Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-01-23
General Meade requested the opinion

Oh Iilo oAtGOrney-GeueTaio vi Iue OIdIc, which
was In denunciation of the project, and all
who participated therein were liable to in
dictment, when General Meade pronounced
it swindie, he and Pennypacker with
drawing. Strange then that men whose
only object was charity should run the
hazard ,sof = the laws punishment; ;
not strange that France, Edgerton.
and Dickinson should, for they had
often taken such chances. 1t has been
asked why Mr.. Anderson. who had entire
control of the scheme, should not have then
Withdrawn his aid. He was afraid of his
diamonds then on. exhibition in Philadel-
phia, lest they might be seized by the police,
and removed them to New York city.
Here more devices were required to pro-
tect them from an ANTICIPATED raid by the
police of that city. Mature deliberatiOn
was again had, and it was concluded to ex-
hibit the jewels at one place, while the
office OF the operators should be at another
Then, if the police came to make an arrest
and should seize, as they were by law re-
quired, everything connected with the
crime, and on exhibition, that they wOuld
however, not be justified in Selling articles
in another building. ta4., ,,f1.,tr
After the charter was obtained, making
up the prizes involved some discussion
Mr.. Anderson first proposed to enter one
thousand acres Of oil land he owned IN
Pennsylvania, but as petroleum was at a
discount it was thought diamonds would
be more attractive, and as he alleged he
had paid over $l50000 for them,
and been at some expense, he was
$200.000, yet they were valued in the
scheme at 100000. Mr.. Anderson
knew that 100000 were to be realized by
some parties, yet suffers the fraud to 60 on
unrebuked. 7St Lb3AhtIHj fs'is .s
| Then Judge Smith, whose advice had
! been valuable, was offered an opportunity
| to show his sympathy for the disabled SOL
tlier, and he offers a farm in Sullivan coun-
| ty, with some valuable stock, which he
/ valued to the managers at $45, 900, while
fthey withhold the stock and present the
farm at 100000. Here some one was to be
tenriched by the value of the stock and
$4,000; yet the judge takes no exception
When an exposeis is made, and the mana
gers find they must go to the wall on the
. late to remove the character of the opera
/ tion. The testimony shows that at a forced
sale the farm might bring $4,000; very
3 liberal estimate would be from $4,000 to
$1,000; while on the assessors book of the
Town it is valued at $3.500. The fact ol
withdrawal is concession of the fraud.
A portion of the diamonds Mr.. Ander-
son claimed to have been swindle upon
him, and can be none the less so on The
public. Some of the Diamonds are said tc
be couplets, that is, a genuine top on ar
inferior bottom difficult of detection artel
setting On many of them Mr.. Anderson
had advanced money as loan. yet SO in.
ferior were they by reason ofsize and quail.
| ity, although genuine diamonds, that they
were not redeemed !, the ,owners-havine
played a sharp game-never intended *
redeem them propably. ....a
In the list Is the yacht Henrietta, proven
to be worth $4,000, valued by the mana
gers at $4,000 The managers in this cas-,
have, no doubt, increased the valuation
given by her owner. rfs7r@r '.af -i5 s'
| a., Anderson called on Mr.. Jones, pnb
Usher of the New York Times, who was in
iterested in the publication of the Tribute
book, many of which remained unsold, a;
it had no value for general reading, it,
main attraction being some plates and ele
CANT binding; 1000 copies were offered a
$40 each then Mr.. Jones solicited newspa
pers toimake no attack upon the scheme.
Not satisfied with the Endorsement of tn,
Pennsylvania Legislature they seek to de
fraud the revenue from the payment of tax
knowing that such exemption will be. con
fsidered an additional guarantee of thegO
faith of the project. They made applica
ton to John ii. Deihl, collector of the sec
ond district of Pennsylvania, May %, 1867
He knew that the good faith of the trans
faction was questioned that the At
Itorney, General of his State had de
[nounced it; that General Meade hat
Withdrawn from and denounced it; i
he ascertained the facts, which the dis
Ichalge offis duties required, he knew thei
Icharter did not authorize the scheme they
were projecting. He knew from their char
liter that only, ten Thousand dollars were t,
be appropriated to the object OF the charit,
lIprevious to each drawing, and that by thei
Ilby-laws passed March IA, 1864, all money
realized after paying the $4,000 were Il
be retained by France Sc Co., ye
Mr.. Delhi certifies s.all the net pro
Iceeds were to be appropriated to tn
states in his certificate that Attorney-Gen
eral Brewster had brought the case befor
the Supreme Court. He also adds tina
three eminent counsel, naming them, ha,
given an opinion affirming its legality
whereas one of them, MIR. Meredith, ha
published letter denying that he eve
gave any such opinion. Mr.. Delhi ma
have supposed it to be all right or he wopl
probably not have allowed his son to be ap
pointed receiver for the concerns.
The Postmaster General who has ad
vised his postmasters to aid this g trul
patriotic and benevolent enterprise,
found that he had been deceived, and b.
his authority the editor OF the Mail, in tn
December number, says: II .=.f- ..- ..,f..j., ..
|
General to say, that at the time he was in
duced to sign this recommendation he be
lieved the enterprise was praiseworth
one, and intended to aid a uoble charity
but that he has become convinced that tn
scheme has been perverted to frauduler
purposes, and he desires to Withdraw th
Recommendation he then made" ,,fn
This scheme uses the pretext of benef
to disabled soldiers. In their name we pre-
test against the prostitution of sympath
for their scars and empty sleeves, and hOl
impulses of charity for their misfortune
to furnish market for certain property
at fictitious values and large profits to me
whether of acknowledged wealth and sc
cial position. HOr needy, adventures an
prOfessed gamblers. ..d.u si, o. YspiiT.i7-
After, the difficulty in Pennsylvania
France & Co. were elbOwed out on th
ground, as alleged by one witness, tils
their character as lottery men was injurin
the concern; yet that character was I'll
only consideration for their employment
and Mr.. Hitchcock. who had been success!
full in a previous Gift enterprise, substitu
ted. After ten months operation the proc
is that not sufficient money has yet bee
realized to meet expenses. The prOspe,
of any drawing is very remote. s.+
Mr. Hitchcock testified that the exper
ses were about $4,000 more thu n the re
ceipts, only $4,000 having been received
He also established that some of the tru;
| tees met at Philadelphia, on the lot
january, 1868, and passed resolution th,
the net proceeds of the concern should
appropriated to the object of the charit,
The passage of such resolution at so late
day cannot relieve the scheme from tt
charges made, and, like the withdrawal
the farm, are certainly suspicious, if NJ
conclusive evidence against it. AT the san
, time a resolution was passed authorizin
the president of the association to make
contract with Mr.. Hitchcock for the maj
agement of the affairs, and that contra
may be so made as to swallow up poItiC
or the whole OF the profits.
Lotteries and gambling of all kinds al
condemned by well regulated communitie
= lIInfnrtnnatelY. during the war, Congre