Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-09-29
How Steal ing Is to Be Rewarded

Gibson's EmbezzIement of the
Peoples Money-How he was
Convicted, and How he Escaped
the Penitentiary, and How he
il Now a Candidate for Con-
gress.
The arrest of VIM. ii. GIBSON, Treasurer
of State, for the embezzlement of the funds
of the State, placed in his hands, as the
sworn custodian of the money of the State
his dismissal from office by Gov. CHASE
| his trial by a jury of his country, and
his conviction OF Penitentiary offense,
with the fact that, by disclosure to him of
the fact that the jury had found him
guilty, by the Constable in charge, and by
the means of that disclosure enabling
! him to escape sentence until a new trial
was granted--the suffering the Grim
nal to go at large and to enter the army,
and years after the trial, the entering of
'.olle prosecute by political and personal
| friend, the Attorney General, and the sub
sequent nomination of the convicted thief
as the candidate for Congress in the Ninth
Congressional District of Ohio, are among
the strange things growing out of the de-
generacy of modern times. ..f ..--. -,1r.
In the better days of the Republics
thief no matter how high he ranked, if
tried and found guilty was sentenced to
the extent of the law. A thief then, even
if he escaped the Penitentiary, provided
| the crime was proven on him, could not be
nominated to the lowest Office. The peo-
pie of all parties secuted such man. and
those not utterly debased would hold no
fellowship with him. r.,-..-7..s .-ya--
| In those days. a person convicted of a
Penitentiary crime would not dare to ad-
dress public meeting, as WIN. 81. GIBSON
now addresses his party friends; much less
could he get a nomination for Office, or
support from men, pretending to be hon.
est, even if he was candidate. r.....-
| Bat Congress now is not the Congress of
other days. Then that body was composed
of honest men and patriots-now it
is made up of Buffers. whose name has be-
come synonymous with that of an unlawful
taker of spoons-of BINGHAM, charged by
BUTLER with thejudicial murder of an inno-
cent woman-of the ScHENcKs, GARFIELDs,
EGGLEsToNs and others, who set the Con-
stitution at defianceiand whose acts have
disseveredthe Union by holding ten States
as conquered provinces, the people therein
having no rights that Radicalism is bound
( to respect. rE.rr Ir. .c.ur
BUTLER, with the crime of larceny
proven upon him--BINGHAM, with the
| judicial murder of Mrs. SURRATT, charged
| by BUTLER, are, with the others named,
and others unnamed, members of the pres
ent Congress-, renominated; and to make
the trio complete, WILLIAM III. GIBSON is
nominated to keep BUTLER and BINGHAM
| in countenance. ..--r a..
In the case of GIBSON and his theft of the
money in the State Treasury, we give be-
! low the record evidence of his conviction:
At the June Term of the Court of Com
mon Pleas, for the year 1857, the Grand
Jury of franklin county, duly selected,
| impannelled, charged and sworn according
to law. indicted WIN. III. GIBSON in two
separate Bills, for converting to his own
use. as Treasurer of State, moneys belong
ing to the State and in his possession, as
sworn custodian, large sums of money.
The Grand jury that thus indicted Glib
SON, was composed of large majority of
his own political friends--in the proportion
of eleven Republicans to four Democrats
the Republicans being leading men of his
own political party, as follows: r..a.
REPUBLIcAN-James Cherry (Foreman),
| Gibson w. Stoel. B. f. Jewett, Amos S.
Ramsey, Seneca Worthington, James Park,
L. P. Rhodes, John r. Heyl, CLANCY Cook,
William D. Martin and Lorin Warrington
| IL, &C. 'a- r '.-
DEMoCRATs-Casper Miller, Joseph Wells,
Jacob White, John Fl. Earhart-4.
The trial of GIBSON, term after term, was
STAYED of until November, 1859, when he
was finally brought to trial before struck
jury, composed of seven Republicans and
five Democrats, as follows:
/ REPUBLICANs-William Campbell, VIM.
II. Grennel, David Taylor, Peter Ambos,
Wm. Blynn, Nathaniel Merton and Jared
Forsman--7. II 1913 ..
DEMoCRATs-Thomas Patterson, Daniel
Hess, Alexander Moobery, Cyrus Eberly
and John P. Bruck--5.
Perhaps better or more intelligent jury
never had rogue in charge. We give
their politics to show that, on the grand
jury that found the Indictment and the
majority of his own political friends-a
single doubt in the mind of single one Of
theseven Republicans on the jury that tried
him, of his guilt, would have prevented a
verdict. But the doubt did not exist. Each
and every man of the twelve citizens COM
prising that jury, on his oath, said that
GIBSON was guilty of an offense which
should, and had not judgment been arrest
ed, would have sent him to the Ohio Peni-
tentiary with other thieves, to do the State
some service in the dress of convict.
What follows is from the record of the
Court, as certified by the Clerk:
FRANKLIN COMMON PLEAS COURT.
June Term July 16) A. d. 1857.
This day came again the grand jury here
inbefore at this term of this Court duly i'm
pannelled, sworn and charged according to
law. and presented in open Court in
dictments in the following cases, to-wit:
No. l.
The State OF ONO Indictment for
WILLIAM Il Il. GIBSON, EmOezzlement.
... ....... No. 2. -f -..a III.
The State of Ohio Indictment for
WILLIAM II. GIBSON. Embezzement.
November Term December 22d) a. d., 1859
The State of Ohio And now, to-wit:
WILLIAM Fl f. GIBSON, Sad @ tSfIofy day Of bes iSse
cember, A. D., 1853, came again the Attor-
ney General, and the Prosecuting Attor-
ney, who proseeutes for the State of Ohio
i'm this behalf, and also the defendant
william FL. Gibson, in his own prop
err person, as well as by coun-