American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1851, 1851-09-29

Alma, upon the following afidayiit
| CRY AND COUNTY or WARRINGTON " ";
| Be it remembered that, ON this 2sth day OF
4 September, 1861, before me, Jonil ~ Sini'h,
Justice of the Peace for the city anu county
aforesaid, personally appeared Gas Pard Iocn,
man, ESQ.,, late Major in the Polish army anu
now a member of the United Staten bar, resi-
ding in the city, county, and District aforesaid,
who, after being duly sworn, and according to
! law, says: That certain man naming himself
Henri de Alma, who lately arrived III this
country from Europe, land represents himself
to be native of Bavaria, and to have be en-
Captain in the Bavaran army,) is now in this
city as temporary sojourner, and has been for
some days or weeks circulating most wilfuf
and maliciou, libel against this deponents wife,
born Appollonia Jagiello, who, before she was
married to this deponent, came to this country
to seek asylum as a political exile, under the
protection of Governor Ujhazi, late of Hungary,
and his family. The deponent further says,
that the libel referred to consists Of o printed
paper headed "Answer Of Henri de Alma to
the citizens of Washington, in regard to certain
imputed slanders;" which paper, under the
above heading, contains most malicious, false,
and unwarrantable libellous imputations, pub
lished against said Appollonia Jaglello, now
wife Of this deponent in the form OF an atflda-
Wit purporting to have been made before ii. G.
in the county of Kings State Of New York, by
German naming himself Charles Koelbel, and
styling himself to be a Major in the late Hun
1 garian army. The deponent exhibited and filed
| with this affidavit two printed copies of said
libel. to show that the false, wilful, and mali
cous imputations made, published, and circu-
lated against his wife, amount to u wilful
breach OF peace against the United States; that
they are designed, maliciously, to impair the
| good name, reputation, and character of this
| deponents wife; and that the offence of cir
! cuIating them is indictable under the laws of
| the land The deponent then said, that the
| Grand Jury not being now in session, he applies
to this magistrate for warrant against said
offender, Henri de Alma, to secure his appear
ance at the next term of the Criminal Court, by
committing him, said Henri de Alma in the
county jail until he gives q bail sufficient to
secure such appearance, and answer the great
offence committed against the peace of the peo-
pie Of the United States by reason Of circulating
, aforesaid false, malicious and wilful libel against
the wife of this deponent The deponent further
says, that he has no evidence to prove that said
libel has been written, as it purports to have
been, by said Charles Koelbel, styling himself
Major of the late Hungarian army; but to
prove that it has been circulated by said man,
naming himself Henri de Alma, he brings as
witnesses Messrs. 7. G. Connolly and James A.
Berry. citizens and residents of this District to
whom said offender, Henri de Alma, handed
personally the two copies of libel, which this
deponent filed in this Office with this affidavit.
The deporent lastly says, that he has reason to
believe, and does really believe, that, independ-
eut of the personal jealousy and animosty con-
nected with wilful malice, said offender, Henri
de Alma, has been aided and abetted in circu-
lating said libel by foreign diplomatic repre-
sentative and others, from political and other
motives, which this deponent expects to prove
during the trial of the case. He, the deponent,
makes this last statement, which he believes to
be true and correct, to show this magistrate
that circumstances aggrayating the offence are
| in existence; that, therefore, the amount Of
bail should be ample and sufficient to secure
the attainment Of justice, as q small bail would
defeat the end, and would encourage other de-
signing and fll4disposed individuals to harass
meritorious persons by false imputations at the
expense of the people of tho United States.
4 GASPARD TOCHMAN
Subscribed and sworn before me this 29th day
of September one thousand eight hundred
and tfty-one.
| J. L. SMITH. J.P., [sKALl
The warrant was served by Officer Wollard,
who brought his prisoner before Justice Nor
SELL Edwin Morgan, esq, appeared for the
accused, and the case being submitted to the
Justice, security in the sum Of FIVE hundred
dollars was required for the appearance Of De
Alma before the Criminal Court at its next
term. DIR. Charles II. Leiberman entered the
bond as his security. The amount, to say the
least, is very reasonable.
Subsequently to the above, another warrant
of like character was issued by Justice Smith,
against the same, but based upon the utterance
of another libel, in the publication of pamphlet
entitled "The Greatest Humbug of the Day"
The publications and conversations Of the
above-named accused have attracted some at
tention in this city for o few weeks past, either
on account of the faith reposed in his state
ments, or the wonder that he could be permitted
to utter them. He is now, no doubt, in the
hands Of those who viii do him full justice in
the premises, and destroy either him or the
person whom he assails.
In the course of his pamphlet, De Alma, in
speaking Of Major Tochman, says:
81 had the very day of his complaint, left a
printed affidavit for him with his friend, the
editor of the Telegraph, which is now ten days
SINCE"
He uttered this on the fourteenth Of Septem-
Der. The day of Major Tochman's "com-
plant" alluded to, was the sizh. We never
saw De Alma, nor he us, till the eighth he
called at our Office 10 reply TO Mayor 7ochman's
+" complaint" and then presented his printed
affidavit in the presence Of witness. We are
particular to mention this, because it has been
commented on, because the falsehood Of the
assertion should be shown, and because it is
oil we know respecting the whole affair.
1t is the purpose of our laws to do justice to
all, even to the most vile and wretched crea-
ture that comes before the bar Of our criminal
courts and we trust the present case may not
be prejudgcd. Either the reputation Of Major
Tocbman and his lady, and nearly or quite all