Jasper County Democrat, Volume 6, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 October 1903 — FIRST TRIAL IS NOWON [ARTICLE]

FIRST TRIAL IS NOWON

Of Those Alleged to Have Been Postal Officials for Revenue Only, as It Were. wtt.t.rr and johhs arraigned ~ * Indiana Men Accused of Doing a Lit* tie Businraa “on the Side" for Extra I’a.v. •■Cincinnati, Oct. 14.—The first trial ••under about two dozen indictments against postoflice officials secured In .different parts of the country by the government recently has been begun ,hen?. The defendants are Daniel Voorhees Miller, of Terre Haute, Ind., formerly assistant attorney general for the postoflice department at Washington, and hlB friend, Joseph M. Johns, .an attorney at Rockville, Ind. The . government charged a conspiracy between these defendants for the purpose Of.obtaining money from John J.Ryan, .a turf commissioner with offices in .Cincinnati and St Louis, for protectj lag him from postoflice officials In the i use of the matlß for his schemes. Both Men Deny the Chargee. ■Miller alleges absolute ignorance of any transaction that may have ocecurred between Ryan and Johns. Johns alleges that he made an ordinary contract with Ryan as attorney to assist * la-securing a decision from the postal department after presentation of the .case. Both •defendants emphatically .•detjy any understanding between themselves or with Ryan, or nny eon- • spiraey. The most eminent counsel Is , engaged on both sides. Miller and Jrtme are old friends, having lived In adjoining counties in. Indiana for years, where both have been prominent pohilcally, professionally and otherwise. -ft Indictment Against (lie Men. The defendants have been Indicted Jointly on six counts of conspiracy to bribe John J. Ryan & Co., of Cincinnati and St. Louis. The government has called a dozen witnesses and the defense three times that many so that Itils not expected that the arguments wfili be *eaobed until the latter part ■ofithe week. The first witnesses were Richard M. Webster, a eleTk in the legal department of the postmaster geoiral at Washington: .1. N. Morrow, .telegraph operator at Rockville, Ind., and. John J. Ryan, the latter being on /the stand when court adjourned.

lcscik saws star witness "Directly Accuhck the Defendant* of Crooked Work. John J. Ryan, the star witness of the ;g»rernment, was on the witness stand .from .1 p. ni. until court adjourned. He pave a history and nn r explanation ot his co-operative Investment .cotajiany, telling how lie advertised m the papers and received an- , ewers with money by mail. Last No- , yemherJie was called on by postofflee , inspectors, and soon afterwards re- . celved ojottce from D. V. Miller, as a*t sisteut attorney of the postofflee def partment, that tots turf commissioner . operations were fraudulent. Later toe tbatLautoearlup before Attorneys Christlancy tmd Miller, on Nov. 11, in Washington, where the whole matter was Anally referred to Miller. At this meeting Ryan promised to reorganize his co-operative investment ooqtpany so tbat bis operations as turf . commissioner would come within the requirements of the postal laws. He .continued, .however, to have trouble, , and soon after his return from Washington he received a letter from Jo- ! seph.M, Johns, in which the latter said he could be of service to him. After considerable correspondence by mall apd vwire they met In Terre Haute, where Jtyan said he registered under i the name.of Rose. Ryan then proceeded to describe in detail how they mingled about the > hotel In Torre Haute, and Anally re- , tired 'from others to his room, where Johns opened the conversation about ..his .troubles .with the postofAce department .Ryan was proceeding to repeat .the conversation that took place when .the two were alone in a room . at Terre Haute when be was Interrupted by an objection from Rullson (for,the dsfenso) to the witness testifying.ao to what Johns recited that Miller said to him. Ryan had stated to the court that Johns .claimed to be close to Mil- , ler and able to advise Ryan what MU- . ler had said could or would be done

. in the pending eafio. Rulison objected , to connecting Miller in a conspiracy . before any conspiracy bad been established. After both sides had argued . <he Question of allowing Ryan to proceed with what Johns had stated that Miller had said regarding the case, court took the objection under advisement J. M. Morrow, a telegraph operator at Rockville, Ind., testified at length regarding the work of the inspectors . at Rockville, and produced about two dozen copies of telegrams that passed between Johns and Ryan, and one that - passed between Jphn and Miller. These * telegrams were admitted as evidence.