Nebraska advertiser., 1866-07-26
Communicated.
Profit vs.. PrOblty.

Last week, United States Marshal
YOst. suddenly made his appearance a
this place, and sommarily took into hi.
official charge several of our most prom.
inent and respectable citizens. This wa:
the occasion of much surprise and III
quiry among the few who were fortu.
nate enough to avoid the legal clutches
But, as further information came TO light.
in regard to the nature of the crimes
charged against these worthy and honor.
able citizens, and as the cause of the
prosecution and the motives which in.
sligated it became apparent, from the
''res gestas'' of the matter the feeling
of surprise naturally gave place to one
of indignation and contempt, that such
pettyfOgging meanness could thus be ex.
bIblted en- the part of persons holding
respectable positions under the govern.
meni of the United States.
1t appears that at the last term of the
United States District Court, held at the
Pow. 0 w-hamlet, dignified as the judicial
headquarters of this District, and sore-
times ironically called Falls Guy, the
Grand Jury, whether under instructions
or not does not appear, were put upon tie
scent of fraud against the United States
Revenue Laws $50 far very good, aud
suppOsing they snelt a mice in the musty
papers of the U. S. Express Office at this
place, caused the Agent to be %suphoentd
"su6 duces tecum," aud by a thorough
examination Of the receipt book, found
that in the earliest days Of the "SIanp
Act" probably before the act had Teen
fairly published, the Express Agent had
allowed the said criminals to sign his
RECEIPT book without having stamped the
anne In this. doubtless, the Hon. U.
S. District Attorney saw a harvest Of
fees for himself and his colleagues. Ia.
documents came upon the said Grand
Jury in showers wtsich Ihs sad jury,
either cOusideJdlely for a purpose. or in
considerably for no purpose, allowed TO
be endorsed as true.
And. thus it was that many of our best
citizens, and many of Jul leading public
men, such gentlemen as ]. L. Carson,
Theo. Hill, Luther HoadIey, Capt. T. w.
Bedford, H. M. Atkinson, John Nc
Pherson, Eli Wilcox and others. were
indicted and have been taken into Gus
lody by the U. S. Marshal.
The whole proceeding seems more
like a sort of a malicious joke on the
part OF the Grand Jury than as n orlgi-
mating from a spirit of zeal for the honor
of Government and support of the laws.
Cons. dering that The whole proceeding is
based upon the assumption that the above
named persons have willfulIy and inten.
uonally defrauded the United States
Government of tie value If a fwo cent
ReUenue Stamp, by no: having stamped
certain Express receipts, the affair seems
too ridiculous to be thought of seriously.
No person, certainly, believes that
mel cannot easily exculpate them
selves from all presumption of guilt in
this matter, so far as that guilt rests upon
any intention of ~defrauding the Govern
ment /; and it would be a singular, and
an anomalous construction 10
give To- a penal statute, that guilt will be
presumed where there is entire and pos.
live innocence in intention.
This principle is SO well understood
tina. ii seems strange a Grand Jury
have carried the presumption so
far, as was done in this case, without
some legal slight of hand as unbecom-
ing the candor and probily which ought
10 characterize the judicial officers of the
United States. and such as is well calcu-
to bring the Government itself iIto
contempt.