The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-10-09

The CONVEYED macnl8an C0uyparatorD-ghsAr
fFrom the Detroit Daily Advertiser, October 81
Much has been said In the public prints relative
to as character rae :nS saUdp Of hs
city. They have been represented as among the
most respectable portion Of the com unity, and
the character Of the State has suffered much fro n
the fact, Gas has been supposed abroad that re.
spectacle men have been engsged in such system
Of atrocious Expectations as have been commit
during the two years before the present season la
order that the misappre tensions may be set right.
some pains have been taken TO ascertain th, past
history of the persons charged with these crimes.
Below we give some OF the results Of these invssti
Cations
Abel F. Fitch, charged with being the chief o.
the ban Of conspirstors, and for whom the aim
OF rcspectnbiiity has been put forth most strenu.
ousy, was one IF the parties most notorious in the
fraudulent transactions connected with the cele-
brated wild cat bank system Of this State lie is
the man who sought TO impose upon tho Bank Com
missioner, the Hon. AIpteus Felch, by exhibiting
TO him, upon an examination of bank organized
by Fitch and his compeers, several boxes OF SPECIE
apparently fuu OF silver coin, and in written state
nent, swearing to the amount of specie copta med
IN them, which, upon subsequent. examinations by
that officer, were found to be filed with broken
glass and nails and merely covered on the top with
a layer or two of coin Several indictm ents were
found against him in pril, 1888. in Jackson couaty,
for his frauds connected with that bank, but from
SEINE cause, after some continuance of the case by
the defendant, to evade trial. he succeeded in
escaping without trial q. all. He has been, SINCE
the active protector as we'll as intn ate of
counterfeiters and coiners If net participant with
them in their crimes
Ammi Filley, his brother in. law and next neigh
Dor, and whose house was the head quarters of the
conspirators, was some years since arrested with
Grandson Filiey, q defendant who was acquitted
in the recent case Sherman Shattuck, and Others
for stealing cloth from Elder Ly mans clothing
works in Jackson. The cloth was discovered, Ga
the information Of Shattuck's wife, hid away in
seine bushes in the south part of Jackson county.
al fo ala
friends. and by threatening tc expose some counter
felt coming in which Shaltuck and wife had been
engaged, with his knowledge, drove them out Of
the state, they having turned States evidence, and
by procuring the absence CT some other witnesses,
the prosecution failed, and his friends escaped
Richard Price, in connection with John Cam,
(the latter an acquitted defendont in the recent
case,) was, in December, 1872 arrested for slng
chickens in the town OF Leoni. Cam was thea con-
vcted, but by some means Price escaped. Price is
now under Indictment in Jackson county, for mali
ciously setting fire in the night time to wood piles of
the Central Railroad Company, in the act of which
he was seized.
Eben Price, another defendant in the conspiracy
case, was with him, and caught ia the same a,t,
and also stands there indicted for it, Both of these
Prices, and also Filley, were men Of intempsra.e
habits OF long anding.
Orlando ID. Williams was once indicted in Jack
son county, fer passing counterfeit money on ono
offence
His fried Dr. Farnham. also other defendant
and convicted in the Conspiracy Case, succeeded in
getting possession OF the bill for issipg which he
secreted it, SO that, at the trial Of Williams, there
was failure Of proof and he escaped. He is now
under an indictment IN jackson county, for an as
sault and battery with intent to kill; aud is noso.
rious through the country q drinking and bully
rg blackleg, and has long been under the eye of
the police OF that county.
William Corwip, another convicted defendant
has been frequently arrested fer petty offences for
the last few years, euch as larceny, assault and
battery perhaps oftener tba any other man in the
county. Some time since, be was arrested for
stealing an OK Of Mr. Dwight, bat escaped by the
friendly swearing Of his associates. He was shortly
afterwards arrested for stealing COW, and escaped
in like manner. He was, few months ago, tried
and convicted for an assault and battery, and has
been, for long time, grossly Incorporate.
Dr. Farnham was, as were many of the Others
from New York. He was once arrested at Roches-
ter, in that State, upon the charge Of having drug
ged traveller, and, while insensiple, having robbed
him OF a large sum OF money.
lie lay IN Jail for some Il me- succeeded in getting
bailed, forfeited his bail, and came to Michigan to
continue bis practices. lie aided, above stated,
in screening Williams from justice. lie h,i long
rogues,. vagabonds, and blacklegs, whenever they
CHANGED to be arrested. lie has lorg, also, been
intemperat in bis habits.
Andrew ]. Vreeland, another convicted defend
ant, was once arrested aud imprisoned Tor quar-
rellrg with his aged fs her, and pulling his house
down over his head, and driving him from home.
Has been the associate Of blacklegs and vagraats
for years, and OF VIGOROUSLY bad reputation, and
quarielsomc.
John Ackerson, not convicted, bu. had been
formerly indicted twice, and had been once in the
State Prison some years fer stealing One offence
was stealing An OK. lie also is addicted to drinking.
Aaron Mo ant was formerly engaged in counter
feiting in New York; was indicted, and fed to this
state. He has been since indicted for larceny In
Washtenaw county, but, being baiied out Of Jail,
and pretending sickness du,ing terms of court,
tuccs eded in avoiding trial. He has since been
indicted in Jackson county, for stealing in the
daytime from pho, store in Jackson and charge
is now pending against him for stealing a buggy
from q citizen of Jackson. His reputation .
notorious; and ais asso ,ia.es with characters
similar TO his own. lie claims the virtue, it is
understood, Of not stealing from his friends. lie
is also intemperate in his habits.
Washington Gay had been ell his life an intern
reratc man; guilty Of 81 most every vice; often
inmate Of prisons aud iails; and in every reepect
infamous in his character. and too notorious aai
in too many ways to need enumeration. He was
tho associate and friend Of the notorious Sile Doty
Ereslus Champlin was a confederate Of Mount In
New York; had been once, II not oftener, an in
mate Of the prison Of that State, for crime. His
two cons, though young, seemed to have emulated
the virtues Of their father and to have proted by
bis exemplc.
Such are and have been, some-nay, all-of the
principal men in this conspiracy. Others Of them
have been charged and convicted of Offences whom
IT has not been thought worth while to enumerate.
The above list in ,ludes every person convicted or
ctpt one, as to whose past life nothing is known.
The public must see what respect ab .lity and
standing there was among this band Of villains,
and how injurious it is to the reputation Of Michi-
gan to class them among the respectable portion
Of her citizens. They generally had a reputation
corresponding with their conduct, not all equally
black but all spotted in greater or less de gree
The Isies or the So. Lawrence.