Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1866-06-07
RUTLAND HERALD.
THURSDAY, MAY 81, 1866.
The Impunity of Crime.


York Prison Association. We have al
ready made an extract from 1t showing
how loosely justice Is administered In
some of the counties in that State, the
result being an encouragement rather
than a punishment OF crime. In three
counties, Albany Erie and Rensselaer,, last
year, only one-feurth Of those Indicted
were tried, nearly another fourth confess
sed their guilt, eighteen per cent, were
convicted, and thirty-two per cent. forfeit !
ed their bonds, amounting in the aggre-
gate to s9SS00. But Of this aggregate of |
forfeited bonds not one cent has been col
iected. In the county of Albany, out of |
one hundred and two indictments found, |
only eleven were tried and five convicted
while twenty confessed their guilt. Not
an item OF forfeited bail has been paid
into theltIeasury of that county in ten
years, while the amount Of forfeited
bonds for last year alone was $4,000
Rascals commit crime after crime are
arrested again and again, and remain in
Jail only till some confederate arrives
and gives bail for them, and the bail is
forfeited andneVer collected. They oper-
ate in gangs, some of which have grown
so bold as to defy the law and visit with
vengeance those who attempt to bring
them to Justice. Among the facts given
to illustrate the power Of these gangs,
are the following:
1--WE found in the Jail at Pulaski, the
half.shire town Of Oswego county,
man and his wife who had been confined
there for eighteen months, on charge
of GRAND larceny. The man was evil
IDENTIFY quiet, inoffensive person, mem
her ofthe Methodist church, and class
leader in it. He was in good repute
among his neighbors, and no one OF them
gave any credence to the story OF his
guilt. The wife was a more energetic
person, and although there is no proof
that she was ever actually connected
with the gang, yet it is believed thatshe
was quite willing to conceal their Sc
crets, so far as they might have been en-
trusted to her. Some time before her
arrest, one of the gang ran off with her
daughter, and neither he nor his associ-
ates would let her know where her
child was concealed. This greatly en-
ragged her, and she began to let out the
secrets of the organization, and to
threaten vengeance against them.
She was repeatedly warned to desist,
and menaced with punishment If she
continued to operate against thein OUT
she paid no attention to their threats,
H.,
evening just at dusk, Jew peddler came
in with his pack and requested her TO
let him stay all night. She assenteo,
proposing to him to leave his pack IN
the front room, while they went into a
rear apartment to get supper Ihey SAL
in the room until bed time, and the ped
Ter. in his affidavit, distinctly declares
that she was never once out OF MS sight
When he was ready to retire she llghted
candle for him, but before going to bed
he went into the front room to look al
his pack, when, to his CONSERVATION, nj
found that it was gone. The mex
morning ne entered a complaint Delor'
a Justice, who was himself generally be
leved to be connected with the gang
against the couple at whose house n
had lodged and, although the com
plaint swore that the woman was neVe
out of his sight from the time he lei
the pack in the front room until ne dis
covered that it was lost, and the hus
band proved, or offered to prove, that n
was at a Methodist meeting during tn
whole time that the pedler was in nj
house, yet the justice committed then
for trial.
A respectable farmer now came Ior
ward and offered TO be their bail, an
was accepted by the magistrate Ii
told the woman, at the same time, tha
if she would say no more ABOUT th
gang and their affairs, she would nea
no more about the larceny charge Bu
she was smarting so severely about ID
loss of her daughter that she could nc
restrain her propensity to talk, ana lrt
oueptly gave information which was &C
verse to the interests of the parties VIII
she believed were keeping her daughte
in concealment. When the bondsma
found that she would not keep quiet, L
surrendered both her and her HUSBAND
and they were then committed to laI
where they had remained up to the tin
of our visit. Their cases had been pl
over from court to court on account
was alleged, of the absence OF mater
witnesses for the prosecution. 1t WI
generally believed in the neighborhot
that they would be kept there, on OF
pretence or another, just as long as
suited the interests Of their prosec
tors.
KIDNAPPING AND ARSON.
Last summer one of the constabl
Of Madison county had been very acti
in tracing out their operations, al
they determined to give him lesso
They procured warrant from justi'
supposed to be devoted to their int
ests, who deputed two Of the gang
convey him to Jail, as special constable
TWAS not convenient for them (such
least was the pretense) to convey him
prison Immediately so they were ia
ing him to their own home, to be Ike
there until it should suit their purpc
to carry him to the Jail. Their rot
lay through the village Of Hamiitt
nbara Tia constable was well know