Convictions, etc.

The Cabinet--that is, Attorney General Stone through the Department of Justice--has been prosecuting a number of criminal cares arising out of scandals connected with the Cabinet, with the Administration. Last week, three cases came to definite results--two, to convictions, one to cessation of prosecution.

The cases:

Charles R. Forbes. The former Director of the Veterans' Bureau, Charles R. Forbes, had been on trial for some weeks in the Federal District Court in Chicago, with one John W. Thompson, St. Louis contractor. They were accused of conspiracy to defraud the Government in the letting of contracts for hospitals. Last week the case was given into the hands of the jury. The jurymen were immured for almost five hours. During that time, the defendants sat smiling and chatting with friends and their attorneys -- Elwood Godman for Mr. Forbes, ex-U.S. Senator James Hamilton Lewis for Mr. Thompson. Senator "J. Ham," as he used to be known when he was "the best dressed man in the Senate," smiled through his fuzzy yellow-brown whiskers. At length the jury came in with its verdict. The clerk read it:

"We, the jury, find the defendants, Charles R. Forbes and John W. Thompson, guilty as charged."

Forbes paled. The starch apparently melted out of rotund Mr. Thompson. The maximum penalty is two years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Mr. Forbes' attorney at once made a motion for a new trial. James Hamilton Lewis told his client that he would carry the case to the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, the defendants remain at liberty on $10,000 bail.

Gaston B. Means. The sensational witness of the scandal inquiries a year ago which drove Messrs. Denby and Daugherty from the Cabinet, Gaston B. Means, had been on trial for several weeks in the Federal District Court in Manhattan. He and a lawyer as sociate, Colonel Thomas B. Felder, were on trial for conspiracy to obstruct justice. It was charged that they had benefited, to the sum of $65,000, taken from a number of men under indictment for misuse of the mails; by agreeing to prevent prosecution of the case. Instead the indicted men were convicted and made charges against Means and Felder. Ex-Attorney General Daugherty, called as a character witness for Colonel Felder, came into the court with William J. Burns, once chief of sleuths of the Department of Justice. Mr. Daugherty volunteered on the stand that "considering the period we were going through when there was this upheaval in Washington, and on one side certain people were spellbound and on the other side spellbound, it is time that the truth about some things should be told." But the Court did not encourage him to make a general expose.

The verdict of the jury was "guilty" for Mr. Means and Colonel Felder, with a recommendation for leniency for the latter (owing to his advanced age). Motions were made to set aside the verdict, but the judge declined to do so. He sentenced Mr. Means to $10,000 fine and two years' imprisonment, and Mr. Felder to the fine alone. Ninety days were given for filing exceptions, bail being set at $10,000, Mr. Means is also on $25,000 bail while awaiting an appeal on sentence for conspiracy to violate the prohibition law.

Benedict Crowell. Former Assistant Secretary of War Benedict Crowell of Cleveland was indicted two years ago with six others for conspiracy to control the emergency construction of any contonments for the benefit of themselves and their friends. This was one of the indictments secured by Attorney General Daugherty. The defendants entered a demurrer which was sustained. The Government was given time to consider its course. Last week, the following official announcement was made from the Department of Justice.

"The Attorney General reached the conclusion, after a careful examination of all facts in the possession of the Government, that the indictment did not state a crime, and not in such form as to sufficiently advise the defendants as to what they were called upon to answer, he felt that, in view of the moral and official duty resting upon the Attorney General, the appeal should not be prosecuted."