Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-01-29
HONEST MONEY
In Every Transaction Is Postal
Trial Defence.
Claimed That Lorenz Owned Halt
Interest in Croft Fastener.
Only Money Passed Was in Payment
Of Old Debt.

Washington Jan. 2S.-The defence
in the postal trial opened. today. MI.
Maddox on behalf of the Groffs SAID ne
would prove that George +. LorenZ IN
1895. had purchased for $500 half
interest in the Croft fastener.
He was followed by Mr.. Kumler, for
the LorenZes, who asserted that as Tor
hack as 1888, Machen, George f. Lor-
enz and his brother engaged in the
oil business in Ohio, and that as q re-
suit of the various transactions,
George f. Lorenz owed Machen $4,000
and that whatever money LOrenZ paid
TO Machen, was in settlement of an
honest debt.
Conrad Syme, on behalf Of Machen,
agreed with what Mr.. Maddox and Mr..
Kumler had said and added that he
would prove there was no conspiracy.
When Mr.. kumler. in the course OF
his opening remarks. said that Mrs.
Lorenz had been scandaliZed by the
government, which had treated her
with cruelty, Mrs. LorenZ broke down
and wept bitterly. She was led from
the room by Mrs. Machen and Mrs.
Phillips, Mr.. Machens sister.
day, a motion by Mr.. Douglass for the
defence to strike out certain evidence
was overruled and an exception was
noted Mr.. Runners objection to the
district attorneys proceedings with the
case on all the indictments was also
Overruled.
Mir. Maddox in his argument for the
defence said that before the Croft fas-
tener was patented, one-half interest
in the patent was assigned to ID. Il.
Croft Samuel A. Croft. knowing more
OF the postal officials, sought to inter-
est his friend, James f. Bell superin-
tendent Of free delivery and Postmas-
ter Willett OF Washington, and il num-
Der Of letter carriers in the fastener.
A trial proved satisfactory and subse-
Guently r.. Z. Mares, Chief<clerk of the
free delivery division called at the
home of D. Is. Croft and discussed the
price at which the fastener could be
supplied the government, figure rs
high as 81 first being asked, finally
being adjusted to Sl.5O.
Accompanying Mr. Mares. :; suisse
usent test of the fastener WAS de
i'm 1895, he said DIR. LOrenZ, who WIS
later strongly recommended by Post
master Wllett to the Groffs as a hust-
Ter and q good man to have with
them. He said that as a result of sew
eral conferences following, DR.. LOrenZ
paid $500 for Il one-half interest in the
entire patent and received, therefore,
so per cent. of the profits, the Groffs
received % per cent, each. All ar
engagements for the partnership be-
tween the Groffs and Dr. Lorenz. Mr..
Maddox said Machen's name had not
been mentioned. There was no written
contract between the Groffs and
Lorenz he said.
He then spoke of a letter written by
Machcn i'm June. 1899. asking one of the
Groffs to come to his office. When this
was done he said Machen gave notice
that the price would be reduced from
$50 to s1.25 which action the Groffs
characterized as "high-priced piece of
business" Taking up the Indictment
Mr.. Maddox said he was prepared to
prove that the Groffs never offered the
fastener for Is cents.
Mr.. Kumler followed and said that he
would show that in 1883. the Lorenz
brothers and Machen purchased so
acres of oil property in Wood county,
Ohio, later acquiring additional prop
erty. In 1SS9-9O. he said they erected Il
refinery at cost of $50. 900 and under
took to put their oil on the market. but
met with unexpected competition and
the company was obliged to abandon
refining oil. In all these operations. he
said the Lorenz and Machen owed the
National Bank of Commerce So. coo in
addition to ST.. 500 they owed for ma
chinery.
He then spoke of the money borrowed
to pay off some of the Indebtedness and
said that on July. 1. 1898. DIR. Lorenz
came to Washington and said to Ma
chen that If Machen would release his
interest in the property together with
that of Machen's uncle, he would pay
Machen $4,000. and contract note
was executed by DIR. LorenZ to pay the
amount. He said the Sun Oil Co. final
ly got the property.