The Nevada Democrat., 1859-02-23
The Grlmn Case Again.


all account of bis escape two weeks ago. we
stated in substance, that the prisoner had been
permitted at times to walk about town, on pa
role, unattended and unmatched. The Journal,
in its next issue pronounced our statement "to-
tally false" and said that Griffin had on no oc-
casion been allowed to walk about town on pa
role that he was not allowed to leave the Jail
unattended and unmatched that on two occa-
sions only, was he ever outside of the bars of
the iail, and on each occasion was attended and
closely watched by the jailor, Mr.. Lenhart.
To show that our statement was not "totally
false" we pointed out in our last issue, six diff
ferent places in town, where Griffin had been
seen at large at five of the places no officer
was with him, and at the other place, the man
that was with him was not the "jailor Mr.. Len
hart"
The Journal, of last Friday, has another long
article upon the subject, in which it indirectly
admits that its statement of the week previous
was untrue in some important particulars. The
first half Of the article is devoted to generali-
ties, which we shall pass over. The balance of
the article consists of lame attempt to mstify
the matter in the minds of those unacquainted
with the localities, for the purpose of showing
that some of the facts connected with the case,
were not accurately stated in our last number.
This was evidently an uphill business, for In
no essential particular, are any Of our state
ments denied.
In order to show that Griffin was closely
watched, at the time he visited his lawyers, the
Journal says:
"After the DEMOCRATS first article Mr. Mcdonnell told
Messrs r. and f. Burre that at the time referred
to- Mr. Lenhart at the foot Of the stairs watching his
prisoner and further said he had told tn fact to the ei-
tor of the DEMOCRAT after his article and rebuked him for
his assertion"
We do not believe that Mr.. Mcconnell ever
made the statement attributed to him. Certain
it is, that we never heard him mention the sub
ject of Grifin's escape, nor did he ever tell US,
or any one connected with this office, that Len
hart was standing at the foot of the stairs at
the time referred to-, watching his prisoner.
Again the Journal says:
'.Mr Ienhart says he in attendance and watching
the prisoner and Mr. Mcconnell coroborates his state
ment."
Now Mr. Lenhart has said, in the presence of
q dozen men, number of whom will recollect
the conversation that he, (LenharD was stand
ing in front of Blazes saloon at the time Grif-
fin was in the office of Messrs. Mcconnell &
Niles; but Mr. Mcconnell is reported to have
said that Lenhart was standing at the foot of
the stairs of the building in which the Office
was situated, at the time. This is corrobora-
tion with a vengeance
Again We are told that Lenhart chad no
right to be privy with Griffin and his lawyers
in their consultations and took the best posi-
sition to guard against his escape" AS the
Journal has attempted to show by roundabout
authority that Lenhart was standing at the
foot of the stairs at the time, we presume that
is the "best position" alluded to. 1t must be
remembered that there are two entrances to
the building-one from Broad street, and the
other from Pine, and if Lenhart was standing
at the foot OF either fight of stairs, Griffin could
have left by the other entrance without being
discoverd. Had Lenhart stood out on the
corner of the streets, be might have seen Griffin
had he left by either entrance but we think it
will be q difficult matter for him to show that
he was any where in the neighborhood at the
|
Had Lenhart been there, the Journal would
have said so direct, instead of saying that Nc
Connell told somebody else he was there.
The Journal says, ait is folly to talk of not
ed men like Griffin escaping in broad daylight,
through q crowded street. with an officer any
where in sight of him." Now although Griffin
was somewhat noted, he was personally known
to comparatively few of our citizens. He nev-
er lived in Nevada until he took up his resi-
dence in the Jail was known only to those who
happened to be in the Court House, during his
trial, and he might easily have walked from
one end of the town to the other without being
seen by single person that knew him. Be-
sides, we showed last week, that Griffin had
been seen at five or six different times, and in
as many different places, when no officer was
'any where in sight of him.
Again we are told:
''The visits to the post Office, &C. made at the
time and the route from the post Office to the jail
passed all the places named by the DEMOCRAT and its
points Of the route does not multiply the instances"
Among the places named by u.s. where Griffin
had been seen, were Shellhorn's brewery and
the upper end of Commercial street. The
route from the post Office to the Jail, by these
places, is about as direct as the Journals pro-
cess of reasoning-almost a complete circle.
We cannot give the exact time when Griffin
was seen on the streets, for the men who saw
him did not of course keep the run of the dates.
We pointed out last week six different places in
town, where Griffin had been seen at large, and
from the best information we can obtain, be
was at these places on as many as Eve different
days The truth is, if Griffin was never outside
of the bars of the JAIL except on two occasions,
and if Mr.. Lenhart was keeping close watch
of his prisoner, he must have taken particular