Morning herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1837-1840, 1840-05-11

v,
sent crowded state Of our columns, do not thfnk
it worth our while to detail all the verbose state
ments which have been elected since last re-
pert. $50
The charges against Justice Merritt have resolved
themselves into three ACQUISITIONS =
First-Perjury in the case of Smith Davis
Second-Neglect of duty in failing to commit for
trial John Gurley, aud woman named Beckwith'
or Packwood
Thirdly-Discharging boy named John Is. Cor
Rel, against whom there clear and indisputable
testimony sf his having committed petty larceny,
at fire in Beaver street.
With respect to the first charge, every thing will
depend upon the eredence which the court give to
the testimony by which it is supported. The two
Moores are both bad characters, without doubt,
but then the little hump backed man, William p.
Puff, is an unimpcached witness, and he swears
most positively, that he did see Russell Moore come
out ofthe stere, in Dey street. the night Seeley was
arrested and he also swore as follows, in reply to
the questions of Judge lnglis
The man passed between the two or three men
that came across the street @ hv had sten Sseev Off
went heard and think there
light within the store
Against this we have the testimony of Calender,
the Clerk toahs Police, who was called upon to act
as aid-de-camp to Homan, Merritt and Sparks. Mr..
&. swears-
was present at the arrest of seesy told that he
in the act of signing counterfeit bills
nothing the transaction until dusk that evening and
enr s sD sr wen al down
sSss sa t. n he
osn dpy str we That street too
what talked about but think about this matter; but no
strung 's about sf
So st o sno r Th
eny have eonvesed with the 9neers a.9u' a ao %
&c tw sdeS s"a h SSGr
the oee he others had ssey eustsdy Holman called
me- the door, returned and locked the door, and
Seeley pretty we'll secured.
Now, if Calender was right, and one did come
out what becomes Of Merrtt's testimony on Smith
Daviss trial. that :" he Merritt, heard the key turn
opened the door, person, but some one came
out, passed him, and nearly upset him y
/ Now here is the testimony of Russell Moore, the
stool pigeon, the little hump back man, Puff and
the Justice himself who all swear that some one did
come out and there is Calender, who swears . he
sap no one"
As the Court ruled out all the testimony to sup
port the first charge Of s. standing by and seeing
burglars enter the store of Noah Stoddard, No.
Chatham street. on the lst of March 1885," and
again ON the 18th of une 1888, that he similar
crime committed in the store of Malmazet Smith,
No 4 Wiau street. why it will be for the Court
to saw whether the accused has purged himself Of
this accusations that he is in law, not accountable
for what then took place, and ought therefore, to
be acquitted by the Court, to tcit, that he has been
guiliy scwfu deliberate, malicious, and corrupt
periury-or, that like poor Sparks Justice Merritt
was then aboring under most lamentable attack of
partial insanity
The two other charges, perhaps, taken by them
selves would not amount to much, unless to give
additional color TO the plea Of insanity, but the
whole affair, taken together, certainly presents the
morale of the New York Police in favorable light
Let the result be what it may TO the Justice, whe-
Their insane or not thing is certain, the system
of stool pigeoning has received death blow by
this trial This singular, demoralisea, disgraceful
system appears to have been in existence from 1880,
perhaps before that period, up to the recent dismiss
sal of Sparks. For many years robberies were COM
mttcd one after the other, till the public began to
suspect that they planned and set on foot by
some original Of talent half full OF genius and
insanity-not gin water-in the Police Office
We learn that several fellows now in the State
Prison, who were employed in planning these rob
beries-and that some precious Developments will
soon be forthcoming equal in every respect, to the
famous memoirs Of Vidocq.