New Britain herald., 1926-09-16
GOVT. TRYING TO LINK DAUGHERTY
!. WITH ACTUALLY ACCEPTING GRAFT

New York. Sept. IS up - Three
checks amounting to $29,143.75,
which the government alleges were
part of the fee Richard Merton, the
German metal magnate, paid John
T. King, the republican national
committeeman from Connecticut, for
rushing" claims through the alien
property custodians office, We're Of
fered as evidence in the trial OF
Harry NJ. Daugherty and Thomas w.
Miller today.
One of the checks is for S25, 200.
II is dated August l, 1921. 1t bears
the signature OF King and is made
out to cash" The government al
leges this check was split of the
$4,000 Merton said he paid King.
New York, Sept. IS [P1 - Ohio
campaign funds for 1921 were under
fire today in the trial of Harry VI.
Daugherty and Thomas W. Miller.
Checks which John E. Durkin,
secretary to the late John 7. King,
former republican national commit
teeman from Connecticut, said were
used TO cover a deficit IN the Ohio
campaign OF that year. were identl-
fed by him. One OF these checks,
Durkin said, was payable to Daugh-
ertv. Two checks, Durkin said, were
PAYABLE to Jesse W. Smith, aid 10
Daugherty as attorney general, who
committed suicide in Washington.
Two other checks, which Durkin
said represented the proceeds of the
sale of liberty loan bond coupons
and which were issued by King to
Daugherty, also were mentioned.
Ex-ButIer Is Witness
The first witness of the day was
Walter D. Miller, a former butler for
Daugherty and Smith. He testified
that Smith had that status of
privileged character In the depart
ment OF justice building, having an
office close to that of Daugherty
when the latter was attorney gen.
eral.
He said that Smith could be seen
in 1921 in almost every part of the
department of justice building, 60
ing from office to office, and often
carrying official papers with him.
He testified that during 1921 he
was butler at an H street house oc-
cupied by Daugherty and Smith. He
testified that among callers at this
house who were on terms of great
cordiality' with the attorney gen.
to1t u ~
Merton, German financier, had pre-
viously testified that he had obtain
ed through Daugherty and Thomas
w. Miller the transfer of s7,00O,OOO
assets of the American Metal COM
pany, impounded during the war,
through the agency of King TO
whom he paid a fee of s441, 900.
Daugherty and Miller are charged
in the present trial with holding
from the government in this assets
transfers their best service as gov
eminent officials.
w. D. Miller, who described him
self as butler and general utility
man for Edward B. Mclean, pub
Usher. at his home at 1909 H street,
Washington, was the first witness
called.
Miller testified the Mclean house
was occupied in March 1921 by
Dauaherty and Jesse Smith, aide to
Daugherty, who later committed
suicide. Smith was named in in
dictments superseded by the one on
which Daugherty and Thomas w.
Miller are being tried.
Smith Paid Bills
w. d. Miller testified that all
household bills at the H street house
were paid by Smith, all checks be-
Ing signed Jesse w. Smith, Extras"
Guests at the house in 1921, he
said, included John T. King who
came there often" William j.
Burns. then chief of the bureau of
Investigation, Colonel Forbes, Guy D.