Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-08-27
VIM. q. Gibson and VIM. Il. West.
One Good Turn Deserves
Another!
How the Man West Saved from
The Penifentiary Defends
his BenefactOr.

When WILLIAM n. GIBSON, late Treasu-
rer of State, ,deiaulted to the amount of eight
hundred thousand dollars,-using for his
own purposes, in violation of law, and ofhis
oath of Office, this amount of the peoples
money entrusted to his care, he was dis
missed from Office by Gov. CHASE Ar
rested for the felony, indicted by the Grand
Jury, and after as many delays as possible,
was tried by a jury of his country and was
found guilty of the theft, in manner and in
form as charged in the Indictment. Judge
BATES granted him a new trial, and this
saved him from the Penitentiary. 80
The new trial was delayed under various
pretexts; Gov. TOD, while the trial was be-
ing put of, gave this GIBsoN a commission
in the army as Colonel of regiment that
Democrat had raised and to whom the
command was promised, and thus was the
placed in command of honest men, as their
superior officer. .,,rEty rs -,,-j
10 Pending the discovery of the robbery OF
the public funds, GIBSON had resisted all
attempts of a committee of the Senate, at
the head of whom was the late ALFRED
KELLY, to examine into the condition of
the dFreasury-placing his refusal on the
ground that all Investigating committees
of the Legislature must be raised by the
two houses. This refusal gave him time to
fix up things, and when joint committee
was appointed and procured admission into
the State Treasury and possession of its
funds, they found certificates of deposit on
various banks, to the credit of the Treas
urer, amply sufficient to cover any delin-
quency. 'Uhder oath, WIN. 81. GIBsoN ssoore
that the money found, and every cent Of the de-
p5sits in different banks, of aohich he held Ger
titicates, actually belonged to the Treasury, and
,cds under his control as Treasurer. Mr..
BREsLIN, his immediate predecessor, GIB-
SON also saoore, HAD, PAID OVER TO HIM Ev-
ERY CENT OF THE MONEY FOUND. DUE THE
STATE WHEN he LEFT THE OFFICE, AND FOR
WHICH AMOUNT BREsLIN HELD HIS (GIB
,oN's) RECEIPTS. --t+i5
Soon after these facts transpired deficit
IN the Treasury of over Eight Hundred
Thousand Dollars was found to exist, and
GIBSON, as before stated, was promptly dis
missed from Office, was indicted, tried and
found guilty of q Penitentiary offense, but
before he was sentenced and sent to the
Penitentiary was granted a new trial,
which never came off, because Mr.. ,Attor-
ney General WEST had the case dismissed.
His letter to JUDGE BATES, giving his rea-
son for this strange proceeding, evidently
not intended for the public eye, was as
BELLFFoNTAINE, o., April 27, 1866,
JUDGE BATEs-Dedr Sir: l had hoped
to be in attendance at the opening of your
Court to- day, but protracted and serious
in my family prevents. 10f
L feel that it is due TO justice, the State
and Colonel VIM. H. Gibson that the in
iictments pending against him in Frank
lin Common Pleas be disposed of. The late
Attorney General Richardson had deter
mined to discontinue these prosecutions,
and had soindicated his purpose to Colonel
Gibson in. the field; but the pressure of
military duties required of him by the
compelled the resignation of
mis- civil Office before the convening of the
.erm sat which the Sdiseontinuances could
De entered. My immediate predecessor,
Attorney General Olds, also strongly rec
,mmended the dismissal of these prosecu-
ions in his annual report.
The prosecutions against John G. BreS-
in, the principal offender, were dismissed
~ the late Attorney General, now Senator,
Critchfield. 1t would, therefore, seem to
De exceeding hard that Colonel Gibson,
whose delinquency arose from the impulse
If a generous though fatal friendship,
hould become the sole victim; whilst the
.hief offender, whose malfeasance Colonel
Gibson sought to screen from exposure
With the vain hope of securing restitution.
S voluntarily discharged "unwhipped OF
ustice."
In addition to this, the charge against
Iol. Gibson is one oftechnical wrong only,
'ather than of moral turpitude. l have
lot been ableto discover any evidence that
lie State sustained any pecuniary loss, by
he act upon which these prosecutions are
Ounded. The State Treasury having been
lepleted by Mr.. Breslin's defalcations,
Col. Gibson converted sundry securities,
to his official custody for other
to the payment of the liabilities
# the State. But / cannot learn nor do
understand it to be claimed that he ap-
any part OF these securities or
heir proceeds tohis own use. This CONVEX
ion was designed to prevent the exposure
# Breslin until he could refund the sums
1
his consists Col. Gibson's offense,
Col. Gibson was once convicted, but not
without much hesitation on the part of the
ury, notwithstanding the act was of then
ecent commission; when the current of
popular indignation, which always springs
rom official delinquency, and from which,
hen, if ever, the feeling of the jury
would receive an unfavorable bias, was
troDgly against him. Yet, the verdict
hus rendered was set aside.
Whether another conviction could now
,e secured, is more than doubtful, SO many
hings copnected with his subsequent ca
eer, plead $. trumpet-tongued" against his
urther prosecution. Even whilst these
Indictments were pending against Colonel
Gibson, the Government, in the hour of its
sreatest peril and its darkest gloom, in
rusted to him the sword of its defense and
he honor of its flag and he did not betray
hem. *O**----*
But for these gallant services of Col.
Gibson and his compatriots in arms, you
ind might not now be administering laws
20 free people. Though he may have
violated our statutes; he has
made atonement thousand fold by she'd
ling his blood in the defense of our homes
md INSTITUTIONS. 4f8E Il.
Many appeals are male by the bronzed
Veterans of Col. Gibson's command, who
rave come home covered with scars, and
With honors not to tarnish these by the re-
iected. disgrace they would incur from the
urther prosecution and conviction of their
I'D and idolized commander. Ifhis offense,
,ay they, had not such turpitude as to rem
ier him unworthy of being made their
leader, and to share their perils in the field,
it is not such that their brave commander
should be now ANONYMOUSLY punished
and they, whose glory was and is
identified with his fame, should now be
stunned and dishonored by his disgrace.
Under these circumstances / feel that
" hills the country's parricides are honored
with sweeping pardon. its patriots may
be at leasttorgiVen;- and that the technical.
though public offense of COL. Gibson,
should be cancelled by his claims to public
gratitude. ,--r-,.. ,....
: II that offense had been one of unmixed
turpitude, designed for his own emolu-