Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1858-11-04
A New Method of Procuring
Witnesses.


Wet under circumstances, if we mistake not,
quite novel. It seems the District Attorney
" succeeded IN inducing" convicted burglar
''to make important disclosures under promise
that he (the District Attorney scould atse has
Influence aoith the Erceutice IN procuring has
pardon" Whereupon the convict, stimulated
Of course by the hope of his own pardon,
makes his disclosures against man "who is
in extensive business and occupying prom
-inent position in Williamsport," and also dis
closures which led to the arrest of three men
IN Elmira; and to promote the ends of justice
the burglar is pardoned. The prominent
citizen" is brought to trial and the prosecution
abandoned for want of sufficient evidence.
The three Elmira arrests, the Advertiser of
that place says it has inquired after and be-
leyes that to be fictien, whether of the Gov
ernor, or District Attorney, or the convict, to
make the pardon appear more excusable, we
cannot say. Certain it is, continues that pa
per, we cannot find that any such arrests as
mentioned in the pardon were ever made.
The practice of tampering with persons
charged with crime, for the purpose Of indu-
cling them to accuse others, under the hope of
favor, has long been looked upon with great
disfavor by Courts. The danger to the limo
cent by encouraging such charges, is but too
apparent; and if the criminal is induced to
carry out his accusation by testifying falsely,
it is difficult to understand why the party Of
fering the inducement is clear Of subornation
to the perjury. 1t may be said, that to cen-
stitute the crime of subornation the party
must know the thing sworn to is false this
may be true technically, but to offer a man
reacard for swearing to a thing that may or
may not be true, is surely far from excusable.
That an officer charged with the punishment
of crime should commit such an offence, and
the Executive of the State recognize the obli
CATION on his part to sanction it, by setting a
convicted burglar at liberty, is, we viii ven
ture to say new feature in conducting Grim
inal proceedings.
Pennsylvania, SIS.
WM. 7. PACKER,
In the name and by the authority OF the Com
monwealth Of Pennsylvania, WILLIAM f.
PACKER, Governor Of said Common wealth,
Sendeth Greeting to all to whom these pres
ents shall come
Whereas, at a Court of Quarter Session of
the Peace, held at Williamsport, in and for
the county of Lycoming, at January Session,
! A. d. 1858, o certain Charles Miller, with
| others, was indicted for the crimes of conspir-
acy to commit burglary and larceny, and to
make and cheat the public with counterfeit
money, said Indictment containing FIVE differ
ent counts and the said Charles Miller was
on the Goth day of January, A. ID. 1883 found
guilty on the first, third, fourth and fifth
| counts in said indictment; and On the 2lst
day of January 1858, sentenced by the said
| Court to pay fine of one dollar TO the Com
monwealth for the use of the county of Ly-
coming, the prisoners Jointly pay the costs of
prosecution, and that the said Charles Miller
undergo an imprisonment by separate and
solitary confinement. at labor in the State
Penitentary, for the Eastern District of Penn
sylvania, for the period of four years and two
calender months, and stand committed until
the said sentence be complied with.
And whereas, it has been represented to
me by Clinton Lloyd, Esq. District Attorney
for the county of Lycoming, that in order to
further the ends of justice he succeeded in
inducing the said Charles Miller, after his
conviction, to make important disclosures,
under q promise that he would use his iniu
ence with the Executive in procuring his par
don, believing that the public interests would
be best subserved by such course that the
information communicated has led to the ar
rest of a man by the name of l.. A. Ellsworth
who is in extensive business and occupying a
prominent position in Williamsport, and now
under recognizanee to appear and answer al
the June Term of the Circuit Court of the
United States, at Williamsport, the charge Of
manufacturing bogus coin said information
has also led to the arrest of two men named
Stetler, on Sinnamahoning Greek, in Mexican
county, on the same charge, and some $4,000
of counterfeit coin found in their possession
besides large quantity of raw material, bull
lion, acids, crucibles, chemicals, receipts fol-
making spurious coin, and all the machinery
requisite for extensive counterfeiting opera
tions, the concern having been in operation
for years, and flooding the country with spu'
rious coin information derived from the
same source has also caused the arrest of three
men at Elmira, n. Y, engaged in the same
traffic, and in the opinion of the said District
Attorney there is not any doubt Of the guilt
of these parties and said District Attorney
further represents that the said Miller will be
of very great Importance as witness in these
cases, and that the conviction of the guilty
parties cannot probably be effected without his
testimony, and that he is satisfied as an officer
of the law that the public interests will be
promoted and justice best administered by
granting to Miller a pardon and using him
as a witness in the trial of the notorious of
tenders now under arrest. do therefore II
consideration of the promises, pardon the sale
Charles Miller Of the crime whereof he ii
convicted, as aforesaid, and restore him TO al
his rights and privileges as citizen of thi
Commonwealth, as fully as he was entitled tt
the enjoyment of the same prior TO his con
viction as aforesaid, and is hereby fully par
doned and restored accordingly.
Given under my hand. and the great sea
Of the State, at Harrisburg, the l1th day 0
NJ. L., Il