New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-12-02
~ INPENUING CHININ.

The decision Of the case of Davis AFT. FIX,
GCu!d. and others. aud the extraordinary cir
cuIn>l..rctS connected with thc finding OF The
VERDICT alc s,niiicHnt Indications Of an ap-
preaching catastrophe to the Erie Eng. The
suit VIZ. brou"ht 10 compel Fi>, ana Gonld TO
recognize one Of their rrl3udiatcd contracts to
purchase gold, made through Srcycrs, at the
time of the famous "Black Friday' Cxcitc
m,nr CT, in other words, to pay tie differ
crcc between value of a certain amount Of
gold 1T the time ID; Wis sold i: to Spcycrs. and
tie >a,rc cr tie geld 1T noon ncyt day, when
il WIS TO have been DELIVERED The eum in
yolycd is less than $500; but il i UNDER
stood that thi> is only the pioneer Of many
otter suits, involving millions. If the rulings
of Jrd2c McCunn he sustained, "cold-
"l..r.hius" must he rated with Legitimate
contracts which the courts will protect and
cliorrr; and if the finding of this jury be ar-
ccItcl as precedent, the liability Of Fisk and
Gould for the unsettled transactions of
Sp"ycrs on that day of disaster mus. be con
silcrcd established. Ii is plain that the de-
| PENDANTS in the Davis case have reason to look
| uron the result with dismay. Unless it can
be ovaded or reversed, it means utter ruin.
| \ year ago perhaps such trial would have
given the barcns of Eric no great anxiety.
! There was then apparently no difficulty, p0liti-
c!l prc,lnIiry. or per Onil, from which they
ccilid not Er ,xrrcatcd Icy "C,atz." Il man
tanrls. ar an injunction. Mr.. Field could have
carY.cG the ca,. into Judge Barnards court.
! and Inclc IJ;t>is could have been tied up
wills * paItc orders. prohibited from taking
testimony, forced to tril without witnesses,
fined for contempt. halasscd in his business,
and llundcrtd by r. frlccs and receivers, until
he was lad to get rid Of the business on any
tom. whatever. But Judge Barnard is afraid
TO help the Ere Ring just now, and Judge
! pl;tt does not know enough. No rascality on
! tie part of Mr.. Fisk and the men who shared
with him in The "almielhy robbery" of the
/ Erie Railroad ought to surprise US; but
the crime by which they are accused
of trying to defeat justice in this
DAVIS case is almost too startling
for belief. The foreman of the jury charged
in open court that three of tho jurymcn had
"b, on approached with thousands of dollars
each, 20 induce a disagreement, by the hire
u inys of the E.ic Ring" and steps were ut
once taken to lay the matter before the Grand
Jury, with the proper atlidavlts. Now tins is no
vague Genuncation. but distinct and for
T mai charge, ana III IL can Dc sIbHtdH'la'cu IL
will prove tie most serious blow the Fisk and
Could clique has yet received. What can save
them alter such 81 exposure it is not easy to
see. The oicnse is not really worse than
tampcrnc with the ballot-hoy, but tampcring
with Il jury is one of the sins for which Am,ri-
cans have Il special adherence. 1t is true
that Mr.. Jay Gould aiIms that he has no
knowledge of the attempted bribery, which is
Just what he might have been expected to
SAY. lie also answers for the entire innocence
of his associate Mr.. Fisk. But the public will
not be expected to receive these assurances
with that idylc confidence with which they
are nut forward We shall watch the further
development of this remarkable case with the
greatest care and the District Attorney may
rest assured that he will be expected to do
! his very u,ilost in probing it to the bottom