Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1871-09-23
THE GREAT GARDINER FRAUD.
THE TRAGIC END0F leo. A GARDINER.
The Story Of this Remarkable Case.

presents more remarkable features than the
great Gardiner mining fraud, with the tragic
sequel Of the death of the accomplished perpe-
trator by his ovnband tits somewhat singular
that this striking case should never have been
fully written up. What has been written about
it thus far has been desultory and imperfect,
and we have seen lately some mention of Gardi-
ner's death, in which it is stated that he COM
mittod suicide in the courtroom in the presence
of the horror stricken judge and jury. wehaye
not the space 70 give the full details Of this very
remarkable case, but in view of the great in
terest attached to il have collected the following
particulars, many of them being now printed
for the first time:
George A. Gardiner was a dental surgeon by
profession, ard the time Of his notable scheme
to defraud the government was just after the
close OF the Mexican war. he being then about
thirty years OF age. He pretended 10 have been
born at sc under the American flag, of parents
who were natives of the West Indies. Though
educated in the United States, he had spent
much OF his time in Cuba and in Mexico, where
he had long been practicing his profession when
the war between the United States and that
country CONNIE need. His perfect Familiarity
with the Spanish language enabled him to re-
main there attending to hisProfessional business
Americans he claimed to be a citizen Of the
United States. The testimony during his trial
showed that he was enabled to remain there
unmolested in the very heart of the enemy's
country, under the plea that he was a Habanero
or Cuban Spaniard, which obtained universal
credit from the fact that so perfect was he the
master of the Spanish tongue as that detection
of his American associations from his speech
was not possible.
aHE SCHEME OF FRAUD.
AT the close of the war came the treaty of
Guadalupe Hidalgo, and under it commission
was appointed charged with the duty of investi-
eating and awarding judgment on the claims of
ynS ~ nffi IL
Mexico, and their liquidation out of fund for
that purpose, set apart by Congress under the
terms of the convention. DR.. Gardiner appeared
before this commission himself, and by attorney
claiming very large sum, alleged by him to
have bt en- lost IN consequence of the hostile acts
OF the Mexican auth in driving him away
from h mining operations in Laguniliias, in
the State of San Luis POtOsi. This statement
was backed up by his own aidavits and those of
many others, MeXicans. with few exceptions all
OF which were duly certified, with Mexican Off
cal seals and other fOrmalities In fact his claim
was apparently better made out than that of
many an honest applicant for portions of the
amount appropriated by Congress to be divided
by the commission. He obtained the aid of some
OF the best legal ability of the country, and no
other claim upon the Treasury of the United
States growing out of this treaty was ever sus-
tanned by so imposing an array of counsel; par
ties being drawn into the case under promises of
large contingencies when it was supposed their
private relations to the judges might render a
favorable award more likely to be made.
SUCCESS.
His adroitness in the preparation Of his case,
and securing talent and influence for its prose-
cution, resulted in the large award of S42s,75O
SUSPICION AROUSED.
Soon after the money was paid to him, and to
those who had become interested wi Ii him, the
governmenthad reason to fear that the claim was
aschemeof gross forgery and perjury. Measures
were therefore taken to have the matter thor
Oughly investigated, and two commissions were
sent to Mexico, with instructions to find out when
where, and how DIR. Gardiner had carried on his
enormous mining operations involving the loss
OF so large an amount. One OF these comm ssions
was under the direction Of Henry May, a
distinguished lawyer, a native Of this city, but
at that time a citizen of Baltimore; and the
other was conducted by Captain Barry, of this
city, whose testimony during the trial proved
him TO be man of great sagacity and energy
and admirably fitted for the really dangerous
| GRAND of exploration committed to his charge
and which he conducted under the guise Of a
pedler.
The whole region in which, according to
the pretended proofs brought by Gardiner, the
alleged mine was situated, was carefully
| searched, but no mines of the precious metals
abandoned, OF then being worked could be
| by Mr.. May and his colleagues, by proc
| lamation, to any one who could point out any
such mine there, or produce satisfactory evil
| dence showing that D.. Gardiner had been en-
gagged in mining in that portion of Mexico. The
| fact that he could not have been so engaged.
| having hundreds of men at work for him, and
l mining paraphernalia worth hundreds of thou
| sands OF dollars, (all of which was alleged to
| have been lost by Mexican Violence without
enabling the government to get a clue to the
| nary means taken to ferret it out, created at
once the general belief that the whole case was
/ a naked fraud. The government, as soon as i'm
possess ion of the requisite evidence, proceeded
| TO arraign Gardiner for fraud
l GARDINER GOES TO YyGIaSD Ann prrrpvo ro
BETRIED.
The amount OF the claim awardedto Gardiner.
as above stated, 1898, 40 including interest,
and 10 be paid on the 18th of May, 1851. Gardi-
| ner did not withdraw it from the Treasury at
| once, but allowed it to remain there until il
suited his convenience. He renamed here for
seine months, ard subsequently deposited his
vouchers with Corcoran & Riggs, settled with
his counsel, and having squared up his private
| accounts in this country, left for England.
In a letter dated at London, july 18th, 1851. to
United States Attorney p. r. Fendall, in rela-
| tive 10 the newspaper rumors that his claim was
| obtained by forgery, he requested the attorney
4 to inform him immediately if an investigation
l should be ordered, when he would proceed to
the United States TO clear himself of all suspicion
i and confound his accuseIs. Also stating that
| all his funds were in the United States and at
| the disposal of the government should the courts
| or his country decide against him. By a curious
coincidence it was on the very II tn day of july,
1851, that this letter was penned that the grand
jury of this District found the Indictment 9ainst
| him.. Gardiner was arrested in December, 1851,
| the trial set for March following, when de-
| murrer was filed and case continued to the june
! term, 1852, when it was further continued to
| December.
THE INTEREST IN THE TRIAL.
| The reports whispered about of the discovery,
| by the government, of evidence showing the
Gardiner claim to be one of the most adroitly
| conceived and astounding frauds on record,
l served to draw around the trial q remarkable
degree Of interest, especially as Gardner still
| maintained bold and unruffied front, and with
calm self possession asserted his ability to estab-
| lsh his innocence beyond a shadow Of doubt.
The undonbted fact, too, that he had succeeded
1 in impressing his counsel cool-headed men of
4 experience and noted sagacity in criminal prac
tice, Of the truthfulness Of his pretensions.
served to cause the community to hesitate be.
tween two opinions IN regard to the guilt or in
nocence Of the accused. The government kent
quiet in regard to the nature Of the evidence n
had to offer, and Gsrdiner, though doubtless
dreading that all had been exposed, had no
means Of knowing the nature and extent of the
Canning discoveries made by the government
commissioners.
| THR FIRST TRIAL.
This trial, which took place before the late
Judge Crawford, probably attracted more at
teatiOD the eo<iDfrv over than INV ,<b.-