The Doctored Returns

Masón, June 21. - When court convened Wednesday morning Otto Kirchuer ofifered to read the correspondence :f M. M. Riley, received in reference to the 1891 frauds. First was a telegram trom C. E. Baxter telling Riley to watch Ellis in his January northern crip, and an ansvver from Riley saying , tlie vote would not be changed. There j was then a letter froui Mr. Riley to Mr. Baxter, in whioh it was said that Ellis i tried to retain the legal firui of Riley & ' L'ooper, but when Mr. Cooper learned : the character of the services required : iie gave back the retainer. Mr. Riley j nlso said the returns had undoubtedly been changed in Lansing. This is i pra'ctically as Mr. Riley and Mr. Cooper testified. J. F. Hambitzer replied, retaining Mr. Riley for the statO central comniittee, to investígate suspicious circumstances, and said the salary amendment returns were received 11 days later, but in an additional letter said tliey were mailed at the saine time as the regent's return, and there was nothing but surmise to show when the cbanges had been made. In the nest letter Riley said he was satisfied that Ellis either committed the i fraude, or knew who did. Nearly au hour was consumed by attorneys in discussing the ritcht of the defensa to introduce new witnesses in rebuttal. A recess of 10 minutes was taken, and the judge said he would rule at once upon the indorseiuent of iiny new witnesses. Á copy of The Piek and Ax of Bessemer, printed in April, 1891, was introduced toshow that the vote on the salary ainenduaent as reported was 319 ave and 38 nay. This evideuce was introduced through Conrad Carlson. Alex Struin said that when Ellis called in January he exarnined the records and returns at the same time. He said that the last lines written in the Gogebic record book was on April 26. 1891. In the afternoon expert testiinony was introdueed to the effect that the changes in all the Gogebic county returns were made by the same parties, which corroborated Witness Wood'a testimony that he changed all, and contradicted the defense experts that they were not made by one party. L. E. .itowley swore that Ellis told hiin that he first got information that something was wrong in Gogebic from J. B. Barry. Ellis testified that it first came from an anonymous letter, the parentage of which is somewhat in doubt in the minds of the prosecution. Both sides rested and the arguments begin today and are limited to six hours on each side. It will probably go to j the jury Friday afternoon.