Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-03
|E,S. HOLMES ON TRIAL
Charge of Supplying Advance
Information of Cotton Crop.
ENTERS PLEA OF NOT GUILTY
Attorney Morgan H. Beach Outlines
Government Case
WORK OF SECURING THE JURY
Five Men Were Peremptorily Chal-
lenged and Five Released for Cause.
Afternoon Proceedings.
WORK OF SECURING THE JURY

| Inc trial OIL EQWin 81 Holmes, IT., 1Or-
merly assistant statistician of the Agricul-
| tural Department, on charge of violation of
| section $40 Revised Statutes of the United
! States, as amended, commonly designated
| as the cotton leak case, begun before
| Justice Wendell P. Stafford in Criminal
| Court No. l this morning. Mr.. Holmes
! was indicted by the grand jury in connec-
| ton with Frederick A. Peckham and Moses
| Haas of New York, but Mr.. Haas and Mr..
| Peckham have successfully resisted extra
dition proceedings up to the present time.
The court accordingly granted a severance
| in the case of Mr.. Holmes, and he will be
| tried separately.
Attorney Morgan II. Beach. who was dis
| trict attorney at the time of the alleged
| offenses were committed, is appearing in
| the case as special counsel for the gov
eminent, and with him are associated Dis
| trict Attorney Daniel w. Baker and Assist
| ant District Attorneys Charles S. Turner
and Jesse d. Adkins. The defendant is
| represented by A. s. Worthington, Whar-
| ton Lester and Clarence Price.
| Considerable interest apparently has been
| aroused by the case and the court room
| was crowded with spectators. Mr. Holmes
occupied chair before the bar, and he was
| accompanied by Mrs. Holmes, who showed
| lively interest in all that TRANSFERRED. Be-
ginning at 10 o'clock, almost the entire
morning session of the court was consumed
| in the examination of jurors. At the OPEN
| ing Attorney Worthington called the at
| tention of the court to the fact that three
| indictments were pending against Mr..
Holmes, and he requested that some dispo-
sitton be made of two of them. District
Attorney Baker expressed a willingness to
take any action the defense might desire,
| and Mr.. Holmes counsel elected that two
| of the indictments should be nolle pressed.
Pleads Not Guilty.
| Upon being arraigned, the defendant
pleaded not guilty and waived reading
Of the Indictment In making brief
statement Of the character of the case Dis
trict Attorney Baker reviewed the essential
points in the indictment, in which it Is
| alleged that Edwin s. Holmes, jr.. Freu-
| erick A. Peckham and Moses Haas "unlaw-
| fully did conspire, combine, confederate
and agree together to commit an offense
| against the United States-that Is to say.
| the offense Of misconduct on the part OF
| him, Edwin s. Holmes, jr., in his office of
associate statistician in the Department Of
| Agriculture-to furnish advance information
| thereby advance the pecuniary interests of
| Edwin g. Holmes, jr., Frederick A. Peck
ham and Moses Haas" Mr.. Baker also
mentioned the part alleged to have been
| played in the transaction by Lewis Z. van
| Ripper of New York city.
| One vacancy in the regular panel OF
jurors was caused by the illness OF VIII
| liam R. Granger, % street northwest
| and John Davis was summoned in his place
| In a general way the examination Of the
| jurymen included questions concerning any
| or his father, Edwin 8. Holmes, ST., or Mr.
| Haas or Mr.. Peckham OF Mr. Van Ripper
| Each man was also asked whether any of
| the counsel Of either side happened to be
| his attorney, and each one was required to
| answer whether he in any way had deal
| ings with the United States or District gov
| eminent, or whether he had formed or ex-
| pressed an opinion concerning the guilt or
| Innocence of the defendant. Five jurymen
| were challenged for cause and an equal
| number were peremptorily challenged by
the defense. Six additional peremptory
| challenges by the government reduced the
| number of jurymen in the box to eleven
and exhausted the panel, and shortly before
| the noon hour Justice Stafford ordered
recess until o'clock by which time the
United States marshal was ordered to sum-
mon a special venire of forty men. All
jurymen who were challenged were finally
excused as there will be no other case
called to trial during this term of court.
Those in the Box.
The jurymen remaining in the box at the
| hour of recess, nearly all of whom proba-
| bly, will be finally chosen, including the fol-
lowing: Robert L. Cohen, thirty-seven
years old, a merchant, of Col U street north
west Benjamin F. Grant, fifty-nine years
old laborer, of 1888 18th street northwest;
James W. Jordan, forty-seven years of age,
dealers in printers supplies of 200 D street
northwest; Ross ]. Sellman, thrty-nine
years old liveryman, of I7OS Johnson ave-
nue.: D. Darbey Thompson, fifty-four years
DID, insurance agent, of 1885 street; Will
| liam c. Neumeyer, twenty-five years old.
| foreman of 1925 G street northwest; Andrew
P. Jones' thirty-seven years old, mechanic
| 1923 Sth street northwest; Edward Voight,
jr., twenty-five years old, jeweler OF 72o
| 7th street NORTHWEST; George H. Dorsey.
| forty-three years old. paper hanger, 513 D
street southeast; Frank P. Rollo of SIG 23d
| northwest.
! The jury had not been completed when
/ The Star went to press. -.