El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-04-22
ROGERS CASE To
CO To JURY SOON
Testimony in $4,000 Disap-
pearance Case Completed;
Goes to Jury Tonight.


As evidence in the Glare l. Rogers
case, in which the former postoftlee
clerk Is charged with embezlement in
connection with the disappearance ot
So, 0CO from the registered mail, VIII
probably so 10 the jury IN the Onlteu
states district court late this AFTER
noon.
Attorneys for the government com,
pleted the arguments 10 the Jury anu
attorneys Tor the defence started their
arguments after lunch The case con-
tinues TO attract much attention and
il was necessary for the court baillft 70
stop any more spectators from attend
ing the trial Wednesday afternoon.
Rogers on stand.
Rogers took the stand Wednesday
afternoon at 2-15 and explained to the
jury how he had come into the posses
sion of the $500 which he sent by reg
istered mail from Canutillo to ms
mother in 4-mporia. Kan, the day FOL
lowing the alleged disappearance Part
OF il was borrowed money and the
remainder was made in land deals, &C
cording TO his testimony He was on
the stand four hours and 20 minutes
4 came to FL Paso in 1903 and be-
San carrying a mail route in the down
town section he said IN 1910 1 went
into the registry division Of the post
office and worked there until 1911,
when I went to Arkansas"
He testified that his wife owns
plantation OF 300 acres in Arkansas and
that he produced a gross income OF
about $500 from IL during the year
he resided there. The money which he
accumulated in FL Paso was from the
sale OF & house on Cliff street and
property up the valley.
Returned in 1913.
In the spring OF 1913 ne returned
to FL PasO ana went 10 work In the
local pOstoffice. The money which he
had kept in TeXarkana he brought here
with him and placed in the safety de-
Ta0efN hnw rrnfnh he had In
Rio Grande alley bank It amounted
10 about $500. On August 81, 1914.
he was detailed for night duty in the
postOffice at his own request.
The night Of the alleged robbery, he
said, he came on duty at 4-l5 and
signed a receipt for the registered mail
which was TO go out on night trains.
This mall according to the testimony,
he placed in the registry vault y key
TO the inner door of tins vault is kept
in the desk OF r. H. Kerr, an employee
OF the division Another key was in
Eosers's possession. Rogers testified
that he went about his work as usual
that night, but the fact that he was
feeling i'll prevented him from doing
the regular amount Of work
After locking up the registered
pouches went to a distributing case
n another portion OF the building and
began work., he testified. "W hen "a
K. FrankenberSer, railway mail clerk
on southwestern train No. .. came in
ADA LlE rex ELEL1-ellDAZ MulEu Was
the pouch In which had been placed the
$4,000, turned them over 10 him and
went back 10 work. he said
Went Home at = a. m.
At . a m. I locked UP the postoffice
ana went nome had bought two
passenger Metz car for use i'm my bust
ness, as l had planned TO 80 into the
selling OF real estate. At that time 1
was endevaoring To sell some property
up the valley. The following daV.
September Q. ] left home after tele-
phoning the postOffice authorities that
4 was sick and could not work that
night About o'clock that afternoon
deposited a registered package at
the CanutillO pOstOffice addressed 10
my mother and containing sz5CO
mailed the package from Canutillo be-
cause i feared on account of com
plants made by my wife to postmaster
j. A Smith that my mail was under
urFeillance-
Went to California.
did not want her TO know the
money was being sent, as 1 feared she
would write mother and attempt 10
make trouble" He admitted having
given the name Of L. c. FROST when
ne sent the packIse- His reason for
this, he said, was to further conceal
from his wife the fact that ne had sent
money home Then he returned to Fl
Faso, and on the advice Of his physician
began making plans for a trip 10 Cali
Iornia- 4 lew days after he reached
operator there told him that the gov
eminent inspectors were shadowinE
MIN, he said When he learned this he
returned Immediately 10 FL Paso- wiz
ing postmaster Smith that he was re-
turning.
On cross examination the defendant
admitted having signed a statement be-
fore postal inspectors Butler and Kin
eel that when he went 10 California
NE had only about $500, most Of which
had been sent him by his mother This
statement was signed on the 18th Of
september and was produced in court
AccoToing 70 his own testimony, a
snort time before he had 500 or $500
when he left here.
They had no business inquirinz into
ny private affairs, I thought. and 1
ulu not see where that had any con-
nection with the investigation they
were making" he explained.
Court Officers Leave.
Judge j. L. Camp, United States dis
tricl attorney for the western district
S-- LAS, lett ednesday night for his
headquarters, IN san Antonio. TO pre-
pare Tor the opening Of federal court
Ihere IN the early part OF May ID. II.
Hart clerk Of the court, also left for
san Antonio 10 prepare the docket Of
the court. It is thought that the pres
ent term OF federal court in session
here will end about April Is
When the Rogers case is disposed OF.
Judge Clayton viii probably call to trial D
the cases pending against Victor !.
Ochoa and T. L Holmdahl, who are /
charged with violation Of neutrality by
enlisting men on this side Of the border (
lor service in Mexico. A number OF Z
witnesses from Arizona. who will tes-
thy for the government in this case,
arrived here Thursday.
HOUSES CRUMBLE; 100 HOMELESS. /
N