Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1871-07-21
Unfortunate Forth Carolinr


We copy the following from the New
York Tribune of Saturday. The charac.
Ter of North Carolina ard her credit ara
the foot ball Of rascals and swindlers ev.
erywhere. Her bonds figure in election
brides and police court proceedings
throughout the North, AS we'll as on 'change
Tue plea of naval officer Lafiu-brothrr
of our General Lafin-that no mailed a
81 900 North Clrollna bond, 'by some
ms nance, so constituent" instead OF
a printed speech" reminds us Of the
miner in which Tim Lee found PACKAGE
of $40, 900 directe to him. and 5 5000 for
Judge Wat 8, lying on Littiefield's table.
and i'm ''took it," Phillips and Gov
Caldwell will yet be held to account f.,
their countenaUce and support of the rob-
bers Of the character and credit Of on-
State. Aud The people are asked by Phil
lips d Go. to vote against Convention that
these fraudulent bonds may be D lid. 81 600
of which is rated in the followiD e at $lOO-
ten cents in the dollar for eight per cent
North Carolina bonds! If the people trust
toe radicals longer and vote down Conveu.
tipE--the only means by which ley can
rid themselves Of this thiBvisn q, bt-tken
they ought 10 be made to pay it-I0O Gems
in the dollar, besides the eight per c. 1t.
interest. The following is the article fr m
the Tribune. Let the tople refresh their
mem ~:
From the N. Y. Tribune of Saturday.
NAVAL OFFICER LAFLIN's CAsE-THE HER
KIMER COUNTY INDICTMENT FOR Perjury
The friends of Naval Officer Latin, a.
the custom house, stated yesterday that
he went to Herkimer county last Saturday
to Look after the charges brought against
him, and they expressed implicit conf
dence III his ability to excnlpate himself
mpietely, at the proper time. They at
TT buted the bringing of an indictment
against him to the workings of political
spite. Ii is stated by those who are per
hAps not friendly TO the Naval Officer, that
after serving SIX years in Congress, he lost
the denomination, last fall, or rather
withdrew from the contest in advance or
acoount IF the injury to his pre- spects from
prevalent impression that he was con.
cerned in certain transactions in North
Carolina r ,ilroad bonds, one of which, for
vi OOO, Was that which was mailed by
accident TO one of his constituents, and
ultimately caused the present trouble
Fne bonds in question were guaranteed
by the legislature of North Ourolipa, at
the instance of Gen. Nj. S. Littlefeld and
Others incorporated for the building of c
railroad. Upon this guarantee a large
number of them were "foated" IN the
New York market, usually by hypotheca.
tug them. In several cases where large
IoaLs were obtailed upon quaint ties of
these bonds, 1t soon became evident that
the borrowers had no intention Of re.
deemlng them. Prominent members +
The ring" cJucerned III this scheme were
GoLe"al NJ. >. Littledeld and MIR. Jones
from NOrth Carolina. Coming into DOS
session of large sums Of money by this
means thy plunged into extravagput dis
slpauon mere with other Carullnians-
Jones, for example, hypo' hecated 10000
VI the bonds and for lwith began pl4ying
faro, soon losing nearly $4O, 900. The
lander, Mr.. Bryant, hearing of the affair,
a. once sold the securities, in order to
avoid loss, though the condi ions of the
loan were that he was to hold them for six
months. Other capitalists holding large
amounts of these honda also became
alarmed and threw them upon the market.
causing the price to decline to a few cents
on the dollar. Littlefeld and other par
Hes TO the fraud subsequently fed to avoid
prosecution, the Governor of North Car
DINA Offering So, 900 for the arrest of the
hfst named as principal. He took refuge
1oder the protection of his friend, the
Governor of Florida, where sla now re-
naine.
The unfortunate circumstance that Mr..
AnAAuB Ny SOuo ml6onauc6, mailed one OF
these bonds, instead Of printed speech,
lnder his own frank, to a cons ituent dur
ng the canvass for Congress nomination,
is said to have been seized upon by his
sne mics, and, in connection with the &C
count OF Llttleheld's Transactions in Wall
ltreet, 90 nave been successfully used to
lestroy his political prospects in the Dis
rlct. 1t 10 not now alleged, however, by
my one, that Mr. Latin was concerned in
ne fraudulent manipulation of the bonds.
The particular bond, which was sent by
mistake, belonged, it is said, to his
brother, who had been somewhat connect
d, to his cost, with Li.tIefeld and the
'thers. The present Indictment is under
TODD to have been brought on account of
statement mado in the course Of the suit
rought by the brother for the recovery Of
be bond. Tie value of the bond at the
me when it left Mr.. Lahiu's hands. ap-
ears to have been only about 500, aud
, have since remained about that amount.
Lr. Lanin's explanation, it is stated, will
exonerate him in reference to
le transactions from first to last.