The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-09-02
STRA W BAIL.

STRA W BAIL.
EDWARD T. LANDMAN, who was arrested last
week for attempting to rob the paymasters
safe at the Navy Yard, is believed to be
New York burglar of more than common
skill, cunning, and daring, and no pains
should have been spared to retain him in
custody until his antecedents as we'll as the
particular offense for which he was arrested
could be thoroughly investigated. Alderman
Kerr, with proper appreciation of the i'm
portance of the case, when Landman had a
hearing before him on Friday last, construed
his offense to be burglary, which under the
law is not bailable by an alderman, and there
fore had him locked up in order to give the
District Attorney an opportunity to take the
proper steps for securing him permanently,
and bringing him to justice. From the first
the detectives seem to have taken an ex-
ceedingly friendly interest in the prisoner,
and the two officers who escorted him to pri-
son provided carriage for his accommoda-
ton instead of subjecting him to the indig-
nifty of the regular prison van. Others of the
detective force appeared to be anxiously ex-
ercised about him, not lest he should get
out of the clutches OF the law, but for fear
lest he should not be able to do SO, and
they seem to have exerted themselves
most assiduously to have him relieved
from the disco mforts and inconveniences
of the County Prison as soon as possible.
Scarcely had he been sent to prison when what
purported TO be transcript of Alderman
Kerrs docket was presented to Recorder
Givin, and man who represented himself to
be John S,henkel, the proprietor of liquor
store at the corner of Warnock street and
Columbia avenue apd who swore that he
owned real estate assessed at $1,000 value,
offered himself as bail, and was accepted by
the Recorder, the amount of the bail being
fixed at $250O. No title-deeds were required
to be shown, and although Landman was
charged with one of the most serious offenses
known to the law, and was suspected
of being a sklful and daring profes-
sional burglar, he was allowed to make
his escape with facility that must impress
him with the idea that Philadelphia is tole-
rably safe place for him to operate in. The
next day it was discovered that the individual
who offered bail was not John Schenkel, and,
as a consequence, the Recorder was badly
sold, with an ease that must have been highly
gratifying to Landman and his friends land
man, of course, has taken himself to parts un-
known and if he is on hand when he is
wanted, it will be because he has experienced
change of heart which will induce him to
believe that sojourn in our Penitentiary for
term of years is preferable to leading life
of sin outside its walls. Such a contin-
gency as this, however is so very remote
that Landman need scarcely be expected to
put in an appearance TO answer the charges
against him The very least that can be said
about the release of this thief is that it was
most unpardonable piece Of carelessness on
| the part of Recorder Givin, who under all
the peculiar circumstances of the case should
have aided in retaining Lahdmau in custody
until the District Attorney had an opportu-
nifty to take measures for securing him per-
manently, or at least have demanded that the
| person offering himself as bail should produce
some palpable evidences that he was actually
a property owner. The investigation into this
affair held before the Mayor on Wednes-
day, for the purpose Of giving the de-
tectives an opportunity to explain matters,
demonstrated in a very conclusive manner
the utter worthlessness of our detective sys-
tenn. The officers were, by their own show
ing, the common associates of thieves and
gamblers, and it is impossible for them to
make the people of this city believe that the
eminently friendly terms that exist between
the criminal classes and those whose duty it
is to aid in bringing offenders against the
law to punishment is at all conducive to the
ends of justice. The detective force does
not stand as high as it ought in the credit of
the community, and in view of the many
other suspicious circumstances that have
heen connected with the transactions of some