The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-03-12
Opinions OF the Press.
FRAUDS ON THE GovERNMENT--coNvIcr7

From TIE Sunday Atlas.l
FRAUDS ON THE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. AND
DEATH OF DOCTOR GEORGE A. GARDNER.
noctor George a. Gardner, the dentist, who 1t IL
alleged received the of upwards of four hundred
thousand dollars at hands Of the commission that
adjusted the claims of our citizens against Mexico,
der the provisions of the treaty of Guadalupe Hdaigo
for losses which he claimed to have sustained in icing
obliged to abandon certain gold mines in the United
Mexican States, which money, it is proved fraudu
leny obtained convicted, in the Circuit Court for
the District of Columbia, last Friday. As soon as the
verdict Of the jury was awarded, Dr. Gardner felt
the warm pressure of the hands of Mr. Marshal Wal
ZACH, who took him into custody. He was forthwith
taken before NJ Justice Crawford, who sentenced him
to ten years Imprisonment in the penitentary at
Greenleaf's Point. AS the 'ades and gentlemen" who
are admitted to that seminary of polite education
usually put to the skoemaking business the Doctor
win probably be left to discharge the Office of mender of
leafs Point is in beautiful location overlooking the
tomac, and holding in the distance Mount Vernon the
Capitol of the United States, Washngton's Monument,
Mrs. Anne Royals printing Office and the Alexandria
vaduct The view thus presented would indeed be most
beautiful If the Doctor could only see it from his CELL 1t
lucky the noctor was convicted the last YEAR for
h he been he would have been compelled to listen to
the spiritual dscourses Of the Rev. Charles Denison
who then chaplain of the prison BY fhe interven
ton of Divine Providence and the administration he will
escape so terrible infection, Brother Denison
has take possession of the consulate at Demarara
The Doctor, under the regime of Fillmore and the
Gaphns swndled the government ont of four hundred
thousand dollars, large portion of which, by some
means or other went into the pockets of Mr. Secretary
safely kept and not squandered II has probably cost
the government three hundred thousand dollars to
Wet the Doctor, which, added to the original swnde
makes a very respectable little of money The law
yers engaged way and another in the trial of the
case which, by the wsy has been hand the last three
years and upwards have realized good deal of fat and
not little honey"
1t is said that Judge Crawford very causc in his
remarks when he pronounced sentence. We have not
doubt of it. is bad enough to be convicted of crme
but it is absolutely horrible to be sentenced by Judge
into a the
digs deeper into the skin and under the skim into the
bowels and under the bowels than old Jeries could
He was imported by Colonel Benton from Missouri to
preside the Circuit Court for the District of Column
ba. The Colonel probably thought that he would be
called to send Congress the penentiary and there
fore selected him for his adamanne qualities Doctor
Gardner in Europe when the charge of swindling
preferred against him, and made of himself
After had written thus far the case of Doctor
Gardner which we had thought was to certain extent,
fit subject for ridcue considering the manner in which
it had been conducted, presented tragic anda mean
choly aspect.
After he had been committed to the Jail of Washing
ton preparatory to his removal to the penentary he
found dead in the cell having, it is probable
mitted suicide He was observed to drink glass of
What was supposed to be water but which it is now
of this misguided man. In prosecuting his
before the Mexican COMMISSIONS Commission which
was always looked upon with dstrust because of it's
evident eagerness to exhaust the ten millions Of
dollars placed at its dscretion--he aided by Mr.
