New-York tribune., 1874-06-25
THE DISTRICT BURGLARY.

The investigation of tho alleged safe-bur-
glary in the Office of the Assistant Attorney
for the District of Columbia is by far tho
most important of the labOrs which remain to
be accomplished, now that Congress has done
its part in the removal of the great scandal
of Washington government. Even the restora-
tion of Shepheri, outrageous as it would have
been to the moral sense of the whole country,
would not have been so grave pubic
danger as a failure to arrive at the truth OF
this extraordinary conspiracy against the
liberty and good name OF reputable
citizens. Tho District Ring was disgraced
and expelled from Office for rObbing the tax
payers; but that was venial Offense compared
with tho atrOc0us attempt to convict an lnnO-
cent and well-knOwn citizen of felony and
consign him to penitentiary for pretended
crime committed by his prosecutors. And the
worst feature about this deed of infamy is the
fact that it appears to have been cOncocted
by officers of the law.
When the evidence of the witness Hays was
frat pabllshed we warned our readers that
although his testimony was credible on its
face, it would be no more than common prri-
dence to suspend judgment until it should be
answered or confirmed. 1t has been confirmed
in part, and it has not been impeached in any
particular whatever. 1t has been proved that
the statements of Hays as to his correspond
ence on this matter with Col. III. G. Whitley,
Chief of the Treasury Secret Service, and with
Whitley's assistant, Nettleship, were strictly
true and that the contradiction made under
oath by those two officers was not true. 1t
has been shown that the anonymous letter
to Harrington giving warning OF the pre-
tended burglary was in Nettleship's hand
writing. And though the participation OF
Harrington in the conspiracy is not actually
established by such OF the testimony as has
thus far appeared in print, sensible men will
have no difficulty in drawing the proper in
fcrences from what has been disclosed, and
putting an Interpretation upon the extra
ordinary watch kept by the Assistant District
Attorney over tho blowing uD OF his own
safe, and the gathering of Shepherd, Evans,
and other congenial spirits, who waited all
night at tho Club for the job to be finished.
The investigation is now in the hands
of the Secretary of the Treasury, to whom
Whitley and Nettleship are responsible, and
the Attorney General, who will inquire what
legal proceedings may be possible and appro-
pirate, and what shall be done with Mr.. Har-
rngton, who is law officer of the United
States. We are glad to believe that Mr.. Bris-
tow has taken up the matter with character
istic energy; it could not be in better hands
What the Attorney General will do with it
remains to be seen ; for with all due confidence
in his integrity and public spirit. We cannot
shut our eyes to the fact that cmbarrassmcnts
of personal nature lie all around his steps.
Certainly Harrington, Whitley, and Nettle-
ship never entered into a league together, OF
their own motion, to ruin Columbus Alex
ander. If they are guilty there are greater
criminals behind them and the Attorney
General when he pursues the investigation
must nerve himself to the danger of catching
some of his own friends