Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-01-27
NEWRERRY TRIAL
DELAYED BY SNOW
Trains Bringing Defendants
Tied Up-StaTt Selecting
Jury This Afternoon.

Jury This Afternoon.
Ey The Associated Press
GRAND RAPIDS. Mich, January 81.
-Snowbound trains operated to delay
until afternoon the process of Jury Sc
,tWioTi In the trial of Senator Truman II
-NeNbSrry and f32 CO-defendants when
the big political case was called in the
United states district court here today
snow Delays Some Defendants.
Hair an hour before court convened
Jnem hers OF the jury pal<l We're
NEEDED into a room across the hall
from the court, and few minutes
iater the defendants were ordered
into the courtroom Senator New
berry found chgir in the rear of the
roam.
Roll call followed and thirteen alb
S.ntecs were recorded. OF this list
Elmer L; White IS i'll at Traverse
CltY. ana most of the other dozen
We're reported IS aboard a train stuck
in a snowdrift some miles out of
Grand Rapids. and ii was presumed
the others were Snowbound
Judge sessions said because of the
absentees empanelins of the jury
would be postponed until pm.
Denies Jury Plan Challenge.
Attorney Nichols then entered the
defense's challenge to the array of
immediate exception 10 the language
OF the cha lenge so far as il stated
that the order Of procedure was '.un-
known" to the defense
Ihe procedure in selecting the
jurors. except for one slight excep
uon has prevailed in this district for
a score of years at least" said Judge
Sessions in denying the challenge.
The county and court clerks are in
the best position to select names of
competent men to serve as jurors
He explained that there was a no.
tee on the back OF the summons that
excuses from jury service might be
sent to the court in advance by mail
10 shut off flood of such excuses
a QUESTIONABLE was prepared and
Judge Sessions said that as the re-
turns came in lists OF the allowed
excuses were given to the counsel on
both sides. He said that all except
one Of tha- So men who reported for
Jary service yesterday had filled out
their qnestionnaires.
Eleven Not in PROCEEDINGS.
OF the 135 men indicted by the fed
era' grand jury last November. nine
nave entered pleas of noio contendere.
the case OF one has been continued ow-
ing to Illness, and another. upon whom
Service has not been obtained. was said
to be in South America. Twenty-three
PtS"ut" net Sulity ana IOl stood mute
when arraigned.
The possible duration of the trial
was variously estimated at from four
weeks TO two months. Both the gov
eminent and the defense were expected
to call several hundred witnesses.
History of Jury Inquiry.
Senator Newberry and 1874 other men
were charged with corruption, fraud and
conspiracy by the federal grand Jury
which investigated the senatorial cleo
ton of 1918.
When the indictments were returned.
November 80 last. United States Dis
trict Judge C w. Sessions. who assem-
bied the jury. indicated that evidence
OBTAINED, by the inquisitors disclosed that
between 100000 and 81 coo. 900 had been
expended fraudulently in connection with
the election.
The indicted men included every MEM
per OF the committee that conducted
the Newberry campaign and state.
county and municipal officials in vir-
tuaiiy every county from Lake Superior
to the Ohio border.
Two Blanket Indictments.
The conclusions of the grand i,,ry
were embodied in two blanket indict-
ments. They charged violation of both
federal and state laws by use of sums
OF money far in excess of legitimate ex
penses in the campaign, and violation
OF the federal corrupt practices act,
Whlcn penalties payment of money to
voters Use of the mails ito defraud
all the people of Michigan was further
charged against the campaign COM
nittee- More than $780, 900 of the con
tributed fund. it charged, was converted
10 the personal use of some of the cam
paign managers a
James w. Helme. former state dairy
Gnu ~ .ooG commIssioner. who opposed
henry Ford Tor the democratic nom
ination IN the senatorial primary. an
other clause of the Indictment alleged.
was compensated by the Newberry or
ganlzation for making the primary
race The alleged purpose was to pre
vent democratic voters from lining
primary.
TwoscOre Of Overt Acts.
Attached to the indictments was
list of more than twoscore covert
acts These contained charges that a
number OF those indicted had given re-
wards ranging from promises of a
sood job to payments of sums rang
support in the Newberry campaign.
one country editor was alleged to
nave received ID ton of print paper.
The grand jury investigation was
conducted by Frank G.. Daley of In
dianapolis. former United States at
the Department of Justice October IL.
and was based. it was announced. on
complaints filed with the department
and also published charges of fraud
ana corruption" made by Lieut.. Gov.
Dickinson of Michigan and others.
stood Mute Mt the Bar.
Senator Newberry and thirteen of
the men who directed the campaign
work in 1918 appeared before Judge
sessions December 8, and on the advice
OF counsel stood mute. This was done
u was explained. that the validity of
the indictments might be challenged
later. should it be decided to attack
them The right to raise technical
questions, 1t was stated, would have
been sacrificed by pleas of not guilty.
Senator Newberry and each of the
thirteen men who appeared with him
We're held in bonds of $4,000 and
$4,000 on the first and second indjct-
ments. respectively.
me maximum penalty for the Of
1enses charged is a fine of 10000
ana TWO years Imprisonment.
WOULD CUT TARIFF OFF