The Detroit times., 1912-12-20
'RIES TO SHOW
HARSHA FESSED'
UNDER PRESSURE
Defense Springs Memorandum
by DeW6ody as Offset To-
Former Clerks Letter
CONTAINS CHIEF TERMS
OF CONFESSION NOTE
government Examiner and At
torney Geer Indulge in
Wordy Battles

The defense sprang counter sen
ketion TO the letter or confession IN
the trial OF the Harsha >ease before
United States Judge Sessions, Friday
morning. producing q memorandum in
tie handwriting OF Charles r. De
. woody, examiner for the government,
containing most of the terms OF the
Alleged confession sprung BY the gov
: eminent Thursday, and BY the line OF
questioning on cruss-examfnatfon. At.
torney Harrison Geer endeayored TO
show that the confession was written
al the dictation OF Mr.. DeWoody, on
promises that there would be no
fnfther PROCEEDINGS. 1880 80
The cross-examination was decided
h heated, and several times the at
t0fney and the witness INDUCED In al
tefcHtions which had to be stopped
by the court.
Leading up TO the memorandum,
Nf Geer asked DeAyoody il ne he'd
not had q conference witt Harsna.
with no others present, ON Inc sub.
ject of making a confession
II knewt the defendant too well to
take chances replied DeWoody.
On redirect examination, DeWoody
saId that The alleged confession was
made under an arrangement suggest.
Cd ~ Mr. Harsha. ~by which. the ,at.
ter was q be allowed to resign in
stead Of bstrg publicly deposed by the
court Of appeals In Cincinnati. It was
made on the condition that Harsha
should refund any money which the
Examiners found TO be due The al
legged confession was presented TO the
attorney -geneFals with the resignation
OF Mr.. Harsha. and the TesIgnatlcn
was accented a few days later by the
court Of appeals.
Mr.. Geer in cross-examination
aroused Dewoody's wrath by suggest
ing that he had taken the resignation
from Judge Swan after II had been
deposited IN escrow pending the &C
ton of the encouragement
DeWoody testified that Harsha had
written out statement which was n
defense and denial previous to sign
ing the confession produced Thursday.
and that the witness had refused TO
present such a statement to the at
torney-general. II was then that the
memorandum was drawn up and sug-
gesti0ns as to what the statement TO
the attorney-general should contain
was made by DeWoody in conference
with Harsha and MS attorney.
On direct examination DeWoody
vent into the details Of some OF the
cases In which Harsha is charged
With a shortf4ge. -sIIe- stated that the
fees taxed and earned were IN most
cases less than the amounts reported
to the government as earned, and that
the net amount collected by Harshs
exceeded the amount reported to the
government; that Harsha did not
make a practice OF reporting the one
per cent which he charged .or
handling money in THO registry fund
Of the court. He stated that Harshs !
turned over $9,S6S which he had In
his possession as clerk and in The
registry fund upon an order from
Judge SWIM. April 8, 1909. and that |
he was s9spended from duties upon
that date.
The government case closed with
the testimony OF Mr.. DeWoody and |
the defen4e opened in the afternoon. |
The government sprang its sensa. !
ton Just, before court adjourned |
Thursday afternoon. in the shape OF |
an alleged confession OF a shortage !
sCentinued ON Page FifteeA)