Tri-weekly union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-186?, 1866-11-06
THE MEMPHIS METROPOLITAN
POLICE.

THE MEMPHIS METROPOLITAN
POLICE.
Our Memphis exchanges of Sunday come
filled with accounts of rare developments of
the official doings of the magnates of the
Metropolitan Bureau in that city.
The Bulleti9 says:
The case Of Col. S. B. Beaumont, Superin-
tendent Of the Metropolitan Police force
detective A. w. Pratt and Frank Horton,
who were arrested on Friday, charged with
fraud came up for investigation before
Justice Hall yesterday afternoon at three
| o'clock in the Common Law Court, which
was well filled with interested spectators
during the investigation, which lasted nearly
five hours. The warrant set forth that S. B.
BeaumOut, a. W. rIatt and Franir Horton
did combine and cOnspire to defraud Joseph
Lipari, late barber on Jefferson street, of
diamond ring valued at 80, 900, gold watch
worth $780, and bank check for $780,
Col. John Bullock and Mr.. o. Yerger
appeared for the prosecution, and Col. Dun
can J. McRae and Mr. G. S. Cameron for
the defence.
Appended then is lengthy detail of the
evidence for which we are unable to find
space.
From the 1Ualanche we extract the case as
it appeared in evidence pro and con.
TIE POINTS.
A large number Of our most respectable
citizens filled the courtroom, and we DO not
suppose that there were of the whole num-
Der a dozen who were not fully and entirely
| convinced,
First-That there was most intimate So
cial relations existing between Beaumont,
| Pratt Horton, and Other persons whom the
defence now finds it necessary TO denounce
as persons doing or plotting to do high
| crimes.
Second.-That the detectives instead of
seeking to prevent crime, were occupied in
instigating il, and by representations of the
immense fortunes 10 be made, inducing men
to commit forgery, couterfeiting, smuggling
and other high crimes, so that such persons
might be caught in the act, and the detec-
tives make money out of them.
Ihird-That Horton, alias Eaton, Dalton
or Edmunds, had most confidential relations
with Pratt and Beaumont, and had some
official connection with them, while he was
day after day seeking TO, get Lipari and
Oshei to engage in the circulation of city
scrip, of which the denominations were to
be raised from small amounts to large sums
by the forgeries perpetrated by this police
agent, Horton.
Fourth-That there were intimate and
friendly relations existing between the police
and the parties that they now allege TO be
thieves.
Fyh-That the police did try to induce
Lipari to engage in passing forged city scrip,
and then arrested him for having in his
possession this bogus scrip that had been
given to him.
Sirth-That contrary to the usual practice
where parties are arrested for high crimes,
Lipari was taken to Beaumont's private
residence, deprived of his valuable diamond
ring and gold watch, and made TO give a
check for 5000 that he had in bank, and was
kept there and handsomely Toasted afterward |
and then told to leave.
Sereld-That Horton tried hard to get |
Oshei into the business Of passing forged !
checks.
Eighh-That Beaumont commended Hor-
ton 10 the Southern Hotel as a good man.
Ninfh-rhat vrLa" LiPaii ana Grulla |
called on Beaumont and Pratt for Lipari's |
ring, watch and money, they were shown |
receipts that had been forced from Lipari
Icnu-That Pratt and Beaumont wished |
Lipari to report that his watch, ring and |
money had been stolen from him-so that |
his testimony might he shaken if he should |
prosecute.
ElercRh-That Beaumot Pratt and Hor-
ton dined with, and drank at private festi-
walls, bottles Of champagne with the men
whom they now allege they knew to be en-
gagged in felonious pursuits
Ticelfh-That when Lipari and Grulla de-
manded back Lipari's prope rty and it be-
came probable that there might be trouble,
Beaumont went to see Horton; had a talk
with him, and Horton tried to leave town,
but was caught at the Memphis and Charles
ton Railroad depot.
Tkirtcenth-That Beaumont did not make
a record of Lipari's arrest, nor of his dis
charge, nor Of the property taken from him,
as the ordinary practice.
THE DEFENsEs.
From the course of the investigation, it is
pretty evident that the deienses set up will
be,
FirSt-That the Lipari and Omers are bad
fellows, and the police were not induci ng
them TO commit crime, but only trying TO
ferret something out.
Soooad-That Lipari knew that scrip
which he sold to Toof Phillips & Cirode, for
5, l,095, its nominal value being 81 500, was
bogus, when he took it from Horton, Beau
monts good man."
Third-That Beaumont took the diamond
ring, the gold watch and the check for $500.
from Lipari-the whole being worth some
three thousand dollars-to make good the
loss Of Toof, Phillips q Cirode in the pur-
chase Of fifteen hundred dollars worth of al
tered City Scrip.
WEAK POINTS.
Ii will readily occur to every one. that il
LIPARI and others were such bad fellows.
PRATT and HORTON, need not
have associated, dined and drank bottles of
champagne so much with them. If BEAU
MONT took three thousand dollars worth of
diamond ring, gold watch and money, and
only gave TooF PHILLIPS & CRoDE fifteen
hundred dollars worth, he made good thing
IF IT, II BEAUMONT knew that LIPARI, at
the instigation Of HORIZON, had passed bogus
scrip, he should have arrested both Of them.
IL he knew that LIPARI had been guilty OF
a high crime, he had no business 10 let Ii
PARI 60, and no business 10 compound a
felony by paying fifteen hundred dollars loss
# TooF, PHILLIPS & CIRoDE out Of the
hree thousand dollars worth Of property
aiken from LIPARI.