Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-15
Even Judge Has to Laugh at
Letter in Evidence.
NATIONAL TRUSTS ASSETS
Purported to Be Given in Letter to
Rochester Concern.
SARCASM, AYERS DEFENSE
Inquiry Which Prompted Letter Re-
garded by Local Company as an
Impertinence.

That the government VIII attempt to
show the pursuit of ''come-ons" was the
principal feature OF the business Of the
National Trust Company was indicated
today at the continuation OF the TRIAL OF
Harvey NJ. Lewis, manager OF the COM
pahy. and James y. Huston, former treas
urer Of the United States. and Everett
Dufour. a broker, his associates in the
concern, before Justice Wright In Grim
inal Court No. /.
The charge against them Is conspiracy
to use the mails to defraud. and the trend
of the governments case was shown when
United States Attorney Wilson read To
the Jury the following letter. address cd To
the National Bond Company OF Rochester.
n. Y. which WAS claimed to have been
written by Manager Lewis:
An Old, Old Company.
Replying to yours Of the 9th instant
requesting brief history OF our company,
would say that our forefathers came over
in the Mayflower and some time there
after organized this company. 1t has
been doing business since the year oompt-
cen. and has recently established
branch for discovering the number OF
suckers left In the country hy the Ma
tional Bond Company. Conf.dentiaily, We
think We will have to retiie from busi-
ness. as We don't believe you have left
any.
Our financial statement follows: $l2.-
DOC, 00O.O0 undigeSted securities; $B5,U00.-
600, indispensable pills; $l650. furniture;
SLIP, cash; So. national banks: brains.
nit.
Don't get enlargement of tie heart
and send us all your bus ness. but I
you should see your way clear TO Gsing
us where W. can get n little dough. why
spit 1t out.
sVery firmly yours
THE NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY"
Sarcasm for Impertinence.
The letter was identified by Mrs. Octa-
via r. Johnson. former chief clerk fo.'
Lewis. as one written in response to an
inquiry as to the company's standing by
a bond company Of Rochester, n. Y.
AS Mr.. Wilson read the lett loud guf-
flaws We're heard In the courtroom. the
jurors and counsel on both sides laughed
and decorum fed the courtroom for the
noncs, and Justice Wright's effort to re-
strain his merriment proved futile.
Lewis alone seemed not to enjoy the sit
uation. He hung his head while the audi
ence was RECALLED with his literary effort.
The defense Will claim that the letter
was q sarcastic reply to what Mr.. Lewis
considered an impertinent inquiry.
Important Paper Lost.
documentary evidence to be introduced
during. the progress of the trial was in
dicated yesterday. when Attorney Henry
e. Davis called for one of the govern
ments exhibits. The trial was halted for
twenty minutes, during which counsel
for the defense smiled audibly at the ef-
forts OF the assistants to the prosecutor
Attorney Davis, In resumtng his cross
examination of the Witness remarked to
the court:
II am reminded. your honor, of the
general who ambushed his forces so sue
cessfully that when he needed them for
immediate action he was unable to find
them
Relying on bis recollection of the con-
tents of the desired paper, Mr.. Davis
proceeded with the cross-examination.
Dufour's steuographers Testify.
The testimony offered by the govern
ment today dealt with the alleged con-
nection Of Everett Du.our with the So
called conspiracy. In furtherance Of it's
position in this regard the government
called to the stand several young woman
stenographers employed at various times
by Dufour.
Among these are Miss Irene Warren.
Miss Virginia st. John Ortell. Miss Cath
ar ne S. Newton. Miss Gertrude Ellis
Miss Amy Radcliffe and Miss Emma J.
to them during the course of their en-
ployment.
Miss Warren said DUFF ur was a ccr-
poration lawyer. organized companies and
charged a pre- urinary fee. He SO sold
ste ks of corporations. she testified
Witness declared Lewis vfsi ed Dufour
at the latters Office every few days. She
could net detail the topics Of & e con-
versation between them.
Miss Williams was employed by Du-
four In 1906, and left him in 1908, but
was re-employed In 1909. She saw
Lewis in Dufour's office only few
times. She could not recall that Dufour
ever dictated letter to her In which
he offered to sell stock.
She stated she never heard Lewis and
Dufour discussing any business trans
actions She was sure there seemed to
be nothing secret about the converse
tons.
Franklin G. Lauderman. the next wit
ness testified that in November. fa)S. he
rented a room In the Calvert building
in Baltimore to a man calling himself
white. He identified Lewis as the man.
on cross-examination Mr.. Lauderman
said a detective had pointed out Lewis
to him in the courtroom before the
court convened. The witness identified
him as the man known to him as
White.