Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-14
HELD FOR HEARING FRIDAY
Accused Of Impersonating His Brother
in an Examination.
ALLEGES MISTAKE IN IDENTITY
Civil Service Commission Caused His
Arrest-Voluntarily Returned to
Meet the Accusation.

Charges against Charles Elmer Watson.
clerk In the bureau OF supplies and ac-
counts. Navy Department. who was arrest
ed yesterday on q warrant which alleges
that he impersonated his brother, James
Watson, in an examination for appointment
under the government, will be Investigated
next Friday before United States Commits
sioner Taylor. The accused man was taken
before Commissioner Taylor yesterday aft
ernoon and held for further examination.
He was released under bond In the sum OF
1900.
Mr.. watson's arrest followed close upon
his return to this city to resume his duties
in the bureau Of supplies and accounts after
an absence OF several days In Illinois on HIS
vacation. He had left Washington about
the time the warrant was issued for his ar
rest,-and as soon as he reported for duty
again the Office of the United States attorney
was notified. Watson was taken in custody
at his desk in the Navy Department. He
procured the required bond about s O'Clock
yesterday afternoon, and he returned to his
clerical duties as usual this morning.
EmphaticalIy Denies Charge.
Mr.. Watson asserts in emphatic terms
that the charges against him are utterly
groundless and declares he will be able to
support his statement by convincing EVIL
dence. He states that he can prove that
he was not near the examining board the
day on which the examination In question
was held, and, furthermore. that he and
his brother have not been on speaking
terms for several years.
When called on by q reporter for The
Star today Mr.. Watson said he knew moth
ing OF the charges against him when ne
left this city. His first knowledge OF the
existence Of the warrant he said. came to
him in Illinois last Friday. the Information
being contained in a letter from a friend
in this city. He said he started Back
without delay to disprove the accusation
Mr.. Watson asserted that ais brother
James was employed by mining company
ceedingiy unlikely that he would desire an
office Of the kind described. =,
At the hearing yesterday afternoon Q
plea Of not guilty was entered. and Attor-
neys Douglas q Douglas, counsel for the
defendant, moved for. his immediate re-
lease on the ground that there was no evil
dence before the court against him This
motion was opposed by Assistant United
States Attorney Stuart Mcnamara. who in
formed the court that the papers In the
case were in St. Louis. where they had
been sent for use in the case Of James
Watson. He thought that they could not
be returned to this city before Friday.
and asked that the defendant be held
The commissioner denied the motion for
the release of the defendant and the gov
eminent introduced James p. Hesse of the
civil service commission to testify as to
handwriting. He stated that an -examina- p
ton of the application papers bearing the
signature of James Watson for position
in. the Department of Agriculture showed
that the handwriting differed greatly from
that on the examination papers, He as
serted. however, that there was a marked
similarity between the chirography Of the
examination papers and that of the appli-
cation Of Charles Elmer Watson
The defendant is about twenty-five years
of age and his brother is twenty years his
senior. The accused man asserts that he
wishes to have the matter disposed Of at
the earliest possible opportunity. He de-,
clares that the whole affair has grown out
of mistaken Identity, and says that he has
suffered wrongfully.
Feature of Defense.
As to the question of the alibi. which the
defense will endeavor to prove. 1t Is stated
that witnesses will be called to show that
Mr.. Watson was nowhere near the place OF
the examination in April, 1905, which he is
alleged to have taken in behalf of his
brother. At the hearing yesterday counsel
for the accused announced that they were
prepared to prove an alibi.
The warrant on which the arrest was
made was issued upon an affidavit of Elk
aminer Hesse The charge Is that Watson
violated section $40 of the Revised Stat
utes of the United States. 1t is alleged
by the government that James Watson
wrote to the commission from St Louis In
regard to appointment In the Department
of Agriculture and was notified to come to
Washington for examination. Instead, II Is
alleged. his brother, Charles Elmer Watson,
appeared and took the examination, the re-
suit being the appointment of James Wat
son to position in st. Louis.