As the newspapers reported itThe Daugherty–Miller conspiracy trial
23 days of original coverage, September 7, 1926 to October 13, 1926, one clipping a day from the papers of 1926. Newest last, the way readers lived it.
The Daugherty–Miller trial · day 1, picking a jury
As printed: Ex-Attorney General Seems Nervous as Proceedings Open
ContextHarry M. Daugherty was Attorney General under President Harding and resigned in 1924 amid the scandals of that administration; with him in the dock is Thomas W. Miller, the former Alien Property Custodian. They are charged with conspiring to defraud the government over the return of $7,000,000 in American Metals Company assets to German and Swiss interests — the first time a former Cabinet officer has stood trial for his conduct in office.
The Daugherty–Miller trial · day 2, the government opens
As printed: EVIDENCE IS OUTLINED
ContextHarry M. Daugherty, Attorney General under Harding until he resigned in 1924, and Thomas W. Miller, the former Alien Property Custodian, are charged with conspiring to defraud the government over the release of $7,000,000 from the sale of seized American Metals Company securities. District Attorney Buckner today told the jury the proof will show $441,000 in bribes, with the strings pulled by two dead men — Connecticut national committeeman John T. King and Jess W. Smith, Daugherty's confidant, who killed himself in 1923.
The Daugherty–Miller trial · day 3, the star witness
As printed: TRIAL OF DAUGHERTY IS UNDER WAY
ContextHarry M. Daugherty, Attorney General under Harding until he resigned in 1924, and Thomas W. Miller, the former Alien Property Custodian, are charged with conspiring to defraud the government over the release of $7,000,000 from seized American Metals Company property. The government's chief witness, the German metal magnate Richard Merton, took the stand today and swore that the Swiss company he fronted was owned by German firms — which, District Attorney Buckner argues, made the refund illegal quite apart from the $441,000 in alleged bribes.
The Daugherty–Miller trial · day 4, Merton on the stand
As printed: German Metal Magnate, at Daugherty Conspiracy Trial, Relates Payment by Former Alien Property Custodian.
ContextHarry M. Daugherty, Attorney General under Harding until he resigned in 1924, and Thomas W. Miller, the former Alien Property Custodian, are charged with conspiring to defraud the government over the release of $7,000,000 from seized American Metals Company property. The German metal magnate Richard Merton, the government's star witness, testified today about the checks Miller handed him and about the percentage he agreed to pay the late Republican committeeman John T. King, whom the prosecution says pulled the strings.
The Daugherty–Miller trial · the week ends, resumes Monday
As printed: DAUGHERTY TRIAL RESUMES MONDAY
ContextHarry M. Daugherty, Harding's Attorney General until he resigned in 1924, and Thomas W. Miller, the former Alien Property Custodian, are charged with conspiring to defraud the government over the release of $7,000,000 from seized American Metals Company property. The star witness, German copper magnate Richard Merton, has been through cross-examination, and the court now stands adjourned to Monday.
As printed: CHECKS FOR $29,000 ARE INTRODUCED IN DAUGHERTY'S TRIAL
ContextHarry M. Daugherty, Attorney General under President Harding, and Thomas W. Miller, the former alien property custodian, are on trial in New York on a charge of conspiring to defraud the Government over the release of seized German assets. Prosecutors today offered three checks totaling $29,143.75 signed by the late Republican national committeeman John T. King, which they say were a split of the fee paid by metal magnate Richard Merton for 'rushing' his claim.
The Daugherty–Miller trial · placing him in New York
As printed: DAUGHERTY PAPERS PRESENTED AT TRIAL
ContextHarry M. Daugherty, Attorney General under President Harding, and Thomas W. Miller, the former alien property custodian, are on trial in New York for conspiring to defraud the Government of their honest services in releasing seized German-owned assets of the American Metal Company. Today the prosecution offered travel vouchers, railroad and Pullman records to place Daugherty in the city on September 30, 1921, the night Miller handed metal magnate Richard Merton checks for more than $6,000,000 at a Ritz-Carlton dinner.
The Daugherty–Miller trial · the defense cross-examines
As printed: DAUGHERTY CASE STILL IS ARGUED
ContextHarry M. Daugherty, attorney general under President Harding, and Thomas W. Miller, the former alien property custodian, are on trial in New York over the release of some $7,000,000 in American Metal Company assets that the government had impounded during the war. The lawyer John Foster Dulles, who tried the claim first and failed, is on the stand; the defense is trying to show he asked Washington the wrong questions.
ContextHarry M. Daugherty, attorney general under President Harding, and Thomas W. Miller, the former alien property custodian, are on trial in New York over the release of some $7,000,000 in American Metal Company assets impounded during the war. The government says the German metal magnate Richard Merton paid a $441,000 "commission," part of it in Liberty bonds, and today a young bank clerk wept on the stand as prosecutors traced two of those bonds.
The Daugherty–Miller conspiracy trial · the defendant's brother on the stand
As printed: MAL S. DAUGHERTY TESTIFIES BROTHER BURNED RECORDS
ContextHarry M. Daugherty, attorney general under President Harding, and Thomas W. Miller, the former alien property custodian, are on trial in New York over the release of some $7,000,000 in seized enemy property, for which the government says a $441,000 "commission" was paid. Today Mal S. Daugherty, the defendant's brother and president of the Midland National Bank at Washington Court House, Ohio, testified that the subpoenaed ledger sheets are gone because his brother burned them.
The Daugherty–Miller conspiracy trial · day fourteen of the trial
As printed: Government on Trail Alleged $50,000 Bribe
ContextHarry M. Daugherty was attorney general under President Harding and Thomas W. Miller the alien property custodian who handled property seized from enemy nationals during the war. Emory R. Buckner is the United States attorney in New York.
