Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-28
MI. Beach Confirmed.

Int. Beach Confirmed.
In answer to the statement made public
by Mr.. Lester Saturday afternoon, to the
effect that he had forgotten, when he prom
Used the district attorney to produce
Holmes on Saturday. that the day was a
legal half holiday in the District Of Column
bia. Mr.. Beach presented the affidavit of
Assistant District Attorney Jesse c. Ad-
kins. Mr. Adkins sworn statement proved
to directly controvert that made by Mr..
Lester. Mr.. Adkins afidavit follows:
Il, Jesse c. Adkins, on oath, say that on
Thursday, the oath day of August 1905, at
the city of New York, it was agreed be-
tween myself, on behalf of Morgan H.
Beach. United States attorney, representing
the United States, and Mr.. Wharton E. Les
ter, representing the defendant, Edwin ..
Holmes, jr., that Mr. Lester would produce
his client Holmes before this honorable
court on Saturday morning, August 26,
1905. to answer to the above entitled indict-
ments, and that during the conversation
Mr.. Lester specially mentioned that Satur-
day was a half holiday"
Mr.. Testers Argument.
Mr.. Lester. in answer to Mr.. Beach. urged
that 5000 would be reasonable figure at
which to place Holmes bond, and insisted
that 5000 was ample and sufficient protec-
ton to the government. He characterized
as gratuitous the statement that he as
sisted his client in avoiding arrest. and
gave what he said was an account Of the
wanderingS of Holmes since he fell under
suspicion. He said that at different times
his client had been near the Canadian Dor
der. and could easily have escaped to an
other country had he SO desired. He also
reiterated the statement that Holmes fail
ure to present himself on Saturday was
due to unaccountable delay in getting q
letter to the former statistician, asking him
to come to Washington.
Judge Stafford then announced that he
considered 10000 bail sufficient. and w. H
Troulands of 1719 street qualified as
bondsman.
District Attorney Beach is still extremely
retfcent concerning the facts in the cotton
conspiracy. but he was apparently very
much relieved today over the fact that the
third Of the alleged cotton conspirators had
been taken in custody. 1t is understood that
the district attorney will have the cases
against the cotton conspirators set for hear
Ing at the October term of the court.
More Indictments Expected.
1t was learned today that the federal
grand jury, which will meet tomorrow after
a short recess of a weeks duration, will
resume work on the cotton conspiracy.
Other indictments against Holmes and his
alleged conspirators will be returned. and
it Is said that there is good reason to be-
lieve that number Of other persons, whose
names have been mentioned in connection
with the conspiracy. but who have hereto
fore been considered as immune from pun
ishment, will be indicted by the grand
jury.
There is no doubt, however but that the
biggest part of the task of securing evil
dence against the cotton conspirators has
been accomplished. District Attorney
Beach considers that it was the most diff
cult investigation of his official career. The
postal service scandal inquiry conducted by
Mr.. Beach was child's play compared to it.
and the postal service grafters were clumsy
bunglers compared to the finished work of
the members Of the alleged cotton ring.
The work of securing evidence against
Holmes, Peckham and Haas was made es-
pecially difficult by the fact that practically
all the transactions of the trio were made
In currency of the realm. Checks were
tabooed, drafts were looked upon with sus-
picion. and only greenbacks were consid-
cred safe.
Amount Melted by the Conspirators.
It became known today that not even the
authorities have any clear idea as to Just
how much the cotton conspirators cleaned
up between them, by the use Of the ad-
vance cotton crop report information fur
nished by Holmes. One estimate today
placed the total at not less than a million
and q half dollars; another estimate reached
one million. Not a single person of those
familiar with the facts in the cotton scan-
dial Is of the belief that the cotton con-
spirators made less than a half a million
dollars The general belief is that their
operations netted between a million and
million and half, If not more, and that
they were preparing for a grand coup when
suspicion was first directed against them.
and the first charges of Irregularities in the
bureau of statistics were presented by Sec
rotary Cheatham of the Southern Cotton
Association,