New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-05-04
THE REWARD or CRIME.

price the inheritance of good name-a time
when public virtue and personal integrity went
hand in hand, and rogues were stunned and
pointed at as examples TO deter the young from
a life of infamy. Justice was not made mock
cry then to the aristocratic thief who had
stolen his half million. He could not pur-
chase with it the aid Of corrupt pardOn-brokers.
Theft was called theft, and crime crime, and the
good old proverb Honesty is the best policy"
had not come into contempt, and been secuted
at by Chief Magistrates as snare and delusion.
But what shall we say of these latter days,
when the swindling contractors OF the war roll
along the Avenue in emblazOned carriages with
out having been imprisoned day or fined
dollar for their crimes; when the most expert
and dangerous counterfeiters of our public Sc
curties are enlarged for price paid to the par
don broker; and when such villains as Solomon
Kohnstamm are let off with a paltry punish
ment and restored to the enjoyment Of their
stolen treasurer What can men of honor say
that is severe enough of the President OF the
United States for this last most nefarious abuse
of the pardoning power7 What reproaches
can be framed by upright judges and honor
able public officers generally that will sufii-
GENTLY attest their Indignation at the reward
which has been paid by him to Kohnstamm
for his appalling career of fraudY Ii there
ever was a case utterly without a redeeming
feature, it is this. Men steal clothes to cover
their own nakedness or that of their families,
or food to save themselves from starvation,
and their very wretchedness pleads for pardon;
but this man stole, and forged, and subOrned
perjury when he was already rich, and had no
incentive but the qualification of his own de-
PRAYED heart to urge him on. He was male
factor from choice not necessity. He was not
tempted, but tempted the poor and ignorant to
commit crime, and did not even share the
plumber with them. The ill-gotten gains were
all his. His harvest was reaped when the
country could least afford to have such cleaners
at work. When our young men were dying
by thousands in BATTLE when debt was being
piled on us mountain high when we most
needed the help of good men, and their tribute
in money, this vampire was at his work. He
filled his Golfers at the price of the
bleeding country and every dollar he
stole was almost like drop of blood.
He Toasted our disbursing officers, and filled
them with wine, that he might the easier rob
them of the public funds in their charge; he
seduced them from their sense Of honor, that
he might make them share III his crime, and
he sent his runners into every beer-shOp
and restaurant i'll the city to delude
ignorant men into fOrswearing themselves
for pitiful sum of money. For two
years he ran his course of crime I'M
checked, and robbed the Government of about
quarter of million, and made 1t
bye-word and reproach, and created
the belief that there was no judge
that he could not buy, and no public official
whom he could not Seduce When he felt the
end approaching, he spread a magnificent ban
quet at Delmonico's, and gathered together the
United States Dstrict-Attorney the County
District-AttOrney, the t-Marshal-Gene-
raj, representatives of the professions, mer-
chants of standing, and officers of the army, and
he made merry with his friends.7 Then came
his arrest, and, after many months, his trial. his
conviction and sentence, and the Court in pro-
nouncing this, rccited with real Indignation the
catalogue of his crimes in these words:
Judge Nelson-The ofTense Of which you have been
convicted is one that can be committed only upon de-
ton knowledge OF the business OF preparing claims
against the Government, and skill In getting up the
also the assistance and cooperation OF other persons in
furtherance of the fraudulent purpose. IL has none
committed In haste on a sudden impulse or
thoughtlcsncsS, but is the result of deliberate
Judgment In choosing between life OF transgression and
crime aud that OF virtue responsibility and honor. Be
side the aggrayation OF deberaton and reflection at
tending the preparation OF the crime, your position in
society and wealth used TO tempt and corrupt the
humble ignorant and dependent within the circle
OF your influence For months you had in youpothce and
employ dependents who engaged in hunting up
these claims against the Government not only hunting
documents give them the appearance of honest and
genuine claims II there was any ingredient Of
truth in these claims the amount was grossly
exagCerated- many OF them the papers In support OF
tho claim and the claim itself were an entire fabrication
Many the persons whose names You used IN getting up
these papers imposed ulon-many names were
forged many false oaths were takenindeed Your oense
involved In its Preparation in almost every instance tha
has come before us the crimes OF forgery and perjury OF
others OF the wages Of which you have been the re-
cpient The magnitude OF these frauds upon the Govern
ment Is appauhg person Wi'ngs iS S ,o,,a to
hearing the evidence IN the case, Would Almost VShe no
Coycrnmont in mis- city was established for the
payment Of false and fraudulent, rather than
are many other indictments, We are Informed already
found against you for similar oheSes For the present
Indeed, hope that during the somewhat long hnprs-
onment feel compelled 10 fix for tins oense your re-
Elections and conduct may work contltOn ana relona
ton and that when you come ont OF your coninement
you may be able TO satisfy the Government and the com
aud that further nicton would be cruelty You VIII re-
nlize during your imprisonment that the ways OF the
coarsely cladyour associations will be among maefac-
tors aud eons fellow beings who have forfeited by their
crimes all the associations and enjoyments and indeed
almost al the charities of civilized society scarcely any
consolation IS left but one-the opportunity OF rcecu9n
OF contron of humblng yourself in sincere sorrow for
the past and o. resolution OF amendment OF your NE III
The unre The Court sentence you to,imprisonmen in
the state PRISON nc Sing Sing at hard labor for the period
OF ten years" The prisoner was then removed
One would have thought that such man as
this might have been allowed to remain quietly
in prison until his term had expired. Ii would
seem as if this were the least that the Presi-
dent could do to man who had torty-ei9ht
indictments recorded against him on the dock
cts of the United States Court But in spite