The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-07-10
Police Intelligence,

Police lnte ligence.
THE GOVERNMENT LAND WARRANT FRAUDs-CosoLy.
SION OF THE EVIDENCE IN THE CASE or THOMAS
LAWSON
Before Justice stuart,
The accusation against Thomas Lawson charged with
utering fraudulent documents for the purpose of obtain
ing land warrant from the United States government,
at Washington was continued on hearing yesterday.
The following Testimony taken which concluded the
evidence on 7 k,St of the prosecution The counsel
for the defer ~ he had no witnesses to oaer, /" he
considered tina. proof had been shown whereby his
clie ut implicated, and further that the land
rant of Itself OF no value Therefore, admitting
that the documents in question were forged no felony
existed, as no value had been obtained.
James NJ. Drake of No 90 Wall street being sworn,
saidI formerly engaged in the office Of Jacob Little
Of Wall street have been engaged IN purchaSng Ans
selling land warrants and crrticates about three
four years during that time large number Of warrants
have pass through ny hands; the value Of land
rant as issued by the government without assignments
transfer by the wauanes Is Of itself Of value except
an evidence of tho party to the land would be NJ
value to any other than the watrnntee without
assignment the warrant l. of yaiuo 70 the party to whom
it was issued in this that it would save him from the
ncon, of getting another do which he would
have to show that the rst destroyed lost and
would have should think to file bonds of indemnity ts
the United States. in order to obtain duplicate; the
l. not title the Land without any other steps
By the wsrTantcei speca property in tho warrant a.
IL think, is ;ndpenable to the obtaining Of his Land
namuch as is thc evidence required by goyernmeat Il
his claim.
Q--Can you tell he value II that spcciai properly
without The warranted having taken any steps pre-
eeedinss 20 locate the warraIt2 Al cannot
Thomas J.. Btaynard sworn said-l do business at 81
Wall street; broker; have dealt extensively in
land warrants thousands have passed through my hands,
the value Of land warrant after is Issued by the de-
parment the warrantee. before the assignment, "
worthless and OF value any and only vauatAAo
the woriaDtee TO whom II would be worth loo acres 81
land IL would be or no ynue even 10 tho warre
less he took steps for its locatoD II tho waTranLec dad
other act than TO get the warrant it would Of course.
be OF value to him. and equally valueles TO other
person without assignment all the warrant would os
worth il that il Is certificate the showing
that he had done that service. and entitled to the
aDd the rsgTaDtec although he had done scrvice and
In TACT entitled 10 bounty land could not get that
laLd could any else for him his account.
get that land without such warrant the only value Of
land warrant H. that IL is evidence that tho wsrrantse
assignee il entitled to certain quantity Of land
therein expressed tho warrantec assignee must take
other ANA further seps to get the land and without
which, the lnnd could not be had or obtained such
certificate or warrant alone and in that sense (wthout
could not Le had without tue certificate bounty land
for services in the
John D. Mac Gregor recalled and sworn said-I have
been in the Mexican war; have professionally attended
to the procuring ofard warrants the certificate vests in
the party imperfect inchoate right to locate hundred
named in the certificate; Go not regard these certih
Gates property only right 10 property when they
located; the certificate is of value only being evil
dence Of h right to land there is property certi
hcae, and 1t Is Of value. except evidence oS
right the obtaining OF of these certificates frauSu
lonuy, is no injury to the United states
CIosS.examined ID can't answer the question whethsr
or not The United states government may not be pru-
diced in it, property by tho Of land warrant
certificate upon fraudulent lrocfs.
John Hanifn policeman, o. the Ninth ward police,
sworn add had Thomas Lawson in charge for exa.
mnat, n in the room where the examinatos was pro-
ceeding: saw Mr. Lstson lay paper the table where
the magistrate sitting saying he would leave E and
that he would take another after this Nj Lawson
said he wanted to Mr.. Pike, aud looked around but
Did not him Nh. Lawson then said he wanted to go
TO tho water closet; he went inside and remained
the outside in eH minutes he came out again aud ne
and returned to the examination room ! heard Mr..
LasGn ask ior paper which could not be found thsn
searched the person Of L8wson, and found nothagi
then went to the wator cosot and learned that rcn
nants CT paper had been found in the sink and which
understood TO be part Of the missing papers
Cross examined by Ar Morrison for deence-t watched
Lawson at the time the poper said to have been
taken bad him In custody, aId watched him closely
any officer woud Co. did watch him with references
TO any paIere, but to himself only Lawson sat the
table whtn the papers we're handed forth by Mr. Lat
but did nos what became Of them afterwards
Counsel :or the prisoner here admitted that the several
remnants Of the paper 3und IL the sink we're the paper
port .on of the papers lost in the water closet
John W Latson re-. chilled and sworn says--That the
papers alluded % contained in tho package here
land warrant upon an application purportipg % ns,o
been made upon oath before mo gstrae, by susan Wa.
er with other papers al of which papers and d9c-
lion: left tho parcrs on tho magistrates table, in
bort time after they we're missing and shoiuy ief-
The sno,ra ~ tbe flagitrlte for purporiei sn-
ture) above alluded TO- Il u.teiy Destroy odand gone
exnmination by defendant counsel-l was all
p,itt5 to nraetiec ay, IN Btnts under Judge Douglass
Ken between twenty auu t"sn'y-'hree years
wha, ware you ngaged il from the time you were
g,r,coo ycgrst N ase until your admission praocc
, hw9 h-fdtcna 20 answer as II has nothing 70 do
with the matter, -
u-What vas Jour ir.t Daowcdge Of the frauds upon
,be rritrd states government Al first got soma
know ledge from john MacGregor I profes-
son,uy Employed for Capt. Lewis charged with frauds
upon The goyernmont; aid no. get the Evidence upon
which these prosecutions are brought fom:my defence
Of Capt. LcNi learned of the circumstances
nected with ofthsse cascs-one sins ca<ethe
Of Phoebe Hoffman, appear the part of the UHited
States aganst Mr. Boone, Mr.. MOrihew, and Mr..
Griswold, In the case Of Phoebe Hu1fman in the de
fence of Mr.. Lewis, heard Mr. Hall the United
States District Attorney say that no had fraudu-
lent cases Wy the cCrd had other information about
any particular amy other information than that
given hy Mr. Hall In the prosecution Of Lewis DO not
know hat the OF these cases Is the result or
4he complaint made against Lewis the government su-
thores informed me the Phoebe Hoffman case hrsts
Mr. Hall and clerk at Washington in the Departments
u Iersions; received this information IN the defence
the Phoebe Hoffman case; Commissioner Heath, cr
Washington first asked me to attend to these cases.
The case wac then adjourned until o'clock on Satur-
day when the whole matter viii bo summed up by coun
s, on both sides and then submitted for the decision o.
the magistrate.
MURDER IN PITTsBrhG.-A man named Samuel
Mitchell was murdered in Pittsburg. the 9th inst
Da Jewell James NJ Cochran have been hed 20