The New York herald., 1850-05-28


SOMETHING WRono.-The recent imprisonment.
for period Of six months, in one of the dungeons
Of the Tcmts in Centre street. of an innocent
citizen Of forty years reputable standing in ths
community. presents fact in the administration of
Justice in this city, thai only find parallel in
The records and dungeons Of such despoic gove rn-
ments as prevail in Vienna, Madrid or CONSTANT
nople. We Sllude TO the incarceration Of j. Ar
lirgton Bennett, for that period Of time, ON the
caaIee Of forgery, of (which. on uiai, there
was no tssiimony--no evidence Of the slightest
character duplicating him in such a crime.
IL il a strange and singular anomaly, in a free
country, in a republican community, that inno-
cence and respcctsbiiiy should have been violated
and outraged in way that can only ind
parallel IN the most despotic countries of the oil
world. The case Of this old man. and his strang"
imprisonment, are beginning, as il ought 10 do, 10
awaken the attention Of the community to the ad
ministraton of Justice in this city, and to the men
and systems by which il has been miuaeed and
conducted On that trisl not the slightest evidence
was produced, calculated TO impair the integrity of
Mr. Eennet's character; and yet, by some strange
process or other, he has been imprisoned in "A dun
gecn Of the Ton,bs, for nearly six months, as II he
had been a fcion, and only entitled to d felon's
fare. These extraordinary proceedings are caicu-
lated and have already produced feeling in the
minds Of many Of his friends, both on Long Island
and in this city, that will break Out in some nitn-
raj and generous testimonial Of some description,
before many days weeks have passed away.
Indeed, we learn that such i9 the sympathy felt in
the bosoms Of those who know him best, that
proceedings Of public nature will be resorted to,
in erder to express beir feelings and sympathy for
the sufierings he has borne, and their reJolcngs
for bis escape from the unwarranable steps that
had been taken TO bring him to punishment for
crimes Of which lie was perfectly innocent.
These are, however. matters of pure public sym
pathy, sprnging up from the natural enormity Of
his imprisonment, ard will pass away as other
evaporaions of the moment generally do. As one
o the organs Of public Justice, and IN reference to
the correct and high tone of the administration Of
the laws, we have deeper and more important du-
ties 10 perform, in calling the attention of all those
in public authority TO these extraordinary crcun
stances and events, through which and by which
such an outrage could have been committed as that
of the incarceration for six months Of an innocent
citizen in free country. In the first place, we
think il is duty which Mr. McKeon, the District
Attorney, owes to his important position, to his
high character, and to his fd' lily TO " Heaven-born
Justice, to investigate this affair TO the fullest
tent and TO ascertain by what strange methods and
singular duperies he has been made unwilingly the
innocent instrument in conducting such a trial,
originating and terminating III such strange way.
We are not sure but that committee Of the Com
mon Council ought to be appointed for the purpose
Of making strict and searching investigation not
only into this, but all those trials which have orig
mated in certain mysterious proceedings in the at
mosphere Of the Tombs. II is very singular, in
decd that an honorable man Of forty years stand
ing should have been mcarcerated in dungeon
for the space Of six months, without csuse or with
out evidence Of any reliable kind. This is plain
and palpabe fact and one, with many others, which
q committee Of the Common Council might act
upon and investigate 20 the bottom
But should Mr.. McKeon end his two assistants
David Graham, who seems 10 lead him. and Mr..
Philips, WHO follows sfer-shou!d these gentlemen
or any others ia the Corporation feel degree of
aw awkwardness in pursuing such an inquiry, We
trust that Mr.. Chatield, the able ard independent
Attorney General of this State, will take the mat
ter into his instant consideration, come down to
this city, look into the case and its circumstances,
and dive little into the turnings and windngs Of
INA. peculiar ADMINISTRATION OF rnb,ic Justice, by
which free and innocent citizen Of this commu-
nifty, Of high character and reputation Tor forty
years. could have been acaTcera,ed in dungeon
for six months, and only procured his liberty after
efforts TRIALS and labors that would have broken
the fpirit Of any other man. Let Mr.. Cbitieh
take this matter into his serious consideration. Ii
IL time.