Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1910-02-17
Craft Case Fiizzle
Disgusting Disclosures
Charles Bachman Acquitted of Charge Of
Bribing Commissioner W. E.
Helfenbine.
AND BACtIMAN COT HIS
THOUSAND DOLLARS BACK
John A. Howard Implicated In Testimony
Prosecutor and Jurors Friendly
to Defendant.

/ dining room, where he Immediately
came to the point. / asked him
whose money he handled. He said,
John Howard's.' l asked him what
Howard would do to me If he got me
into his power by my accepting the
money. He said: He's your friend,
he'll always stick to you; he gave me
this money to give to YOU l asked
him If he did not think that the
other fellows were as wise as he.
He said: Bill. you and are the
wise ones; nobody's any wiser than
u.s.
".EIe then got up ana walked to-
ward the door. l thought he in
tended giving the whole thing up,
when he turned about and. looking
at the floor, said: Where will | put
the money! I said. Suit yourself
He said: I'm going to put it in this
dresser drawer And he did. He
then left.
1--WE decided to expose the matter.
Mr.. Bachman pleaded with us not
to do us, saying: If you people
don't give this to the papers. we will
agree to put the franchise through
a-sailing!r but the matter was given
to the papers"
Surprised.
There was no more surprised man
than Commissioner Helfanbatne,
when latter this collection of evil
dence, the case failed. He told the
same story to the grand jury and to
the court, and the same eye and ear
evidence backed it. but the case
failed through lack of evidence"
and Bachen got his thousand dollars
back. Everybody is now wondering
what constitutesXa sufficiency Of evil
dence, and if the return of the money
means in effect: Not having voted
in the way you were paid to- v0ee,
you are hereby ordered to return
the money tothe intended briber,
who only loaned it to you!
Indeed, that was the surprising de-
tense by Bachman, that he hal
loned the money to Halfenbaine,
though he admitted that he took no
receipt nor note, and said nothing
about the time in which 1t must be
repaid. Bachman having been in
business for many years. accustomed
to knowing the difference between
security and lack Of security. the
defense is designated ny most people
as ridiculous. 49,
Yet it prevailed. fAtorneys1J. B.
Somerville, Charles j.. Schrck and
Sam O. Boyce appeared for Bach
man, and Attorney Schuck took the
stand as a witness for his client. Civ
| ing sworn testimony, which is con
sidered most unusual proceeding
indeed, that this was permitted is
: thought rather remarkable, particu-
, larly a sSchuck represented John A,
Howard in the claimed transaction.
Hes denied that he had ever. offered
money to Helfenbaine, and swore
that Helfen baine had solicited money
for his vote. Commissioner Butler
went on the stand and denied the
conversation with Helfenbaine ~and
claimed that Helfenbaine had asked
him to join in an attempt to get
81 600 each out of it.
1t was question of veracity
purely, until the cash was produced
in evidence, and the eye and cal
witnesses heard, but the jury, by
it's decision discredited the and
ear witnesses, and gave the money
1 back to Bachmah.
Biased Jurors.
Were the jurors biased?
/ This is the questions that is or
everybody's lips. 1t is believed more
| CONTINUED on-page six.)