The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-07-13
Police Intelligence.

GOVERNMENT LAND WARRANTS FRAUps-DEcIsIoN o.
JUSTICE STUART IN THE CASE OF Lawson, wHO u
HELD TO ANSWER.
On Saturday last In the matter pending against Tho
maa Lawson charged with Others In issuing n,se fran
dulent and forged documents for the purpose Of pro
curing land warrants and pensions decea,cd aoier
during the Mexican war, arguments were heard by tho
magistrate on both sdes, and the matter submitted in
the case of lawson Yesterday Justice stuart rendcrst
the following written decision -
Jusrrcr eTuAar
The written document before Of date May 9th 1861
was brought with number II other papers as proved
by Mr.. Heath. the Deputy Commissioner Of p.nsious
from the hlrs Of tho department interior Of Tn. 20
'rnment of the United states and TO decis
ration on oath by Suean Walter before Samuel VII
cox Justice OF the Peace only attested and for
Of obtaining he net Of pension under ts
act o CopRrcea ofJuy 1873 the widow Of David Walter
deceased soldier in the Mexican To this
what by its face represented be the affidavit before
the same jnstce, of Henry Taylor and Andrew Came
ron, who. with the said Susan swore that David
Walter was private in Company "A the New Jer.
sy battalion OF volunteers that he enlisted at Jersey
Cuy the third day Of August 1S47 and chat hc va.
drowned at or near Key Wet the mxteen th day II
oc ober Of the same his person beng fully
parm+nt Of pensions the said Susan alleging 10
Der petition tbat she had been the wife Of ths
there were dren living, the said Tayiar ara
Came on their ouths oborat ng her sworn ecara
btn, appended to these documents Is what appears To
be AN extract from The maTage register the Methodist
Eprctpa Church in Duane certifying to the mar
raGe Of David Wa ter wish Susan Carlton waer On tho
9Th Of November 1899 and purpors be signed by the
Rev. Dir Chukar the stor of that church There a.
aio an affidavit pretended to be made by Mr. Chalksr
before John Newbousc Commissioner Of Dae,s b. ring
date May 1862 and whdh the effect that the sia
certificate is extract from The marriage register Of
said church thst this ponson document With the as
ctmpaDyiDg certificate, records vouchers were ut
t.lea bJ Thomas Laws n is clearly established "a well
by numbr Of ind ponoent facts and circumstances.
originals having bcen forgaoed to a Mr John 4 Nsly
his tg'nt at Washington upon tue ,ubec OF the claim
q n nf ffs91f kpI
upon The evidence of MIR George W. Nexcn who ssears
that previous to the declaration and petition being
Ian mitted TO the United States authorities bo
received II at the hands Of the person in this cy AMI
advanced Linn hundred and twenty. lve d,t,rs i'm
antc ati oftte pension being awarded by the govern
ment I am also convinced by the evidence su omitted
for constellation that these papers clearly fraudu-
lent that suFan Waltcrs fictitious charae Ter and that
the names OF the attcstDg witnesses filse Tho Rev
Mir Cbalher swears that his to the certificate Of
nairiage of David Walter with Susan Carton is forged
also he Affidavit and tha no such record in
tho marriage rcgiter II this Dusne street Biethodist
EIbtoInl Chuich, and Mr. John Gewhouse ssys
On oath, that his name, purportfg to be his ofc,al
Signature a. Commissioner uI Deeds IL forgery Ii
we earnestly contenGed ior by the defend uas
that thr being addressed tho United States
Government for pension and Congress having, in an
act Tor he punishment Of frauds committed on tue gov
ernmeht of the Uned states provided against h, very
oH nee STATE cpurtr lad jurisdiction OF tho crime
tVn wrIc one shown 20 have been perpetrsted =
Ihis, az eneral proposition. Is undoubtedly
rect and upon the we'll settled practice that whsre
the upited statt legtiate separately With reference
10 any matter otae a. prNed Of All ac.
uon IN the pr m,ses, whn else may bo tho law
VI STATE. this dccune would npply efTectually
10 the subject under idtraon II not that tbs
very ct by With y Is urged this State deprived Of
jurisdiction othis of, his clause TO tho
contrary prcvtdrd nevertheless that nothing herein
contained bsl he construed deprive courts of ths
several STATES of ur nicton under the law therpof
over offences ceclsTed punt hshe by this There
then no question 60 jurisdiction and all required
/ to determine whether the iacts proved, show ihess
papers TO be hctons and to have been forged with In
tent to cheat and deffsud the its officers
Or any private citisepand whether there po5aSs
c6uts to believe The oocucd TO bc guilty. that this Is
clear cusn and fails within Tho statute Of this state
against forgery. which IN the language Of tho re-
vsrrs, Intended by The Le9histure to " reach
tSey case of forgery ihat has been omm tied
that Ver BE- comnitten have no doubt an1
heres in my jdsment ses. 70 believe the prson-
ether criminal ccmpla Of Mr.. Heath sgainst Lasson
VIZ .-Tba LaFsor also, In the name Of the said unn
waller fed with the government fictitious forged
application formally prepared required by tho rules
Of derartmenD for certificate os title TO county
lap0 account Of services in the Mexican war.
/ by aid deceased David wslter / have
but g say that 1t Ia not shown, unless l am at
liberty t. nfr guilt from the evidence submtted m the
pension those expressed In the documents In apuli
cation for the land warrant, that tho paperu
are not from. the hands Of those whose names prpr
to be subscribed There l.. indeed great reason to bs
leye from the facts shown relative tho Pension case
that the documents and written proof in the County
Land equally false aud fictitious but thcrc
alTect and independent pioof gly establish forxery
in hcee latter papers ano q course no questions q
probable rises Nor IL there any necessity
to de'ernine whether an uuasi2neued csr
hoate OF tile 10 land without action by location Of pro-
perry otherwise u or not (as oopteDded) Of
any confederation either to the government the
hoJer There however aside freW this concuson,
matters touohilg these county land papers among
which IL the de trI0on almost Of the principle docu-
ms ut Surng the exaniDaon by the hand (as have a
doubt of the prisoner himself that make 1t riy du<v
10 pres ri III, IN, connection with the proofs of
the iorpery IN the Pension to the next 0ranS
jury for action The accused will. in tho mean time
be csIed find ball in the OF SIS Oo0 10 apsves
to any ind ctmeDt for forgery IN default thereof to
stand committed to prison Up TO late hour last eyen-
q lawson unable to procure the required auaou ~
q he'll, and wa therefore stu detained In psssoa