Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-09-17

with the late Jesse w. Smith, for|
mer aide to the former attorney gen.
eral, and John T. King. late Repub-
lican committeeman from Connect
cut, to defraud the government of
Intelligent and unbiased services"
Daugherty and Miller, the govern
ment alleges, participated in a con-
spiracy to frauduiently pay to the
Societe Suisse Pour Valuers de Me-
taux 100000 of the impounded
shares of the American Metal Com
pany. which were seized during the
war under the trading with the enc
my act.
Richard Merton, German metal
magnate, previously testified he paid
King total of SAL, 900 as commits
sions for aiding him in obtaining re-
fund of the impounded shares.
John d. Durkin, secretary to King
for several years before his death,
was recalled today for cross exami-
nation.
Two checks for $4,000 each made
cut by King to Daugherty, were ex-
planned by Durkin as a contribu-
ton to the deficit in the Republican
committee fund In Ohio. He testified
that stubs bore the notation deficit
Ohio Republican party" These cam
celled checks disappeared from
Kings office some time between
March and June of this year, he
said.
When counsel for Miller had COM
pleted cross-exandnation Durkin was
questioned by Assistant United States
Attorney Simpson. He identified
three checks totalling 500, 143.7;N One
of~the checks was for $3463.75 and
was signed by King and payable TO
Smith. Another check. signed by
King and payable to Cash." was Of
fered In evidence. Durkin could not
remember having seen 1t before.
These checks were dated October IS.
1921, 13 days after Merton said he
gave King 1921 GOO in liberty loan
tonds.
The government alleges these two
checks represented coupon or inter
est value in Liberty loan bonds
amounting to s195.ooo. Durkin testi-
fed he had deposited Liberty loan
bond coupons on Kings account.
The third check was for $4,000
and was dated August I, 1921. 1t
bore the signature of King and was
payable to Cash. The date of the
check Appropriated the date on
which Merton said he gave King
dispute, the check was barred as an
exhibit.
The first witness for the day, who
occupied the stand for most OF the
morning session was Walter D. Mil
Ter. former butler for Dougherty
and Jesse w. Smith at the time
Daugherty was attorney general. He
told OF visits of prominent persons
to a house in II Street occupied by
his two masters and also of what he
had seen in the department of JUS
tice building after he was given a
position in the files department
there.
He testified that the late John T.
King, national Republican commit
teeman from Connecticut, was a fire.
quent visitor at the II Street house
and was on terms of great cordial
ity" with Daugherty. Under cross
questioning by defense counsel the
witness agreed that King was on no
more intimate terms in the Washing
ton house than were scores of other
prominent men, among them Sena-
tors. congressman and cabinet mem
bers. The former butler said that
the attorney general was very popu-
lar in Washington.
The witness said that after he was
given a position in the department
Of justice building he used to see
Jesse Smith lin almost every part Of
the building" sometimes with official
papers in his hands. He said that
Smith had a private Office near that
of the attorney general and that he
spent much time in Daugherty's Of
fee. AT the H Street house it was
said to be Smith who paid all the
bills. using checks signed Jesse w.
Smith, Extra" Asked what the sig
,.ificance of the word extra" was,
the witness replied that he did not