, 1925-01-30
BRIDE CHAR E
IS UPHELD IN
JURY VERDICT
ON CONSPIRACY
Escapes With
$4,000 Fine on Con-
viction with Means
In Federal Court

NEW YORK, Jan. 3d.
Castor B. Means, former de-
partment of justice agent.
was found guilty by a fed
eral court jury today on
charges of conspiracy to
bride government officials. and was
sentenced To pay a fine Of $40 ooo
n to serve a two.year peniten.
tiapy term.
Thomas B. Fielder, Means attor.
ney. who was convicted OF a SINH
lar charge. was fined $40, Tho
sentences We're imposed by Federal
Judge Lindley after the Jury I,nd
returned "A sealed verdict which had
found the defendants guilty.. but
recommended clemency. The court
denied motions to set aside the yer.
dict on the ground that It was con
trnry to the weight OF evidence.
Fielder said he would Immediately
Tile an appeal. He expressed conf
dence that the conviction would be
reversed by the circuit court of an
peals and declared his innocense OF
the charge notwithstanding the YER.
dict of the jury.
Means had nothing 10 say hut hi,
counsel said an appeal would also
be filed IN his case. Means is ALREADY
under sentence OF two years and 4
fine of $4,000 for violatlor Of tha
Voistead act but today's sentence,
on the motion of Hiram G.. Todd. spe.
cial United States attorney is not
TO be concurrent with the previous
one.
The verdict was returned under
seal by the Jury last night after al.
most six hours elaboration and was
opened today. Maximum penalty
under the conviction is two year,
Imprisonment and fine of $40, 900.
The jury's verdict carried with IL
a recommendation for mercy.
The verdict, returned by the first
dge-picked jury to function in a
federal court trial here. marks one
OF the many high lights in the sen-
sational career OF Means.
At intervals in the past eight
years he figured in a series OF epl.
sodes, ranging from trial for muir
der to accusations of graft, in which
the names of men prominent in
public life were banded about.
The present case got into the
courts her a federal grand Jury
last March indicted Means, Fielder
and Elmer w. Jarnecke, who had
been known as secretary to Means.
ON fha flUINfa Aluerrr.eN... .-
aey charge. Officials of the Crager
System, Inc. and the Glass Casket
company Of Altoona. Penn, chare-
ed the trio with having obtained
$6b 900 from them on their repre-.
sentation that Il would be spent I'm
bribing high government officials
70 call off their prosecution on
charges OF having used the mails In
a stock fraud conspiracy. Seven
teen Of the more than so men In
volved subsequently were convict.
ed and sentenced to -penitentiary
terms in Atlanta. II was after their
conviction that tho Crnger-G Glass
Casket defendants complained and
che Indictment of the trio
followed.
The indictment charged. among
other things. that the defendants
'conspired to represent hat Fielder
was a secret partner In tho prac-
tice OF tho law with tho attorney
general Of the United States Harry
NJ. Daughcrtyl and that Means was
an officer and employe OF the gov
eminent occupying a position OF Inn
portnnco in the department Of JUS
tice,
With tho opening OF tho trial.
January 8. Jarnecke changed his
plcn to guilty and became tho gov
ernrment's chief witness. lie ad-
mitted having turned government
CONTINUED on Page Seven