Thomas Corwin, Mr.. Waddy Thompson, Mr.. Edward
Curtis and Major Ially, who acted as his coun-
sellers and advocates Mr.. Corwin at the time he
tered the service of DR. Gardner, member Of the
Senate of the United States, which Office he resigned to
accept the place of Secretary of the Treasury. On his
accepting that post he abandoned his connection with
Gardner and sold his anticipated claim on the money
ceivea by Gardner TO Mr. George Law of this city, for
eighty thousand dollars cash, WHICH paid on the
SPOT Mr.. Edward Curtis, Mr.. Waddy Thompson and
Major Lally received large fees and two hundred
thousand dcors of the original amount allowed Gardner
by the commission withheld by Mr.. President Fill
after the charge of fraud had been set up to meet
the ISSUE it is probable that the original claimant
ceiyed but inconsidcrable amount of the .'spos'
awarded him. independently Of this his counsel fees
paid out OF the money he had pokted and $40 900
deposited to his BAIL 1t urged that the govern
ment ought now to institute actions against the agents of
Gardner, who prosecuted his claim before the Commits
son and compel them to pay back the they re-
ceived Although it may be true that they legally
liable TO action and might be compelled to make resttu
ton If the affair were confined to individuals and the
had no hand in it, we very much doubt If
prosecutions were commenced against them if good
ments obtained against the counsel Of Gardner they
would stand in relation to the government in position
similar to that which is occupied by defaulters and who
raomcnt against defauter to be exc
eyer knew 80
sute1 to ttuidat!ens NJ this State,
DR. Gardner was native Of the 'nter,y. ~
but while pursuing his vocation all ltieent nen",.
had s2ent many years in Mexico He was thirty six
YEAR I'D at the time of his DEATH and, it is said was
about to be married to young LADY OF s %
pending against his brother, who was Implicated IN inc
fraud He is at large ball. and whether he VIII meet
his trial forfeit his recognizance remains to be SEEN
The probability is that he will make good his escape
Doctor Gardner, the deceased, originally put on
had Seen the was given to the
jury who reported they could not agree and were as
charged. second trial was commenced two months
and but for act of folly the part OF the accus
ed it is possible he might have been acquitted Whilst
his trial progressing buadle in yellow paper,
containing very important testimony against him, mys
terously disappeared II alleged and believed that
he stole destroyed the papers This act produced
very decided outside pressure against the accused which
is highly probable reached the jury In connecting his
fraudulent designs against the treasury DR.. Gardner
from absruse and yoluminous character, it is very
certain must have been aided by extensive band Of
associate consprators
From the Sunday Mercury, March 81
TERRIBLE LESSON.
Dr. George A. Gardner found dead in his ROOM at
Washington, Friday last he having committed suicide
nv taking poison The wretched deceased had just been
convicted Of fraud upon the and sentenced
to ten years hard labor in the pcntentary His fraud
was Of a gigantic nature. He obtained, by means OF
fore ed documents and mountain of lies award from
commission appointed to examine claims to the Mexican
indemnity money! of some four hundred thousand dol
lars He set up that he had been the owner OF valuable
mine Mexico which the Mexicans in the late war with
them had broken to his ruin and with loss to him,
as he claimed, of over half million OF dollars Inc
octor had been q wandering dentist in Mexico where
he was for masy years. There he acquired its Ian
guage, and possessed himself thoroughly OF its geo
grarhy lie explored the mining districts of San Louis
Poos, Sonora Guanajuato, &c After the Mexican war
he went to Washington and there engaged nearly
year in making up tie necessary swim ling documents
which he made up Spanish AMI in Englishto sustain
his huge . clam.n The commission completely
humbugged BY him. and II gave him the greater part of
this claim This about three years ago. lie thea
goes TO Europe and spreads himself" In the mean
time Mind friends hint AZ his fraud AMI he Is by
and hy brought to trial. and his fought inch by
inch but justice overtafes him at last, it did that
gigantic swin6lcr, Monroe Edwards. lie convicted
and would be serving out his hard sentence in
the penentiary, but that he laid violent hands upon his
own life and is at this moment lying in convict and
suicides grave-a terrible lesson.
No case-not even that of the poor wretch Edwards
was ever fought harder The HERALD of yesterday tells
us that after the payment OF the money to Gardner
SUSPICION was raised that the claim fraud. Strong
circumstantal evidence adduced TO support the
charge President Fillmore thoroughly alarmed; and
then for the first time the saving expcdicnt occurred of
sending down commission to Mexico to whether this
great silver mine existed there in the moon Meantime
r Gardner had settled with his counsel and agents and
leaving the bulk Of his share Of the money in the
Riggs and others, had gone with an outfit
Palace and the Continent. On hearing OF the charges
against him. he gave notice that he would come back
aud confront and silence his accuscrs He did come
back and indicted for perjury and upon two
separate bills. The Presidents commissioners and che
IN I'm