Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-11
PRINCIPAL WITNESS
MIR. Truesdell So Regarded in
Green Doremus Trial.
UNDER CR0ss-ExAMINATI0N
Progress of Proceedings in Criminal
Court No. /.
CONFRONTED WITH RECORD
Nature Of Answers Cause of Com
plant by CONSCIOUSNESS Gould
Gives Instructions.

Under an exhaustive cross-examination
today Herbert J. Truesdell the principal
witness thus far presented by the govern
ment in the trial in Criminal Court No. /
of George E. Green and willard D. Dore-
mus for alleged conspiracy and bribery in
connection with the postal Investigation,
admitted that he could fix neither the time
nor the amounts of the payments which,
according to his testimony, he had made to
George w. Beavers on account of the sale
of the Doremus machines to the govern
ment.
The witness also stated that no one else
was ever present when he paid, as he al
legged, the money to Beavers. Furthermore,
the witness admitted that he iii not think
he had told George E. Green anything about
the transaction with Beavers based upon
the first order secured from the government
for machines until some time after the de-
vices were delivered.
Confronted With the Record.
Several times during the examination the
witness was confronted with the record
showing his direct testimony, and asked to
explain statements which, counsel claimed,
were at variance with some assertions made
today. The witness claimed that he had
been in error In some instances owing to a
faulty memory.
At one stage of the proceedings the ma
ture of his answers led to complaint by At
torney John B. Stanchfield who was con-
, Quoting the cross examination, and Justice
Gould instructed the witness not to argue
with counsel. but to answer questions df-
rectly. Later, when the witness refused
absolutely to answer certain questions
bearing upon his declared hostility to
Green, Justice Gould again interposed to
instruct the witness to answer the ques-
lions put to him.
rncC- at,,.ay
Truesdell. formerly treasurer of the Dore-
mus Machine Co, was resumed this morn
Ing when court convened at 10 O'Clock
what purported to be the original letter
from former United States Attorney Nor
gan II. Beach to counsel for the witnesses,
promising immunity for Truesde!l If he
would testify in the post office cases, was
offered In evidence. A copy of the letter
was read to the jury last week. United
States Attorney Baker wanted to know
where counsel for the defense had secured
the letter. Mr.. Stanchfield replied that it
had been obtained from counsel to whom ii
had been sent as the legal representative
of the witness.
Mr. Truesden told of having given sworn
testimony before post office inspectors at
Rush, Pa, in the fall of 1903 in connection
with the business of the Doremus Machine
Co. with the Post Office Department. The
witness said that that occasion he had
seen in the possession of the inspectors
what purported to be paper signed by
Mr.. Doremus. The witness had later dis
covered, he added, that the paper did not
bear Mr.. Doremus' signature.
Witness Examined Closely.
Mr.. Stanchfield then examined the witness
closely, and at considerable length in re-
gard to his testimony to the effect that he
had paid George w. Beavers several sums
of money account of the sale of Dore-
mus canceIing machines to the government
Mr.. Truesdell said that the books of the
Doremus company should show commits
sion account representing at least 81 800
He swore that he had paid this sum to
Beavers, but he could not tell whether or
not he had paid Beavers any more than
that amount. He thought that the money
had been paid in sums of $500. At this
juncture Mr.. Stanchfeld produced what the
witness admitted to be d copy of his tes-
tmony given before the inspectors at Rush,
"a, which indicated that some of the al
legged payments were in amounts of $500
Mr.. Truesdell admitted that he might
nave been mistaken either In naming the
sums at Rush or in his testimony here
counsel pressed him for a direct state
ment as to whether the alleged PAYMENTS
were Of $500 or $500, and the witness adj
mitted that he was unable to fix absolutely
upon either, but he reasserted that it was
one or the other.
Court overrules Objection.
Justice Gould overruled the objection
of United States Attorney Baker to
question as TO whether the alleged com
mission account" might have contained
figures for $500, and If so, what dispo-
sition, If any, the witness had made Of the
difference between that and $500 Mr.
Truesdell stated that he had paid every
dollar shown in the commission ac-
count" to Beavers, whether the account
represented 1,500 or $500. Counsel then
asked the witness whether his answer did
not show that he did not remember any
L x3nG,z
amounts paid to Beavers. The witness
admitted that he could neither tell the
time the amounts
do you wish us to understand that
your recollection to time and amount
is hazy?" Mr.. Stanchfield asked.
you may put it that way If you WISH"
was the reply
Only Beavers and Witness Present
Continuing his testimony, Mr.. TruesdeI
declared that no one except Beavers and
himself had been present when he made
the alleged payments to the former. He
added that the money was always paid In
bills. Explaining his method of securing
the money, the witness said he drew checks
on the Doremus Machine Company and
either took them to the bank himself or
sent them by an assistant. He stated
that no one but himself had anything to
do directly with the Commission account +"
and added that he did not know whether it
had ever been seen on the books by either
Green or DOremuS.
AS to the first order for seventy-fye Dore-
mus machines from the Post Office Depart
ment, the witness said that there was an
agreement with Beavers at or about that
time to pay him money account of the
sale of machines to the government. Green
then had no connection with the company,
he added.
First Order for Machines
The witness did not think he had told
Green anything about the first order for
machines before the order was received.
Neither had the witness, according to his
testimony, told any one else about the al
legged transaction unA later. Subsequently.
he said. the payment became known to
Green and Doremus
In that stage Of the examination Mr.
Stanchfield complained of the manner in
which the witness answered the questions
Justice Gould instructed the witness not to
argue with counsel, but to answer the
questions categorically.
did you ever tell Green about the first
order for machines?" asked counsel
II did" the witness answered, emphat-
ically He then admitted that he could not
tell either the time or circumstances of
tho alleged statement