The Daugherty–Miller conspiracy trial · day 15 of the trial
As printed: $40,000 IN BONDS TRACED TO SMITH
ContextHarry M. Daugherty was attorney general under President Harding and Thomas W. Miller the alien property custodian, the official who held property seized from enemy nationals during the World War, including shares of the American Metal Company. Liberty loan bonds were the government war bonds sold to the public from 1917.
The Daugherty–Miller conspiracy trial · day 16, the defense moves to dismiss
As printed: DAUGHERTY TRIAL HALTS FOR PARLEY
ContextHarry M. Daugherty was attorney general under President Harding and Thomas W. Miller the alien property custodian, the official holding property seized from enemy nationals during the World War, including shares of the American Metal Company. Julian Mack is the federal judge presiding and Emory R. Buckner the United States attorney in New York.
The Daugherty–Miller conspiracy trial · day 17, the defense begins its case
As printed: MERTON WAS GIVEN ONLY USUAL AID, OFFICIAL TESTIFIES
ContextHarry M. Daugherty was attorney general under President Harding and Thomas W. Miller the alien property custodian, the official who held property seized from enemy nationals during the World War, including shares of the American Metal Company. Julian W. Mack is the federal judge presiding in New York, and Jesse W. Smith was an aide of Daugherty's who died in 1923.
The Daugherty–Miller conspiracy trial · day 18, the defense case goes on
As printed: WILLIAMS NOT CONSPIRATOR, JUDGE STATES
ContextHarry M. Daugherty was attorney general under President Harding and Thomas W. Miller the alien property custodian, the official who held property seized from enemy nationals during the World War, including shares of the American Metal Company. Julian W. Mack is the federal judge presiding in New York and Emory R. Buckner the United States attorney prosecuting; a co-conspirator is a person the government says joined the scheme, whose words can then be used against the defendants.
The Daugherty–Miller conspiracy trial · the bond trail reaches an Ohio bank
As printed: MAGNATE HAZY IN DAUGHERTY BRIBERY TRIAL
ContextHarry M. Daugherty was attorney general under President Harding and Thomas W. Miller the alien property custodian, the official who held property seized from enemy nationals during the World War, including shares of the American Metal Company. Richard Merton is the German financier who pressed the company's claim, and Mal S. Daugherty, the former attorney general's brother, is president of a bank at Washington Court House, Ohio; a certificate of deposit is a bank's written promise to repay money left with it.
The Daugherty–Miller conspiracy trial · the defense opens its fifth week
As printed: COOLIDGE PRAISE OF MILLER READ
ContextHarry M. Daugherty was attorney general under President Harding and Thomas W. Miller the alien property custodian, the official who held property seized from enemy nationals during the World War, including shares of the American Metal Company. Richard Merton is the German financier who pressed the company's claim; Max D. Steuer is Daugherty's counsel and William Rand is Miller's.
The Daugherty–Miller conspiracy trial · the defense sums up
As printed: DEFENSE SUMS UP IN DAUGHERTY CASE
ContextHarry M. Daugherty was Attorney General under President Harding and Thomas W. Miller the alien property custodian, the official who held property seized from enemy nationals during the World War under the Trading with the Enemy Act, including shares of the American Metal Company. A summation is the closing speech a lawyer makes to the jury before it is sent out to deliberate; Max D. Steuer is Daugherty's counsel and William Rand is Miller's.
The Daugherty–Miller conspiracy trial · the government sums up
As printed: If Evidence is Insufficient, He Says, Govt. Had Better Prosecute Only the "Little Fellows" Hereafter.
ContextHarry M. Daugherty was Attorney General under President Harding and Thomas W. Miller the alien property custodian, the official who held property seized from enemy nationals during the World War. Emory R. Buckner is the United States Attorney in New York; Jesse Smith was Daugherty's friend from Ohio, who died in 1923, and a summation is the closing speech to the jury before it is sent out to deliberate.
The Daugherty–Miller conspiracy trial · the jury is out
As printed: DAUGHERTY CASE JURY IS STILL OUT; STUDIES RECORDS
ContextHarry M. Daugherty was Attorney General under President Harding and Thomas W. Miller the alien property custodian, the official who held property seized from enemy nationals during the World War. A statute of limitations is the period after which a given offense can no longer be prosecuted.
The Daugherty–Miller conspiracy trial · the jury reports it cannot agree
As printed: DAUGHERTY JURORS REPORT DEADLOCK; SENT BACK AGAIN
ContextHarry M. Daugherty was Attorney General under President Harding and Thomas W. Miller the alien property custodian, the official who held property seized from enemy nationals during the World War, including shares of the American Metal Company. Julian W. Mack is the federal judge presiding and Emory R. Buckner the United States Attorney in New York; a jury that cannot reach agreement can be sent back to deliberate further rather than discharged.
The Daugherty–Miller conspiracy trial · the jury has been out since Friday night
As printed: DURESS AND VILE WORDS ARE REPORTED TO JUDGE
ContextHarry M. Daugherty was Attorney General under President Harding and Thomas W. Miller the alien property custodian, the official who held property seized from enemy nationals during the World War. Julian W. Mack is the federal judge presiding and Emory R. Buckner the United States Attorney in New York; a jury that cannot agree is discharged and the case may be tried again.
The Daugherty–Miller conspiracy trial · the jury has disagreed and been discharged
As printed: STAY DECISION ON DAUGHERTY CASE RETRIAL
ContextHarry M. Daugherty was Attorney General under President Harding and Thomas W. Miller the alien property custodian, the official who held property seized from enemy nationals during the World War. When a jury cannot agree it is discharged and the prosecutor decides whether to try the case over again; Emory R. Buckner is the United States Attorney in New York.
