The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1854-03-21
THE CASE or DIR. aAnp1NrR.

A tragic end to great crime was yesterday
achieved by George A. Gardiner, at Washing
ton. Having been convicted of fraud upon
the Government by which sum amounting
to something near four hundred thousand dol
lars was obtained from the Mexican indemnity
money, he was Yesterday morning sentenced
to ten years hard labor in the Penitentiary.-
Soon afterward he was found dead in his room,
having as is supposed, taken poison, in order
at one blow to escape the disgrace of his Of
fcnse, and the rigor of its punishment. Tho
case is as remarkable as any recorded in the
Causes CeieJres. A largo sum had been ap-
propriated by Congress under the treaty of
peace with Mexico, to pay off the claims of
American citizens, who at various times had
suffered injury at tho hands of tho Mexican
authorities. A special Commission, consisting
of George Evans Of Maine, Caleb B. Smith of
Indiana and Robert Treat Paine of South
Carolina, was appointed to examine these
claims and decide what was due TO the respec-
tive claimants. Among them Dr. Gardiner
came forward with all sorts of documents, duly
signed and sealed, to prove that he had been
tho owner of valuable mine in tbs Department.
of San l. Ouis Potosi, and that the Mexicans had
broken up his mining establishments, causing
him loss of some million of dollars more OK
less. After looking into tho papers, and wei
Ching the arguments presented in behalf OF
DIR. Gardiner, tho Commission finally awarded
him, if not the whole, a larger sum, as we be-
lieYe, than was given to any other single claim
ants. He got the money, paid his counsel a
largo part of il, and with tho rest was a rich
man. Soon after this he went to Europe, and
whlc there the suspicion became so strong that
his whole claim was fraud, that an injunction
was laid on a considerable portion of the money
which he had left in bank at Washington. He
returned and was first tried under the indict-
ment about year since, but that trial resulted
in the disagreemenis Of the jury The eviden-
ce against him was procured by commissions
sent to Mexico expressly for the purpose II
was very conclusive; the papers which his claim
had been prosecuted before the indemnity
Commissioners were proved to have been fol
tho most part forgories, and forgeries ola gross
character; and it was shown that the mine he
claimed to have lost had never had an exis
tence. STILL bis case was managed with abil
| ity, and the evidence he furnished OIL the frst
trial was such as to stagger and divide the jury
on the question of his guilt. We believe,
| however, that i'm the interim additional proofs
| were obtained, which no longer left the posi-
| bilty of doubt, and which not only resulted
| in tho verdict rendered yesterday, but in the
| infiction ofthe laws EXTREMIST penalty by the
! Court. Tho next stage in the drama was his
suicde,-a terrible confession of the justice Of
| his sentence, an awful blow to the friends who
| had stood by him through the prosecution.
The certainty that this great claim was
| fraudulent tends to excite the suspicion that
| the Commissioners may have been equally de.
ceiyed in regard to other awards. But We
presume that as so much time has elapsed
since their decision were made. no steps viii
be taken toward a revision of them.
IN. Y. Tribune.