Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1874-03-07

THE acoNnERciAL's" ATTACK ON wAhpHN
RtDfT0-A CRoss OUTRAGE.
fspeclai correspondence Of the sfArH JorHHAtl
NBw CASTLE, Feb. 2sth
(which We wish TO remark, and our Ian
guage IL pisin, ,-,.,
That for ways that are DARK ana Tricks thA'
The COMMERCIAL IL decidedly peculiar"
In it's issue Of Friday week appears one OF
the most unoalled for, untruthiul ane ven n,
nous attacks upon an innocent man thAt ~
ever has been our misfortune 20 read ang
me writer Of II shows himself 20 be POI,
ioon and a coward. and would, wltn is
doubt had he been placed IN me pnei.loS
and circumstance OF Warden hidine, hhu
been able. made haste out OF the front door
of The prison and sought safety under the
sheriff. hrotection. The whole article u. a
distortion Of the facts Of the late rescue In
terspersed with-well, to give thsm no
H Ths idss that The sight warden Is not
allowed 10 have keys in his possession 10
ali bosh. II has been the practice ever
since the jail was built for the might whr-
den 10 have the keys during his walsh. eiae
In case Of sickness or sudden necessity
what would he dot None OF the prisoners
heard and talked TO the parties In the Yarn;
In fact Adams slept through the whole q,
morning. II IL Riding's practice 70 go OUT
into the yard three or four times every
| night and on that night having heard
| slight noises IN different parts OF the prison.
| and heing unable 10 locate them; he wen'
| out into the back yard about half past *
/ and made a strict examination, not only o.
| the ward but Of the cell windows from the
| outside but could discover nothing ne
/ then went back into the prison, locking ths
door after him. About o'clock he heArd
a noise resembling the Jingle Of some small
Il iron or steel instrument on the bricks ~
the yard. and thinking some one OF NE
/ prisoners was AZ work on the bar In MS
cell window. and had dropped his instru-
| ment. he started to go out again. when, As
he opened the door, he was seized by the
| masked men, and In . shorter time than I
takes to write ~, put In the uncomfortable
and dangerous position In which he was
| found.
The insinuation as TO the truth Of Riding'I
story is absurd. Does any one suppose h.
tells deliberate falsehoodf There u
plenty Of evidence ~ TO the position II
which he WAS fOund-alttinR In chair
gagged, hand cuded, his feet tied together
aud then to the round Of the chair He wal
purple in the face. his eyes protruded IRON
their sockets, his jaws distended nearly y
dislocation. unable TO make the least Out
cry, and scarcely even TO Rroan. and doe
any sane or honorable man suppose that I
man would allow himself 10 be placed II
such a position for four or i've hours. II h
could preventlit. That he was indisereet Il
| going out into the yard, and In Opening TN
But Riding ia no coward, and, no dOubt
felt not tho least fear. hut that In case h
should discover one Of the prisoners In tn
yard he should be able to cope with him
himself
The prisoners knew his custom Of visit
Ing the yard occasionally during his watch
and the whole affair was, without doubt
planned with this knowledge and with III
expectation OF its resulting precisely ~
did. II Ia, Of course, true that n he ha
supposed for an instant that he would b
overpowered II he opened that door, b
, would have acted differently, but none 0
us know what we would be likely TO d
when placed In trying circumstances, al
tried. The writer broadly hints AZ COLI
: sion, but there are none who know Ridini
but know him 10 be the soul Of honor an
would suffer death rather than that shoul
he eullied As for bribery, the hank bul
glars and their friends haven't sufficient {
Z the lucre TO buy him. lie served numhe
: Of years 10 the U. s. Navy and knows ho'
TO obey orders from his superlors. He
poor man. but honest to the back honl
-, He has stated to number Of persons
different times, all the circumstances cor
] nected with the escape, so far a. he Is col
infant of them, all Of which statement
correspond and to all of which he 10 read
, and willing TO be qualified.
Further than this, he IL determined
> punish, TO the full extent Of the law, an
. and all persons who hereafter make n
+; charge either openly or by insinuAtlon thu
b. he counived at the recent rescue. FINAL
h we cannot conceive ofthe reason why, und
= the circumstances, the attack contained
], yesterdays Commercial should have bee
; made, but as friend of Riding. and OF
who believes he lie basely maligned, we a
determined to nat jusfiiia ruaf edium.