Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1857-01-06
TIE TRIAL OF HUNTINGTON.

The trial of Huntington is one OF the -cst remark.
able 10 oar criminal history. The accused was
charged with forgery, and the investigation dis.
closed that the amount Of such iorgeries reach.
ed hundreds OF thousands Of dolars. These fraudu-
len. transactions covered over years end were mi
iurinIy Successful The confidential! personal md
bu-ness friends % he cssh ne iorgcr kue" OF hi,
criminal transactions, aud We: were hsud and glove"
with him in the stree. md IN the house. They ssso
cia;.i with him Openly; drank his Tinr OF" his din.
ners; drove hi-fs horses: admired hls pictures eGd
pretty won-ri kr0'oia2 all the Wills that he bad
committed !,rg-r!es enough to send hundred men
20 Sing Sing huntington lived like Sa6ob,
through the liberties he took with his friends and
nriyrb prs' namrs. He had two houses. IN oae 81.
which lived HE wife, III the other his mstress both
establishments were magnifcently furnished. 4 roy
a! palace could not exceed them in spleudor. He had
spans Il hoes Of the hist breeds and STYLE silver.
mounted and velvet cushioned rarriag-. buygies and
phseions, with which BIZ she'd aud prarced through
e streets He had All orchestra at his house, give
linn music while he ate his meals. like an Eastern
monarch. He dnrd from silver plates, end slipped
his cof t from golden rporn.
a | this extravaganza, parade and show which, 10
en- ordinary mind, would appear ~ bu tho must wan
ion and criminal indulgence when male Al the tx
pens Of hher-, was brought forward as many
proofs of the cuprts moral insanity. Even the drprn
yl' Of bic Whole COURSE uf lilo We're many corrU
curative rvidencns that, with c- and h-aIthy in
reecf nbl- To transact The most .ensi,e busimts
OPERATIONS pr"p-ry, aud ACUTE IN all his DEALING, i
mora! een-e was yet go feeble that he did 1901 know
right from wrong, OF. u bs VIVA abs Ia distinguish
III. difference, an Irresistible influence deprived nim
Of the power ~ cortrul his actions. and. therrtorr
he WIS not accountable for their perversnu. As in.
gemluue as this theory may be. aud as lesrnedy H.
the doctors undernuk TO eIpnund the intellectual and
moral Varieties of insanity, the common s-n-e Of thr
jury resist. the impressions designed To b. produced
by such ie-spun ap' culSiiuns. Every eprc Cd OF
ra:caI:'y and crime, by The same rsss ,ing, would be
relieved oil lis moral accountability. The bod-r the
81.
reckless The disregard of other peoples property, The
more insane the criminal nust BE- aud the les 40
cuunrablc accordingly for his acts. lu'cnr- sci
6shntss, which locke only 10 lie own gr' thca-
ton, no matter who els. may suffer, would have a
dne fed TOR It's operations. if this docrlpo wers 4"
fud much favor III criminal courts. WIKI such I'm
lures the moral perez ptlols are always small, anu
are only quckened into life enough 10 form any kind
OF check upon individual action by fear Of the
personal consequences TO the individual Remove
this fear, by ope ing such door Of egcspe as moral
in.oniy, and the sense Of moral obligation wOulr
speedily be quenched entirely. Every lewd. iu1u.
rious aud .Cpsual scoundre who wished 10 CRAFTY
b carnhl natur- every shrewd, calculating and I'm
scrupuluus sharper who desired to get possession
of property without the Inconvenience OF abo-ing
for il, would suou voluntarily relieve himself Of bic
conscience and show by his reckessnss, how morally
aud hop-lessy insane he was while exhibiting The
,uost remarkable evidence. OF hi, intellectual sharp
ness and vignr. Tb. jury dlsregarded theories i'll
volving such serious equeces 10 society and ~
they cav intention of fraud, they CAV. verdict Of
guilty. Huntington hss now exchanged his r!endid
pdatal residence for HI numbur but more suitable
| apartment III the State prison.
| THIS COT, ic,un will have The good effect Of show.
Ing the gamblers and sharpers o, ,oc-;y thar, how
ever rich they may become by fraud, ho7evrr mdu'
entail their CONNEXIONS may be. aud hover strong
sympathy may operate to coin new EXCUSES Tor dis
honesty thai they are not exempt from the conse
quences OF their voluntary prrvers;on Of the moral
sense when il leads theIn into crime. They will see
The Necessity of nsin!aiming an even balance OF in
t.,lect and OF mofalt aud not eirdeavSr 10 sharpen
the ons to 60 keen edge by duiug The Of the
other. Who knows BE-: III short time they will es
tablish school for the Improvement Of morals, and
! Wall street become eventually d. famous for moral,
i, is for financial philosophy II Philadelphia Led
!