The national Republican., 1869-01-09
LOCAL DEPARTMENT.

mated as II Is the purpose OF the Government
authotities to carry II to the grand jury In
spIte Of The discharge OF the accused By Com
missioner Burns. In view OF this fact and in |
justice TO Mr.. Rolfe, We give below In full Mr. |
This Is a case of great importance to the |
Government, to claim agents, and to the pub |
lie generally, and have endeavored to give to |
II that careful and serious attention and con- |
sidcration which the subject demands.
The defendant 10 charged with presenting
and prosecuting a claim upon the government
OF the Evansville and Crawfordsvllle raifohu,
Indiana, for transportation of troops IN lsol,
In violation Of the first and third seetions OF
the act of Congress Of % OF Mnfeh, lseS, "a
Brightley, pages l3s and l3p. rms ACT pro-
yldes for the punishment Of persons ms VINO ny may
present to any Department oi the Govern
ment fraudulent e,i@; I@.SisTi snII,n0 sue" e'd'"
In this case IL Is sdmitted, on the part OF the |
Government, thst the accused did not make, |
brought 10 evidence against him, but, on the
contrary, 1t is admitted that they are genuine.
The Government has brought witnesses to
prove that the vouchers are sub-rouehers be-
longing to the account OF a Quartetmaster who
has not been dHotred crtdh for the amount OF
them.
he came into the possession Of these vouchers
In the regular course OF his business as a
claim agent, and he produces his correspond
they sent an agent here to arrange the matter
with him. and agree upon the commission he
was to receive when the claim should be al.
manner In which he urged the claim In the
Quartermaster Generals otfice and Third Au.
ditor's office, and OF the surprise he felt when
he was arrested just as he was expecting to
realize the result of his labors.
The Government lays great stress upon the
tact Of his asking the company to agree to
also the fact OF his urging the ofncers In the
Departments to make this case special, so as
Sy sm but neither Of tSe8 sfe By ss sn% %eses
proof OF a fraudulent intention or knowledge,
as most claim agents who have had much ex-
perience know that In many cases hfty per
cent. has been allowed and paid by claimants,
and also that II 10 a common occurrence for
agents to ask that their cases be made special,
sometimes because they are anxious to realize
their fees, and sometimes because the claim.
ants themselves are importunate for early
payment.
II appears by the correspondence that the
accused assured the company that he believed
the claim to be a just and valid one, but at the
90 s The % GoveTnmeet had he " means " TO % fnd III Il
out, and 1t would find 1t out II also appears
that on the 9Th Of October last an officer OF
ufy, stating that he believed his company had
been paid all that was due them, and on the
24th day Of the same month he wrote to the
accused, offering him facilities for prosecuting
1t is diffeult to conceive why the railroad
company should thus urge him to pursue the
should seem from this that II there was
guilty knowledge II was on the part Of the
company, and not OF the accused
The law requires that the commissioner sh Al
commit for trial, II he 10 convinced that there
is probable cause to believe that the law hA
been yiolsted BY the accused but he oanno
The accused ls an entire stranger to me;
never heard OF him until was called upon Of
rest, and never saw him until he was brough
before me on Monday lasti but since the afai
was published, several highly respectsbl
gentlemen have spoken to me on the street an
a
man Of his good character should be concerne
in a fraudulent claim, declaring that they di
not believe he knew II. Although this Is no
proof OF his Innocence It is some proof OF hi
good character.
In conclusion, lam compelled to say that tn
not convinced me that "there is probable caus
to believe that the law has been violated B.
the accused nor that "he knew the sal
claim to be false, fictitious or fraudulent bu
on the contrary II there was guilty knowiedg
IT was on the part ofparties who have not beei
arrested.
The defendant is therefore honorably dis
charged. EDMUND r. BRowN,
United States Commissioner.
