Morning herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1837-1840, 1840-03-26
The Police Investigation.

for the purpose OF being presented to the Court oil
Sessions for their ultimate action. We certainly
want great deal OF publication in the Police sys-
TEN; and the sooner the "Tombs" are cleaned out,
the better. 1t remains now for Justice Merritt to
show his innocence of these charges. Hear both
sides, before a verdict is returned For many
Yeas the respectable firm of Holman, Merritt, and
Sparks, were well known in police affairs. Sparks
retired compulsion, and it would appear another
of the firm is put to his purgatioa- We wish him
safe deliverance slam, Bang & Co another firm, is
also in bad way. How this world changes!
First-That on about the first day of March,
1885, while he was a Police officer, he knowingly
connived at and stood by and saw several burglars
enter the store of Noah Stoddart, No. Chatham
street, by means OF false Keys, and saw them come
of the store with the property OF the said Noah
Stoddart and neglected or omitted to arrest,
to be arrested, the said burglars for the said
offence; that afterwards the said Henry W. Merritt
assisted or pretended TO assist in the recovery of
the property or part of it, and received reward
from Mr. Stoddart for his services, as well as COM
peHsaton from the public treasury, on pretence OF
time spent in hunting for the thieves and recovering
the property
Second-fhat the said Henry w. Merritt, toge-
Their with Zebulon Homan and William ii. Sparks,
did. on or about the tweny-fiith day OF May, 1870,
and while William Moore was in prison ON
several charges of felony, connivc at and enter
into arrangement with the friends Of the said
William Moore, that one Alexander Seeley should
bills with certain count erfet plates in his
and that the arrest of the said Seey should be made
the pretence for discharging the said William
Moore; which arrangement was all planned with the
knowledge of the said Henry w. Merritt, Zebulon
Holman, and William IL. Sparks, and subsequently
carried into effect by the arrest of said Seely and
discharge of the said William Moore.
Third-That the said Henry w. Merritt, together
with Zebulon Homan, and William H. Sparks, al
forwards, and on or about tbs twenty ninth day OF
May, 1888, suggested to the said w lillian Moore,
h. Lnlt tod hat hing
to be done by him for them, who thereupon promised
that something should be done for them; and the
said William Moore, with one Oakley Beeman, and
George Kip, afterwards and on or about the seven
teenth day of June in the same year, robbed the
store of Messrs. MalmaZet & Smith, No. William
street. of large amount of silks, amounting in value
to about the sum of three thousand dollars, part
OF which goods were subsequently delivered by the
said William Moore, in Ito the said Henry w
Merritt, Zobulon Homan, and William ii. Sparks,
who received reward therefor from the owners,
amounting to about the Of two hundred dollars,
and also the of forty dollars from the public
treasury-the said Henry w Merritt receiving the
sum of twenty-one dollars.
Fourth-In this that since the said II. w. Merritt
has been appointed to the Office of Police Justice,
and the 18th day of February, 1889, he was sworn
as a witness before the Court OF General Sessions
of the Peace for the city and county OF New YORK,
on the part and in behalf of one Smith DAVIS, who
was then and thereon tried for forgery, at the suit OF
the people of the State of New York, and upon that
trial did thereupon give evidence and swear IN sub
street for Seely. | entered the door frst we were
at the door from half three quarters Of an hour be-
fore the store opened; il was not far from eight
o'clock when started from the police Office. 1t
was after nine o'clock when got into the store,
should from ten to fifteen minutes after; under
stood the person we went to see, would go out and
get segars and something to drink. About hye to
ten minutes past nine o'clock, the door was opened;
we heard the key turned in the lock on the inside
of the door. ] then opened the door; do not know
who turned the key-whether a man, woman or dog;
saw no person as l entered. Some person passed
me and went out; he passed me and nearly upset me-
] don't know who il was that escaped waited a
moment at the door, after the first turn OF the Key
to see il there would not be another turn; the per-
inside against mel do not know who II
was; do not know whether it was Holman ran
against me-Homan was alongside of me. turned
the door to the left; the man did get past me and
Homan. can only tell that he did escape know
the Of the man was TO arrest-l knew before
went in, that Secy was to be arrested" Where
as, the said Henry w. Merritt then and there did
well know that one Russell W. Moore was there
and then the said time in the said store and that
the said Russell w. Moore did open the door Of the
said store and let the said Zebulon Homan and the
said Henry w. Merritt therein; and whereas, in
truth and in fact the said Henry w. Merritt, then
and there did the said Russell w. Moore, he,
the said Henry w. Merritt, entered the said store
and well knew that the said Russell w. Moore,
thereupon escaped therefrom, and went away. And
whereas, in truth and in fact, the said Henry W.
Merritt then and there well knew that the person
Of the said Russell w. Moore, then and there came
rift. In all which particulars, the said Henry w.
Merritt, in the giving Of his testimony on the said
trial. guilty Of wiliul and deliberate fasehood,
TO the disgrace and scandal Of his official character.
Filth-In this, that the said Henry w. Merritt on
| or about the eighth day of August, one thousand
| eight hundred and thirty mine, knowingly and will
fully discharged one John Gourley, notorious
thief who had been arrested and brought before him,
the said Henry w. Merritt, at the Police Office OF
| the said city, and then and there charged with
having stolen a number Of silver spoons from John
j. Summers, without taking any formal complaint
| against him, the said John Gourley, whereby he
was guilty Of wilful neglect of duty.
Sixth--In this, that the day and year, and at
the place last aforesaid, the said H. w Merritt dis
charged one Mrs lockwood, who had been arrested
and brought before him, charged with being re-
ceiyer of the said stolen spoons so stolen from the
said John J.Summers knowing the same TO be stolen
without taking any complaint against her; he at the
same time well knowing her to be a common receiv-
err Of stolen goods in all Of which he guilty Of
wilful neglect OF duty.
Seventh-In this, that the said Henry w. Merritt,
on the twenty-frst day Of December, one thousand
eight hundred and thirty-nine wilfuly and know
ingly discharged one John Is. Cornell, who had
been caught the act Of stealing goods from the
store of RobertTaylor Co. whilst the same was on
fire, and part Of the goods stolen found in his pos
session; he, the said Henry w. Merritt, well know
ing that the said John H. Cornell had been thereup-
| on arrested and imprisoned.
Resolved, That the District Attorney be request
ed to present these charges against Justice Henry
w. Merritt, to the Court Of Common Pleas, in and
for the CITY and county Of New York, that some day
may be assigned hear the Justice in explanation OF
or defence Of himself against the same
BENJAMIN l.. GUros,
DANIEL r. TIEMANN,
FREDERIcK X. LEE,
JAMES PoLLoCK.