Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-03-04
WAsHHaT0H NEWS AND aosxrp

have informed this community of the trs,;c
end Of George A. Gardiner, full particulars of
which will be found in our local column, tb;.
afternoon. =.
We apprehend that there is no question in
the minds Of any among us, except i'm
mediate personal. friends of the deceased. as
to the justice of the verdict of the jury, who
have in this action indicated the majesty ofthe
law, after delay Of years, though it has been.
The present Government of the United States,
An carrying out the determination Of Ex-Presi-
dent Fillmore, to sift this matter to the bottom
deserve the thanks of oil who desire to have
our public affairs conducted on the principles
of integrity which all conceive necessary to
be preserved, in transactions between man and
man.
Public justice required its punishment, and
Washington jury, in the face of the most
remarkable efforts on record to screen its
ostensible chief perpetrasor, declared him
guilty on the testimony adduced We repeat.
there cannot be said to be difference of
opinion in this community as to the fact of his
guilt. He was sentenced TO ten years impris.
onment at hard labor, and died within n few
hours after being surrendered into the hands
of the United States Marshars officers under
circumstances which, as far as known, while
We are penning this article, warrant the exist.
ing public impression that he committed sui
eide to escape the punishment awarded by IL
Court
Inc circumstances attending his trial, prove
MIN to have been q man of extraordinary
nerve and sagacity. One who, had he pursued
right paths with the boldness, energy and
shrewdness he evinced in committing the de-
vious fraud, and subsequently, in defending
himself against the prosecution on that account
might have been anything in public es.ima.
ton at which he could reasonably have aimed.
His remarkable talents, as developed in the
course Of the trial, generated for him sort of
public sympathy, which in all civilized coun-
tries surrounds men of genius even in the per-
petration Of crimes. The abiding good sense
of the American public, however, will not per-
NIT that sentiment to be carried to the extent
of forgetting that he has died thus tragically
in cause, at which the minds of honest men
should revolt
We are free to confess, that we hope that all
the means to that end at the command of the
Government will now be directed to the unray-
cling of the whole history of the Gardiner
fraud transactions, so far as persons of nominal
high standing, who were connected with the
original obtainment of the money from the
Treasury, who have not yet been formally
prosecuted, may have been directly or even
Indirectly involved in the affair We are not
among those who can believe that LAWYERS of
great experience, and with intellects admitted
ION account Of what they had previously
achieved in other cases. to be of the yery
first order, could have managed the Gardiner
claim for years, without, to greater or less
extent, obtaining knowledge of its true char
acter. The ends of public justice require, if
there DO laws which may authorize such iii.
investigation, that all such persons implicated
in the original case be prosecuted to the end.
Their turn comes next. The mere reclamation
OF the portion Of the fraudulently obtained
money, which has been enjoined in the hands
of third parties, we apprehend, has not been
the main object of the Governments proceed
ingsi though that follows the verdict rendered
yesterday. The main purpose was to make
an example of this fragrant transaction. The
laws hand has fallen hard, indeed, upon the
nominal principal. Those who used him, how.
ever, yet go " unwhipt of Justice" Shall they
escape much longer!
On the Gardiner award S473,750 was fraud.
ulently abstracted from the Treasury; $23s, 600
Of which has been enjoined-to be probably
returned into the Treasury. The deceased
Dr. George A. Gardiner, also drew from the
Treasury 1853. zee on the claim of Dr. H Mears:
$4,000 Of which went directly to his own en-
dowment. Mears, who is in Mexico, having
been indicted, boldly admits that his claim
was a shameless fraud, and unblushingly
defes the Government of the United States;
there being no extradition convention or treaty
between the two governments, under which he
can be demanded of Mexico for trial urder
indictment in this country
Our Foot in live are seldom, indeed.
misinformed in our statements of facts occur
ring here. So seldom, MS to have already in
duced the distant press very generally to test
the correctness Of all other adyces from Wash
ington, by what the Star may say of the mat
tiers of which they may treat. This makes it
especially incumbent on US to correct our
errors when we may fall into them We have,
therefore, to say that on the day before yes
terday, We presented . version of the positions
taken by Mr.. Lane, of Indiana, in the House
Pnnter caucus, which was substantially incor-
rect We made him out as approaching the
business Of the caucus with reluctance and Civ.
ing as it were, grudging support of its actor.
The public at large may not know that no one
but members are admitted within ear shot ON
such occasions. So, we of the press are compelled
to obtain our Information of such affairs as best
We can. We find, as before remarked, that in
this case our informant misunderstood Mr.,
Lanes remarks. The drift Of his speech was
to induce all to acquiesce in whatever the
action taken might be, he having drawn up
the call for the meeting. To this end, we Incl
dentally mentioned the fact, that if there was
a member of the House who had per,onal
grievances, which might justify opposition to
the presumed views of the National Admins
tratios, he was that man and We went on to
show wherein the exercise of the Presidents