FIVE PERSONS PoIscSRD.-Complsint wa
made yesterday morning at the Second pre-
oinct station, by Mr. Clement T. Heshley,
gardener, living two miles northeast OF fhii
city, that Henry Thompson colored, who Is Ia
his employ, had, on Thursday evening last
attempted to poison his entire family by plac.
ing arsenic in the tea that they used for sup.
per The accused was arrested by Oficer
Hanes, and had a hearing before Justice
Thompson, when, from evidence produced 1t
thf fee years for Mr., Reshley, and proved to be
an honest, upright man until recently, when
he was detected Piiering vegetables from the
farm by Mr.: Frank Miller, who Is also An EN-.
ployee of Mr.. Heshley's. Miller Informed his
employer OF the fact, when Thompson threat.
ened to have revenge.
on Thursday Mrs. Annie Hoshley, wife oI
complainant, found a lot OF potatoes concealed
10 some straw, which she accused Thompson
pairing celery, In the field, for market, in CON
pany with Mr.. Miller, the accused went to the
greenhouse under the pretence OF warming
his feet, about which time Mrs, Heshley, who
was up stairs, heard some one In the house be
low. On sitting down to supper, the Bam'
evening, Thompson passed his tea to anothe
"a psrtSEins Of the tea, Harris remarked mai Ts tSa
Il had a, pesuliar ecu ar taste, but drank heartily o.
and Mr.. Miller. soon after supper all except
Thompson were taken with pains, vomiting
and purging, which continued throughout the
night, TO such an extent as to make 1t an i'm
possibility for one to assist the other, or TO
send after physician.
Dir. Heshley having recovered sufficiently
by morning, and having suspicion that poison
had been placed In the tea, examined a small
dish In the greenhouse In which arsenic had
T., aboS, CIT had aHs Se.as ,
away and on examining the leaves in the tea
pot found symptoms OF 1t therein.
Drs. Glennan and Reyburn, OF Campbell
hospital, were present during the trial, and
stated that the symptoms,as explained BY Mr
taking an over dose OF arsenic, The prisone
was committed to jail for n further hearing
In order to give DR.. Antissll an opportunitl
OF analyzing the tea.
THE CASE OF DIR: z. HOWE RIPLEy-Th,
case OF DR.. z. Howe Ripley, who was arrested
on Thursday night last, charged with "haYlng
on the Goth OF december caused the death oi
Mrs Minerva II. Martin by improperly pre-
seribing an overdose OF sulphate or morphine' >
came up for hearing at noon yesterday be-
fore Justice CLARK, at police headquarterS.
General A. II. Terry, A. X. Browne, and o.
5 Baker appeared as counsel for the defence.
The husband Of the deceased, Mr.. Griffith S.
Martin, was first examined, undergoing a
strict teross:eNamination, which lasted nearly
an hour His testimony was, in substance,
about the same as that given at the coroner 8
inquest on Thursday,
ida Martin was also examined, her testi.
mony varying little from that given by her on
Rpreylous occasion.
DR.; William NJ. Slowen, Dr. Edwin Bentley,
anu Dt, AntiEell testified as to the effects OF
the medicine administered, but no new facts
were elected beyond their previous te.timonv
at the coroner's Inquest
Lieut. NoonaR testified that the coroner's
inquest was called at the Instance Of MaioT
Richards, and upon the Major being nlaeei
upon the stand, said that he requested Lieut.,
csDse nf tRs sasth az 20 Nh %fn'es1Gstlon into the
formation transmitted to the Mayor. The
Justice after hearing the evidence, held Dr.
" jail IN Nne sum OF tbOO 10 await the
action Of the grand jury,
PRovTDENT AID SocIETy.-The board OF
directors Of this society held meeting at the
room OF the agent at p. m, Of Thursday,
whea, on motion Mr. s: Solomon was chosen
A communication from Mr.. @, A. Hall, pro.
posing that an employment agency be estab-
lished In connection with the general agents
oi1ee. was read and accepted.
Mr. Hall, on motion, was chosen an hon.
orary member OF the board OF directors.