Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-20
HERE TO STAND TRIAL
August w. Machen Placed in
District Jail.
ON BENCH WARRANT
BROUGHT FROM MOUNDSvILLE
PENITENTIARY LAST NIGHT.
Ready for Hearing Under Indictment
Jointly With Crawford and Lorenz
In Post Office Case.

August w. Machen. formerly superintend-
ent of rural free delivery. Post Office De-
| partment. Jointly convicted with George E.
| Lorenz, Diller B. Croft and Samuel A.
Croft of conspiracy to defraud the United
| States in connection with the sale to the
Post Office Department of Groff letter-box
fasteners, is in the United States jail. this
| city. Machen arrived at the Jail at &
O'Clock this morning, in the custody of an
oihcer or the West Virginia penitentiary at
| Moundsville. The former superintendent
| OF rural free delivery has been serving at
Moundsville sentence of two years i'm
| posed in the Machen-L Lorenz-Groff case He
was brought here by virtue of a bench war
| rant issued by the Supreme Court of the
District of Columbia to stand trial in the
| NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. case, growing out
| OF the Post Office Department irregulari-
ties. The case is set for trial Monday
| next in Criminal Court No. /.
Attorneys Charles A. Douglass and Com
rad Syme of counsel for Machen had a
conference with their client at the jail this
afternoon. The attorneys declined to say
| just what their course of action will be, but
they intimated in open court several weeks
ago when they formally attacked the right
Machen back here for trial on another
charge while he is serving a sentence In
the penitentiary under a previous convic-
| ton, that they intended to later attempt to
uphold their contention by habeas corpus
proceedings. A petition for the writ of
habeaS corpus may be filed Monday, and an
endeavor made to prevent Machen being
then put on trial.
Motion for Severance.
ATTORNEYS DourlaSS ap3 C,-roo ,.ora l.
Criminal Court No. 1 today throughout the
hearing in connection with the motion Of
counsel for William G. Crawford for a sew
erance in the Crawford -Lorenz- Machen case
and for a consolidation of the three indict-
| ments pending against Crawford The court
finally granted Crawford a separate trial
from Lorenz, but not from his other code
fendant, Machen. The representative of the
United States attorney remarking that the
prosecution may dismiss the charge against
Mrs. Lorenz, who is named as defendant
IN one OF the indictments, and consolidate
for trial the two indictments charging con-
spiracy, In which Crawford figures the
court held the motion in allegiance as re-
gards those two indictments until the
United States attorney shall arrive at a
conclusion. 1t was decided not to consol-
date the indictment against Crawford
charging the presentation of a false youch-
er with the conspiracy indictments
Crawford Represented.
Crawford was represented I'm court today
by Attorney A. S. Worthington and
Charles L. Frailey, and the prosecution by
Assistant United States Attorney Keigwin.
The latter repeated his assertion made
yesterday that he was personally unaware
of any arrangement having been made by
George E. LorenZ and representatives of
the government whereby LorenZ should
furnish information to be used by the
prosecution against one or both of his CO.
defendants In reply Attorney Worthing
ton commented on the fact that I.oreHz,
although jointly convicted and sentenced
with Machen and the Croft brothers has
not been sent to the penteutary. while
Machen and the Groffs have served sew
eral months Of their sentences. Accord
ing to Attorney Worthington, if some such
arran cement had not been made by repre-
sentatrves of the government ana Lorenz,
the latter would certainly have been put be-
hind the bars many weeks ago. Attorney
Worthington took exception TO a state
ment made by Assistant United States At
torney keigWin, to the effect that the de-
PENDANTS In the Crawford-L Lorenz- -Machen
case had fallen out among themselves"
mt. Keigwin had no excuse for saying
that" Attorney Worthington declared.
May Be Antagonistic.
Continuing, Attorney Worthington stated.
|, in support of his contention, that Crawford
should be granted a trial separate from
Machen, as well as from LorenZ, that so
far as he knew the defenses of Crawford
and Machen may be antagonistic, and that
the government may also have entered into
some arrangement with Machen whereby
the latter might furnish information IN
tended to be detrimental to Crawford.
brother of George e. Lorenz, who re-
sides in this city, was i1 court during the
proceedings today.
Two Affidavits Filed.
In support of his motion for severance
Crawford filed affidavit today setting
forth that yesterday in open court. during
the discussion of the motion for a sever
ance, Mr. Keigwin was asked whether he
expected to offer in evidence at the trial as
against Crawford statements or admissions
made by Lorenz since his recent conviction,
and that Mr.. Keigwin declined to answer
the question. The affidavit further declared
that later, yesterday, after Mr. keigwin
had shown Attorney Worthington the state
ment that Mr. Keigwin proposed 10 file
as answer to the aTt1davlt supporting the
motion for a severance, Attorney Worthing-
ton asked Mr.. Keigwin whether among the
statements admissions of Lorenz were
included any statements admissions
made by Lorenz since his conviction, and
Mr. keigwin again declined TO answer the
qE ton"
Assistant United States Attorney Keigwin
again today filed affidavit in the case.
stating that the 18th instant Mr.. Worthing-
ION addressed to Mr.. Keigwin several ques-
tions relative to the prosecution of the
case, which questions, after ctns ul alton
with and by authority of the Uni.ed States
attorney Mr. Keigwin e-ed. Among
the questions was one to the effect-"What
is the attitude of the government toward
Lorenz?" Mr.. Keiswin answe ed: The
same as toward any other defendant
Thereupon Mr. Worthington asked whether
he was to understand by that answer that
the government had no negotiato.sS with
Lorenz. to which Mr.. Ke.gwin answered
that he could give no information upon
that point.
Admiral Sigsbee Coming to Confer.