Wilmington daily gazette., 1874-06-26
From the New York Tribune. .day.
~Tl,e nistrict Burglar


characterization of the alleged safe-burela-
ry in the office of the Assistant Attorney Tor tue
District of Columbi is by far the most import
ant of the labors which remain 10 oe hccnm-
nliahed now that Congress has done Its part
n ,be removal of the great scandal of Washing
ron government. Lven the restoration OF
Shenberd. outrageous rs it would have been 10
the moral sense of the whole country, wouiu
failure n arrive at the truth of this extraordina
rv conspiracy against the liberty anu Eood
name of reputable citizens. The District Ilng
was dlscraced and expelled from ONCE lor
rohbing the tax payers; hut that was Veniai
otiense compared with the atrocious attempt TO
convict an innocent and well-known citizen OF
felony aud consign him TO the penitentiary TO-
n pretended crime committed by his rrosecu-
tors. And the wors; feature about this deed
of infamv is tho fact that 1t appears 10 nave
been concocted by officers ofihe Jaw.
When the evidence OF the witness nays was
first published we warned our readers that al
though his testimony wos credible on its iace'
IL would be no mors than common prudence 70
suspend judgement until it should be answered
or conaimed. 1t has been confirmed in part,
and it has not been impeached IN any particular
whatever II has been proved that the statement
of Havs as to his correspondence on tins matter
with Col II. &. Whitley, Chief OF the treasury
Secret Service, and with Whitl-ys assistant. Net
tcship, were strictly true, and that the contra
diction made under oath by those two officers
| was no. true 1t had been shewn that the anony'
nous letter to Harrington giving warning OF the
| pretended burglary was IN Netteships hand
| writing Aud though the participation OF Har'
J rinrton in the conspiracy Is not actually estab
| lshed bv such OF the testimony as has thus fsl
| appeared IN print sensible men will have no dih
| Guilty in drawing the proper differences from whA
has been disclosed. and putting an interpretatior
| upon the extraordinary watch Kept by the Assis
| tant District Attorney over the blowing up of hi
/ own safe. and the gathering Of Shepherd
| Evans, and other very congcnial spirits, who
waited all night at the Club for the job to b
| finished.
The investigation is now in the hands Of tn
Secretary of the Treasury, to whom Whitele.
and Eettleshp are responsible, and the Attor
nev-General, who will inquire what legal pro
ceedngmay be possible and appropriate, ant
what shall be done with Mr.. Harrington, VIII
is a law officer of the United States. We ar
glad to believe that Nir. Bristow has taken ul
the matter with characteristic energy; it coul'
not be in better hands. What the Attorney
General will do with il remains TO be seen; 70
all due confidence in his integrity and publ
spirit, we cannot shut our eyes 10 the fact tina
! erbarrassments Of personal nature lie all a
round his steps, Certainly Harrington, Whit
ley, and Nettleship never entered into leagu
together, of their own motion to ruin Co.um
bus Alexander. Ii they are guilty there ar
greater criminals behind them, and the Attor
ney-General when he pursues The inTestiga
ton must nerve him self to the danger CT catch
ing some OF his own friends.