The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-04-13

The following paragraph appeared in the local
column of Yesterdays American; we transfer it to
our own for the sake of the illustration it affords
of the complete generalization Of the community,
in which such things can happen and yet all men
not cry shame;
FUNERAL OF HENRY GAMBRILL-It was stated in
Yesterdays American that the funeral of Henry Gam
brill was attended by Richard Harris, charged with
being the real murderer of officer Benton The state
made upon what seemed to be reliable evidence
Its is however denied by other parties who
at the funeral and matter of justice we give
the same publicity to their denial as was given to the
original charge:
"MeSsrs Editors:
"GENTLEMEN:-We find by statement in today's
American that the Reporters of your paper have stated
that Richard Harris at the residence of Mr. Thomas
Gambrl and that he rode in the hack with the mourn
Now this pronounce to be totally incorrect. The
gentlemen who conducted the funeral, and the Under
taker that he not in the house nor upon
the ground that they know Of Thousands of our most
respectable citizens present and many of them fol
lowed remains of young Gambrl to the grave, and
referred to is reflection upon all who at
tended that funeral We hope you will correct the re
port and thereby do justice to that much afflicted family
wv. REED,
-. SHOEMAKER.
''WM. CLEMMoNs, Undertaken"
The american publishes this correction of a
statement, which had previously appeared in its
columns-'as matter of justice''-but whether
'as a matter of justice" to RICHARD HARRIS, OF
to the thousands of our most respectable citizens
who were present at the funeral of GAMBRILL, our
contemporary omits to say, and we are at loss TO
conjecture. Certainly the fact of HARRIS absence
on that occasion is quite creditable TO him, as
the presence of the thousands referred to- is dis
creditable to themselves and the community.
1t is, indeed, inconceivable to us-the moral OBJ
ol,
adequately compromising the shame and
disgrace, which should forever attach to any
participation in the humiating spectacle
of Sunday. That any one respectable citizen
should be found giving his countenance to de-
monstration gotten up in honor Of public male
factor, would be bad enough. That thousands
should have focked to attend his obseques and
show respect to his memory and sympathy for his
fate, is Notifying beyond expression. What, then
can we say, or what language shall we use, TO cx-
press what should be the public Indignation and dis
gust at the sight of men claiming to be ''respect-
able'-and some of them holding high official posi-
ton in our notwithstanding in public by their acts
their sympathy with murderer and apparently
iustifying and gorying in what should be their re-
proach? The writers of the letter published by The
american, evidently have no idea that there was
anything wrong or improper in their conduct;
their tender sensibilites are simply shocked at the
suggestion, that RICHARD HARRIs-the intimate
associate and companion of GAlBRHL and who,
10y some is charged to have been, at least an
accomplice in his crime-had joined with them
in last tribute of respect to his former partner
and friend. Really, their sensitveness upon
this point seems to US to be of the quality
of that virtue which strains at a gnat
but swallows a camel. Having rcconclled
their conscences to the commission Of the greater
enormity of assisting at the funeral of felon, they
might least have forborne to trouble themselves
about the company they found there. For our own
part, we have never suggested that there
was the least improprety-in the members OF
the political clubs and other lawless and ruff
fanly organizations of the city, testifying their
grief at the loss of one, who had reached 'the
bad eminence' of leader among them. On
the contrary, it was 10 the presence, on such
occasion, and for such a purpose, of men
who ought to have known better, and of whom
the community had right to expect better things,
that we have taken exception, and it is the names
of such only that we have published in our col,
umns. When but a few years ago, BILL Poole q
notorious ruiiian of New York city, was killed in
n tavern-brawl, and thousands of people followed
his remains to the grave, the whole press of the
country unanimous in its expression of unqual-
flied reprobaton Now, in the city of Baltimore q
man commits an atrocious murder and is hanged,
and has similar honors paid to his remains, and it
is considered fragrant breach of the privileges of
the press, and an invasion of private rights for
newspaper 10 mention the names of individuals
who assisted in these manifestations of sympathy
and commiseration for man whose life had been
spent in disreputable association with habitual
volators of the law, and whose ignominious
death was but the just and necessary retributon OF
his crime. Truly, things have come to a worse
pass with us than ever before, if such an outrage
upon public decency is to be permitted to pass
without one word of protest condemnation.
If such be the tolerant spirit of this community,
then indeed, the terrible tragedy of Friday last,
has been enacted in vain, and the spectacle we
have witnessed-of four human beings hanging in
the agones Of death-beneath theI cold grey sky,
and in the damp chilly air of that April morning,
has been without moral and without use.