Only a few preliminary
questions had been asked him I'D to the
time that the usual midday recess was
taken.
Al no rf
| noon Diller B. Croft told how the price for
| the Croft fastener was first fixed at 1.5O
He also stated that he visited his attor-
ney, Samuel Maddox, and offered the latter
% per cent of the profits If he would work
in the direction of furthering the interests
of the invention.
Then once again the details of the first
meeting of the Groffs ana Lorenz were re-
| lated. An agreement was sent on later by
| Mr. Lorenz, but its terms were not exactly
| in accordance with the oral understan din1
| that had been had The witness informed
Mr. Lorenz that he desired his attorney 80
| look over the form of agreement. The lat
ter never signed. the omission being
due solely to carelessness.
Diller b. Gron testified that he promptly
paid Samuel A. Croft all money due the lat
| ter on account of payments for fasteners
Both S. a. Croft and LOrenz knew Of the
reduction in the cost of the manufacture Of
| each fastener from Is cents to 20 cents, and
| that the amount thereby saved was paid to
| Diller F. Grofr on account of the latter's
salary.
No knowledge Of Machen.
The witness declared that he was ignorant
| that Mr.. Lorenz was making remittances to
| Mr. Machen. Mr.. Croft added that he had
| never sent check to Martha ]. Lorenz, nor
| had he ever seen her until the day the
present trial began.
| According to the witness, he was not
| aware until a couple of years ago that
| LorenZ knew Machen.
/ Attorney Douglass asked the direct Ques-
l ton II the witness had any knowledge Of
money being paid to Machen In connection