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Houston June 1st, 1868 

Messrs Robards & Jackson

Gentlemen

Your favor reached me today. Schmidt was indicted in his cases for conspiracy to cheat & swindle and for cheating and swindling - Jointly with G W Hanna & James Hart.  Hanna was defended by [[strikethrough]] the [[/strikethrough]] other counsel, at March term of Criminal Court and convicted for two years in the penitentiary.

Schmidt was next tried but was acquitted solely because his counsel, succeeded in breaking down the chief witness for the prosecution.  The evidence against him was stronger than against Hanna - and he was looked upon as the chief party in the whole affair.  They were charged with establishing an independent "Bureau" with Sheriffs &c - and with taking the property of various persons by force and violence in payment of claims placed, in their hands for collection.  There was great prejudice in the community against the accused, and Messrs Henderson & Whitfield were employed to prosecute them.  And the counsel for the defense had a hard struggle to procure an acquittal.  The trial of the cause occupied an entire day and until late at night.

Under the circumstances, the fee charged you will say was a most moderate one.  Had Schmidt been in a condition to pay - I should have charged him much more.  Our fee was $250 - Ninety Dollars of this was secured by a [[strikethrough]] n [[/strikethrough]] draft on Lt Van Horn, Comdg Post which was accepted by him to be paid out of Schmidt's pay [[strikethrough]] to [[/strikethrough]] due to 1st April 1868. This has not yet been paid

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---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-03-21 09:19:51