Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1916-12-09
letters READ N
cold NINE CASE
Correspondence Showed
Company's Treasurer
Wasn't Kept Informed
CASE ADJOURNS
UNTIL MONDAY

When the case OF Charles S. Miller
and Raymond McCune. charged with
conspiracy and using the mails in an
effort to defraud, was resumed in the
United States District Court after the
noon recess yesterday. correspond
ence which had passed between
George y. p Bonnell, treaurer Of the
Peru Gold Placers. Inc. and Charles
S. Miller, while the former was So
journing on the gold lands Of the com
pany in Peru was read. and. as had
been expected formed the most i'm
portant testimony yet submitted for
The prosecution.
Owing to the short session Of court
in the afternoon, District Attorney
Charles f. Curley. who undertook the
task of reading the letters to the
jury, was not able to proceed far be-
fore adjournment was taken, hut he
had gone deep enough in his reading
% show that these letters and the tes-
imony Of Bonnell will form the bulk
If the evidence upon which the gov
,rnment will seek to force conviction
If the two defendants.
At the time court adjourned Mr..
curley was deep in a letter. covering
page after page Of typewriting. in
which Mr.. Bonnell wrote Mr.. Miller
MS impressions of the value Of the
gold fields and a full account OF GER
ain transactions that had taken place
here. These. the correspondence
would seem to indicate. were not cal
.ulated to strengthen the financial
standing of the company. and may
prove to be the information conveyed
% certain stockholders which induced
hem to begin the investigation
which. il is alleged, ended in eXplod-
ing the gold mining bubble, and was
followed by the charge of fraud and
conspiracy. The reading Of this lone
letter will be continued when court
cOnvenes again for a resumption OF
he case Monday morning at 11.3C
o'clock.
Mr.. Bonnell took the stand again
upon the resumption OF the trial IN
the afternoon and under cross
examination by District Attorney
Curley stated that in February 1915
upon the return to the gold mining
camp OF McCune from a prospecting
trip McCune put the question to him
What's new?"
Il told him." said Bonnell. tina
there were many new things to re
port. For one thing, the Guggenhein
expert retained by the directors o.
the Peru Gold Placers Company t
inspect the gold fields, was on hii
way.
what do the drills show? asked
McCune.
"'Either a trace or nothing tolC
him.
He then asAd for the drill re
ports and ! gave him the copies ha'
In the safe.
The best thing to do is to cabl
the recall of the mining expert a
whatever point We can reach him
McCune said
Bonnell told about three cable
grams sent under date OF Februar,
s. one to Charles S. Miller signed b.
McCune in which the latter stated h
was enthusiastic over the prospecting
trip he had just completed. A secon'
cablegram from McCune was ad
dressed to the company and advise
McCune's immediate recall by tn
company as we'll as the recall Of tn
engineer at whatever point he coul
be reached. The third one stated tina
the depth Of the bed rock on the gol
fields was unknown, but was probabl
100 feet down; that the fields coul
not be worked by known methods
and advising that the work b
abandoned. This was also signed b
McCune.
About March 3. 1915, Bonnell sal
Frank A. Shaw. the Guggenheir
engineer, arrived on the ground.
A letter from the Maranon Rive
Placer Inc. to Bonnell was read !
which the duties and offices OF tn
treasurer we're defined. This lette
was dictated by Miller. Bonnell. tn
treasurer. had .evinced some dis
satisfaction regarding his duties. TIL
letter directed that Bonnell. in III
particular case. should consider HI
lob similar 10 that Of purser aboaT
a ship. who is a busy man when tn
shin is in port, but who has little {
nothing TO do when at sea and is {
the call of the captain.
one Of the letters from Bonnell
Miller dated May %, 1914, complain
ed that Butte" which was McCune
code name. had given orders that II
nature Of the values was TO be d
vulged only to few, not includiu
himself Because Of this the write
said that he was unable to make
report of values.
A letter Of reply was read speel
ing OF the necessity Of a corporate
guarding its secrets, especially IN u
case of mining corporation.
Bonnell replied 10 this saying thi
he considered II important that u
directors have disinterested repr
sentative on the ground and he call'
attention to the fact that no repor
as to values had been made to u
company by a disinterested party.