New Britain herald., 1926-09-09
DAUGHERTY ON TRIAL
President . Makers s Trial Packed
 With Irony
BY GENE COIN Nea Service Writer

New York, Aug. 9-The frame work of the picture in which sits the biggest man that ever went to criminal trial" is bafflingly old fashioned-like long hair and red flannel underwear.
 In the center of it sits the chief cefendant-Harry M. Daueherty. one time attorney general.
 He belongs to a generation that chewed tobacco when 1t talked poIi- tics and, with unerring aim. could hit knothole in the naor. He chews tobacco in court, with an old-fashioned spittoon handy-a spittoon, not cuspidor!
 Such archaic words as"muclSrake" are heard in the lobby and political methods are mentioned which, how ever alive today, sound oddly anti quated.
 Only. $381 900
 Even the sums of money men toned seem ld-fashionedlv small when one recalls modern-day boot leg operations.
 This 1eisurely, hulkin Daugherty is charged with peddling his honor as a cabinet member, his post as head of the department Of justice. for a paltry $391,o0o. This it is averred, was the amount of bribe given for speeding up the claim for the delivery of seven millions in stock of the German owned Ameri- can Metals company seized during the war.
 Ironically enough, the manipula- tion of this property of a one-time enemy was shared, according to the charges by Col. Thomas Miller, a founder of the American Legion and at present on it's national executive council. Miller was at the time alien property custodian.
 No one seeks to conceal the feel ing that the entire Harding admin istration is on trial; that the skele- tons which have rattled of graft and intrigue are ready for a belated dance.
 All these are stark and dramatic realities; yet the feeling of reality persists.
 There is the old fashioned tobac- co chewing defendant. The ancient federal building. The high ceilinged and severe court room with its long bare benches stepping one on top of another like circus seats.
 A novelist sits taking notes for a future book.
 William Travis Jerome, Thaw prosecutor, now of the defense, is ultra-thearical. He wears a palm beach suit of immaculate linen, his hair has become almost white and his department is the apotheosis of dignity.
 "Baby Prosecutors
 In contrast are the youthful CO., horts of the prosecutor, Emory R. Buckner, a mere United States at- torney attacking one time attor- ney, general. Some have whimsical ly called it the baby prosecution" for the assistants of Buckner are eager, zestful youths, scarcely one above 30.
 The inevitable Buckner black board is in view. This means, of course, the "A-B-C' method of pre- senting his case, used in the recent motion picture trials.
 In contrast, too, are the jurors, salesmen, business men, brokers, en- gineers, box-maker, a jewelry salesman, an insurance solicitor such must pass on "the president maker"
 A president may be impeached but never brought to public trial. A member of a presidents cabinet has never before in history stood so ac cused.
 Even the judges wife Is therein a fashionable street dress. The "younger generation" crowds the lobbies waiting seats More than half of these are bobbed- haired girls from the universities eager for disillusionment. Their tales will go back to the campus and spread from youth to youth. These future voters will tolerate no "old-fash- toned" politics Their frank and cy- nical comments tell the story.