Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1905-06-02
GUILTY OF CONSPIRACY.
Arthur W. Machen Gets Another Penltentiary
Sentence.

Washington, D. c. Especially BY
pleading guilty to the charge of conspir-
ing to defraud the Government, Aug
ust w. Machen, formerly superlntend-
ent of free-delivery of the Postoffice
Department, when arraigned under the
Joint indictment with w. G. Crawford
and George E. Lorenz, received a SEN
tence of two years in the Moundsvllle
CIV. Va.) Penitentiary, and escaped trial
on II other indictments. The District
Attorney has agreed to quash the re-
naming indictments.
In passing sentence Justice Wright,
presiding over Criminal Court No. l,
District of Columbia, said he would take
into consideration the facts that the
Government would be relieved of the ex-
pense and time necessary to further
trials, and make the sentence much less
than if the defendant had not pleaded
guilty.
The two years sentence will begin
upon the execution of like term given
him upon conviction on the indictment
on which Machen, Lorenz and Diller b.,
and Samuel Croft were tried about a
year ago. One year will be saved by
Machen for good conduct in the penl-
tertiary, and will reduce the total penal
ties on account of his irregularities in
the postal service to three years
When the Machen- Crawford-Lorcnz
case was called, District Attorney Beach
asked that Crawford be first arraigned.
The defendant entered a plea OF not
guilty, and Machen was then arraigned.
A severance had been asked by District
Attorney Beach for the trial of Crawford
and Machen, but this was denied by JUS
tice Wright. The plea entered by Mach
en- will accomplish the same purpose,
and Crawford will be tried separately
severance having been granted pre-
viously for the trial of Lorenz.
Machen begged the permission of the
Court to explain his action. He said:
1T is due to the Court, to my devoted
wife and the children who bear my
name, to my parents, to the counsel who
have Loyalty defended and advised me
to my loyal and steadfast friends, and
to myself that an explanatory statement
be made by me.
although I did not directly or indi'
rectly interfere with or attempt to IN
huence the competitive bids under which
the contract set forth in the indictment
was awarded and executed, yet l held
an interest in the contract and shared
in the profits accruing from it. die
not know or supposed at that time that
| was violating the law, nor was there
any intention on my part to lnJure OF
defraud the United States. / am advised
by counsel, however, that the acceptance
of the money alleged to have been re-
ceived by me in the indictment constr
tuted, under the circumstances, tech
nical violation of the statute.
Embarrassed as | am by my present
situation and surrounded with all the
disadvantages which are its consequence
am from that fact alone in almost
defenseless position. ] shall, therefore
willingly submit to any penalty which the
Court may deem proper to impose upon
me under the plea which | have en-
tered. :,
ON my closing words, and with all
the force and earnestness at my COM
mand, let me urge that my plea shall
not affect the interests of the other de-
PENDANTS under this indictment"