Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-05-26
CONVICTED OF FRAUD.

Salomon KohBstamm WAS convicted on Saturday last,
in the Circuit Court Of the United States New York
of having defrauded the Government Ii ia more than
year since he arrested account Of these
claims He first sent to Fort Lafayette, but was
transferred from thence TO the Old Capitol prison at
Washing on aud after being confined there some time
Forty indictments found against him last June
Of which the Government elected to proceed
him. aDd after several potponemens Of the case succeed
ed in bringing it to trial The which made out
against the accused was briefly this;
On the % of August 1862 there paid to him at the
disbursng Office in New York check for $9173 49, be-
ing the amount of eighteen bills against the Government
for the subsistence and lodging of recruits One Of these
bills bill of Louis Pefsr Of Albany for the
amount Of 1856 and this the bill for the
of which this Of the forty seven indictments against
Kohnstamm was found The Government proved also
that all that due to Pfeder lees than 800.
No testimony given OF the actual presen stoa Of the
bill a The dsbursing Office, and the defence made quite
point Of this failure Of proof they called it, for it was
the presentation of the bill for which the accused was
dicted This point however, disposed OF very sum
mary By Judge Nelson who told the Jury that the tact
that Kohnsamm got the money the bill was evidence
enough that he presented it, either person agent
which plaiuy the common view Of the matter
There remained the question of Kohnstsmms
knowledge that the bill false On this point q be
Government gave direct evidence and some in
direct. They produced the testimony Of the Lieu.
tenant Colonel of the regiment Tor which Pfrfers
bill incurred that he applied to by Kohnstamms
certify to the Of the BILL and refused be
It false. They proved also that siI or seven
other bills, which also presented by Kohnstamm
about the time, and paid to him. all falsssome
them having foundation whatever aud Others bsnp
sweed up from $500 to 81 000 and from $500 to
$4,000, &c. They proved the lalsty OF every bill
the court allowed them to attack They aso gave evi
dence which, the witnesses to be believed showed
that Kohnstamm's office regular manu- factory Of
fraudulent bills they gave the details of the ope atoms
and the advice and instructions which Kobnstsmm gave
his agents for carrying them out IL the witnesses for the
Government were to be believed, hs guilty knowledge
clear as daylight.
This testimony against him met by very little
countertestmony for the defence They did not under
take to prove the correctness Of Of the fraudulent
BILLS They did not attempt to contradict the statements
that kobnstanm had bought these bills merely nominal
prices They relied mainly upon contradictions and i'm
probabilities IN the testimony OF the Governments wit
nesses, as dscredng them before the jury And by roa
Of such contradictions they hoped to get the jury to
disbeleve them and secure scquitts The difficulty
was that the testimony had the ugly fact OF Kohnstams
collecting the bills to support it, and the the defence
bespatered the witnesses the more they showed that
Kohnstamm Of set Of villains who were
confessedy engaged in swinding the Government
We consider the result Of the trial great public
benefit There has been much fraud in connection with
the operations OF the Government here, that it full
time that some should be made example Of, and we
consider this conviction important for the
Government which we hope will be speedily followed up.
The case excited great interest from the standing which
kohnstamm has had in the community, and the court
room was crowded every day of the week during which
the trial lasted.--N Y. Times.