The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1867-08-10
#heeling gegister.
saturday Morning.. August 40.
Forging shielded-A Humiliating
Confessi0n.

his having forged the names Oh certain
parties of that county to certain wit
ness tickets; of the attempt 10 indict
him and of the postponement Of the
matter until the forged papers, then in
the Auditors Office here, could be pro-
cured. We then charged that these
forged tickets had been returned TO
+. T. MOORE from the office of the State
Auditor.
While we were well satisfied of the
correctness of our statements, else we
had not made them, We were anxious
that full investigation of the whole
subject should be had, aud that, as far
rs it was yet possible, the fullest justice
should be extended to all parties con
cernrd To this end, We invited the
state House authorities 10 make,
through these columns, any refutation
of our harge that they might desire to
present. In response to our invitation
We have received from the State Audi
TOR the following card, which we here
append. in order that it may have the
same prominence as the accusation
which called it forth:
The STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA.; }
AUpIToR'S OFFICE,
WHEELING, Augusta, 1867.
Fd.ior DheeIiHg Register:
SiR:-In YOUR issue of the 6th inst. Is
an article headed Forgery Shielded" /"
designed to impeach me with the charge
Indicated have the satisfaction of
knowing that the imputation is false
and have no apologies to make for the
course | have pursued in the matter.
Had | attempted to shield Mr.. Moore, |
could have done 50 successfully, and yOu
nor any other person would have known
aught of the transaction.
The certificates were i'll my office from
about the nth of April to the 18th of
June. | did not pretend To keep the
matter a secret; on the contrary, the
certificates were exhibited to several
persons, among them two gentlemen
from Charleston, (Mr. Moore's residence)
who saw them on the same or following
morning after | received them, and to
those / expressed my apprehensions OF
the uenuinencss of the signatures OF
the endorsements. On the 18th of June,
after the Grand Jury had made an in
vestigation of the matter, and as l was
informed, had become sa'istied that the
transaction on the part OF Mr. Moore
was not with fraudulent or felonious
intent, ! mailed the certificates 10 a
friend in Charleston (not to Mr.. MoOre)
for the purpose of returning the certlfi-
Gates to him if it were proper.
will say here that if the grand jury
deferred the finding of true bill
against Mr.. Moore on the account OF not
having the evidence before them that
was existing in this office, justice need
not longer be delayed, for some OF the
evidence alluded to is here now. 1t Is
little strange however that Mr. Moore
admitted all the allegations against him
and yet you say the grand jury found no
indictment for want of evidence. L
have always regarded the confession OF a
charge evidence of the strongest char
acter, but perhaps the grand jury do not
and they can avail themselves OF such
rs was returned to the great disgust of
the public. J. NJ MCWHORTER,
Auditor.
We regret that we cannot dismiss from
consideration the shameful admissions
7 of the above statement rs readily as we
can ignore the bad temper in which
they we're penned. Personally, we
have no desire to entail disgrace upon
the author of this card; while we ex-
pose his improprieties as an officer we
will yet strive TO commiserate his
situation rs weak and erring man.
We find in Mr.. MCWHORTERs state
ment the fullest verificatiOn of our
charges. We also find, an uHmistaka-
bile cine to the motives which prompted
the Auditor To place the evidences OF
MooRE's offence beyond the reach OF
those who could use them in further
ance of the ends of justice. The forged
certificates were in the Auditors poses
sion from April 9th to June 18th. He
doubted their genuineness from the
first. and he returned them to "friend''
in Charleston to be returned to Mi.
MOORE ''if it were proper" and as the
public is aware, Mr.. MOORE received
them.
Mr.. MCWHoRTER seeks to shield him.
self by stating that he did not re-
store these papers until after the
investigation by the Grand Jury. The
question naturally arises, why did not
4 the Auditor send them to the Prosecu-
ting Attorney of Kanawha before the in
vestigation, if he sent them ut all lie
doubted their genuineness from the
first; why not solve his doubts and aid
in exposing the frand he suspected by
placing the evidence of MooRE's guilt
! in the hands of the proper authorities
Nv his own confession, Mr.. MCWHoTEF
is more guilty than we had charged
Although he knew Of the forgery before.
hand, he suppressed the proofs until
after the first attempt at investigation
and Their put them ont OF the way Il
he meant no wrong in returning thos'
papers why did he keep them so long
Did the effort at MooRE's indictment
show that with the papers before then
the Grand Jury must find true bill
and did fear OF such consequence in
duce the Auditor to dispose of those
certificates as he finally did dispose oi
themi
There is about the whole transaction
an air OF oficiousness on sthe part
of the Auditor, which look,
decidedly awkward. Who eSel
heard of an honest public Officer
sending such papers, or any papers, out