The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-05-21

IMPORTANT CRIMINAL TRIALS AHEAD-A
very important and curious series of criminal
trials, growing out of the famous burning OF
the Martha Washington on the Western waters,
some three or four years ago, will take place
in this city in the course of q few months. It
will be recollected that few years agoa series
Of trials took place in some of the Western
States, principally in Ohio, grounded on
charges made against number of individuals
who had been indicted by the criminal author
tiles there for setting fire to the steamboat
Martha Washington, and thereby defrauding a
number of insurance companies In all the large
Atlantic cities, and some other cities of the
West. The indictments recently found here
grew out of the frauds perpetrated by the
same parties on the insurance companies of this
city; and the trials which may come on in few
mnntha will nf course 90 over the whole
ground, and develop all the facts connected
with the burning of the Martha Washington
steamer, and the mode and system by which
the persons implicated in these charges conduct
their affairs.
It seems that there was an association or
gang of well educated, talented, skilful, un-
principled men, which has been for several
years past engaged in various criminal conspi-
racies and depredations upon the public, East
West ard North Some of their crimiaal
enterprises were detected in Canada, and few
years ago many of the parties were there
indicted. Most of them obtained bail for large
amounts, and we have understood they alb
seconded from Canada, FORGETTING their bail
bonds to the amount of eight, ten, or twelve
Thousand dollars
The next exploit that we hear of their being
engaged in was the famous one of the burning
Of Martha Washington. In this enterprise
numerous insurance companies of Boston, New
York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Cincinnati, and
perhaps elsewhere, we're defrauded of vast sums
of money uUder pretence of insurance for goods
affected to have been shipped on the Martha
Washington, but which, according to the deve.
lopements in the courts at the West. turned out
to be nothing but rubbish, bricks and other
such raw materials The trials consequent
upon that crime have occupied the criminal
courts in Ohio and other Western safes for Sc
verai years, and ON these trials tho JUDGES and
jurors have been overawed, aud the newspaper
press threatened with libel suits, and acted on
by every species of coercion. And thus, after
several years, this Ingenious association of dep
redators bas succeeded in getting rid of the
charges mace against them in all the courts OF
those regions.
Urfortunstely tor them. however, one of their
most skilfuI but indiscreet associates, Kissane,
in order to raise money to defray the expenses
of defending themselves against these charges,
peIpetrsted. with the aid of two Others, forge.
ries on the Chemical and Exchange banks of
this city aId on the Ohio Life and Truss Com
paDy, to the aggregate amount of twenty or
thirty thousand dollars They escaped detec-
ton at the time, were paid the money, aud
have, by this time, spent the most of it, Bat
they were at length caught, brought back to
New York, and one of the chief of the gang,
Kissane, was tried and convicted, aod
sent to Stale prison in tbis State This
trial OF one of the associates brought the whole
gang cons sting OF eight ten or twelve persoas,
to this city. Outing that time the insurance
companies and their agents made some move.
Tie criminal authorities, bad the rest OF them
indicted for fraud, and have now succeeded in
getting nearly the whole Of them in prison in
this city, with prospect OF putting termua-
ton 10 thew nefarous dspyedations f,r all future
time. We also understand that the insurance.
companies Of Boston, Philadelphia and Balti-
more, who are interested in the matter. are en-
gagged in procuring indictments against the same
parties in their respective Cities so that there
is every prospect of justice, ample acd suff-
,ient, being dealt out to these parties, COW that
hey have fallen into the hands of the deter
mined and deliberate executors Of the law ia
he Atlantic cities, where judges and jurors,
courts and counsel, can neither be overawed,
frightened, corrupted nor inundated, as they
have been of late years in Ohio and other
We stern States.
THE LATE RAINs.--We have had some fiue
amy days Of late, and are glad to see that tbey
,ave extended as far west as Kansas. We are
hus assured, unless all good signs should fail