Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-06-17


A special correspondent of The Nelv
York Times, sent into South Carolina
to investigate the career of the robber
Moses tails IN that journal the remark
able story of his crimes. 1t appears
that Moses, during his canvass for
Governor, purchased the support Of
The Union Herald, of Columbia, for
$4,000, one-half of which was s'to be
taken from the State civil contingent
fund, whicE had not yet been appropri-
ated, and the rest was to be paid in
other State securities" In order to
secure the payment Of the six thousand
dollars, Moses appointed negro boy
named Humbert, who was not yet q
years of age, to be County Treasure,
OF Orangebprg county, with instrac-
tons to Collect taxes to that amount.
and to land them over to 7. c. An
drews, one of the proprietors, at the
same time assuring him that he would
make the matter ali right" and the
boy did as he was directed. Some
weeks after, the Legislature appropr-
fated $4,000 as a contingent fund
for the Governor, and Moses
drew the whole amount while
his signature to the appro-
priation bill was wet. A week or so
after, Humbert went to Columbia to
pay over the taxes he had collected,
and, as voucher for the $4,000, pre-
scented the Governors warrant on the
contingent fund. This theState Treas
urer, Cardozo, refused to accept. stating
that Moses had already drawn the full
amount. The boy, greatly alarmed,
went to the Governor, who told him to
say nothing about the matter, and that
he would protect him and see that he
came out all right. And he advised
him to purchase school claims against
the State-which could be had at 40
cents on the dOllar-sufficient to cover
the amount he was short, promising
to get Cardozo 70 accept them at their
full value The boy did as has- was
directed, but the State Treasurer re-
fused TO accept the claims at their face,
and arrested the unfortunate negro on
the charge Of being defaulter.
The boy was released on bail, when
Gov. Moses tried to induce him to sur
render the written evidence of the re-
latiOn between them, and to plead
guilty to the charge, promising to par
don him Immediately upon his cenvic-
ton. But the boy declined to follow
this advice. State Solicitor ButtZ
thereupon framed an indictmentagainst
Humbert for breach of trust, fraud
and attempt at grand larceny. and one
against Moses for aiding, advising and
sAbetting the crime, the law making the
the punishment for these Offenses the
same. On the day fixed for the thai,
Attorney General Melton appeared in
court and prepared another Indictment
against Humbert, charging him with a
failuretO return money collected to the
State Treasurer. Had the boy been
convicted of this he would have been
sent to the penitentiary, and thus made
powerless as a witness against the Gov
ernOr. ButtZ, however, had determin-
ed TO allow Humbert to turn State S ev-
Idence, and he, therefore objected, and
the case WAS put off until the next
term.
Moses scatters his pardons freely by
telegraph, without consulting an attor-
ney. A number of instances are re-
lated-one convict because he was an
active politician, another because he
was a good political niger" We
give entire the following account Of the
most remarkable instance Of "execu-
tive clemency" on record:
The most remarkable misuse of the
pardoniDg power of Moses, however,
and perhaps the strangcst story of ex-
ecutIye clemency on record, is to be
found in the case of a man named Ben
jamin Hernandez, an old resident of
Charleston, who, after having defed
the law for years, was convicted and
sentenced to jail for two years for OBJ
tanning money by threat and under
false pretenses. AT the time of his
conviction there wereno less than seven
other indictments hanging over him.
One of them was for assault with intent
TO kill. The lawyer who defended him
took an appeal from the ruling of the
court that convicted him to the Su-
preme Court of the State. Pending
this appeal, Hernandez committed va
rious other Offenses. Soon after the in
auguration of Moses as Governor he
visited Charleston, and while STAYING at
the mouse of Gen. William Quincy.
the present County Treasurer, sent for
Hernandez and gave him tsaInderstand
that the protection Of the executive
would always be with him, no matter
what he might do, and at the same
time, with his own hand, prepared and
delivered to him the following commits
sion. written on a small sheet of note
paper:
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, SOUTH
CARoLINA-Mr. Benjamin Hernandez
is hereby appointed one of the State
Constable, with the pay of SIS per
month, to hold Office during executive
pleasure. +. }. MOSES, JR:,
Governor of South Carolina.
The law authorizing the appoint
ment of State constables had been
abolished before this time, as was well
known to both the Governor and Her
nandez. This being the case, it was
understood that the commission vas
given for political purposes only, and
that no pay was to attach to the office.
notwithstanding this, however, Her
nandez applied to the Governor for
none. and for several months received
the s5L.ry named in the commission.
Finally, having no further use for the
fellow, Moses instructed his servants