New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-09-20
MARA.

MARA.
I'm ancient days, there was fountain OF
bitterness which bore this namo or something
like it, and we fear our Philadelphia friends
Of the Administration type-for whom we can
not help being solicitous-are about to taste OF
il. Our private correspondence reveals state
of things there-mOre or less connected with
political action-which respectable citizens
NAV well deem alarming. The two great
objects of interest just now, in Administration
circles. are Charles r. Yerlles in the Peniten-
tiory. and Hugh Mara on the edge OF 1t.
Between them is this bond, that the counsel
imported from Pittsburgh to represent Mara
is no other than Hartranft's counsel IN re
Yerkes. and he, the Federal District-Attor-
new. No Philadelphia lawyer, it seems, can
be found to do the work which is required.
The bar of that city is an honorable ana
a loyal one in this-that it Acknowledges no
divided duty and never betrays client.
OF the Yerkes case We have naught to
say to-day-but Of Mara, a word or two,
founded ON what we believe accurate IN
formation. The administration of justice In
Philadelphia is, to say the least, peculiar
More than year ago, United States hev-
enue Agent, especially obnoxious to well
known Ring, in broad daylight, while sittlng
in his office, was shot almost to death. Two
of the assassins were Hugh Mara and a person
named we think Dougherty. No one douDtcu
then, no one doubts now, that the deed Oh
blood was done at the instigation OF what Is
known as the Whisky Ring, and no one In
Philadelphia is ignorant as to who are Its
political leaders and professional advisers.
At all events, DOugherty knew, and Mara
knows, who were their confederates.
Mara, being convicted, was, in consider
alton no doubt Of the secrets he held,
pardoned by Gov. Geary. Dougherty escaped,
but, returning prematurely some time since,
was stabbed to death in the streets of Phila-
delphia and silenced forever. Ruffians are
very apt to be reckless and imprudent, and
accordingly some weeks or months ago, In q
drunken brawl the pardoned Mara shot sym
pathetic Alderman, and, for while hidden by
those who have an interest in his silence,
escaped He was arrested by mere accident,
is now in custody, and about to be tried Tor
the new murderOus assault.
His doom, as it ought to be, is very
certain; but the hope of the honest
and the fear of the guilty is that be-
fore his lips are sealed by Judgment OF
conviction, ruflian as he is, he will tell the
truth about the antecedent crimes. That truth,
like what Yerkes could tel, will, it is said,
implicate at least one candidate for local
Office, and to prevent it's being told
every influence is now at work. Ouilty
as Mara may be, he is denied PRIV
ileges which are extended to those
far more guilty than he. 1t is ostentatlously
stated that his friends are refused access TO
him lest, like Yerkes, he might make an all
davit. He looks as well he may, to the law
yers around him (and where are there better
ones ?? TO counsel and defend him, if defense
he has, and they are kept at distance. He
once when he was part of the Whisky Ring,
had an eminent Philadelphia counsel, but he IS
officially arrayed against him now. In short,
Philadelphia criminal lawyers are not to be
trusted, because they know their duties as
citizens, and Mr.. Bucher Swope, the friend
of Hartranft-the Federal Dissatisfaction
ney-cOmes three hundred miles to de-
fend the would-be murderer of a Fed
eral Revenue Collector and to aid in
keeping the secrets of Ring whose
sole object now, as heretofore, is to defTaud
the Government. What Mr.. Swope will adj
wise or do remains to be seen. He could not
do anything better for his client or the public
than counsel him to make clean breast of
it. and before judgment is rendered tell who
they were who hired him and DOugheTty to
murder Mr. BrOokes. There is little hope OF
this. One of the great Kemble principles of
"silence" will, we fear, be impressed on the
mind of the brutal and ignorant agent OF
others, with perhaps the promise of second
pardon when tho Hartranft dynasty begins.
Never surely was there such a Penitentiary
party as this in Philadelphia. Its end, we
trust and believe, is near at hand.