Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1875-09-09
philadelphia.
OUR sATuR DAY LErTER

our sATUR DAY LETT
THE wEsTERvELr TRIAL-pIFFlcULTIEA IN THE
WAY OF A CONTROVERSIES ARREST OF STATE
| TREAsURER sooY, OF NEW JERsEy-THE OLD
FOLKS ExouRsIoN - THE MILITARY - dENL
BAsKsoNs AProiSTMENT-THE PUBLIC BUILD
INas-THE ARCHIrkCTs DrfENsE-THE cont
| PANY AT THE "cHEsTNUT," &c, &c.
Special Correspondence Of the Commercial.
PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 3.
The trial of William Westervelt for completely
in the kidnapping Of Charley Ross il the absorb
ing local topic. No court case since the trial OF
Twitchell for the murder Of Mrs. Hill has excit-
ed 10 much interest. The knowledge that tho
principals In the abduction, Moshor and Douglass
are beyond the reach OF punishment invests
Westervet with something OF the Importance
attaching to first hands. Every item of testi-
mony goes to show that he was thoroughly con-
versant with tho kidnapping plot in all it's
phases and this fact is warrant enough for the
general desire to see him properly punished.
The receiver is Is bad as the thief we are told,
and the man who kept such q secret rs the Kid
mapping OF Charley Ross, when by telling what he
knew he might have had the boy months ago re-
turned to his family il no better nor deserves
any more consideration, than the real thieves.
That is the homely way OF looking at it and
the position can hardly be controverted,
But desire and fuliilment are two very differ
ent things. IL would be very gratifying to note
| o conviction Of Westervelt IL attained on good
sound evidence, and thus to know that punish
| ishment in some quarter was to be inflicted for
this outrage upon all our homes, but we must
| not forget that things are often morally certain
which cannot be legally proven. All reasonable
motives point to Westervelt as the recipient OF
the information in question, but without evil
dence on the point, and in the face OF his own
denial. what is to be done? Suppose him to be
the relative Of cne Of the robbers and the inti-
mate OF both suppose him to have accompanied
the villains some of their secret expeditions,
knowing the object of the same to be burglary;
suppose him to have accompanied Mosher in his
search for a carriage suppose him to have worn
| clothing and other articles known to have been
stolen by Mosher aud Douglass suppose him to
| even-and this is the strongest point in the
statement made by him in April last and now
| admitted as evidence-to have had a conversa-
ton with Douglass in which he charged tho lat
ter with knowing where Charley was-these
things, though sufficient to convince most peo-
pie Of his guilty knowledge, will, hardly prevail
with jury under the strict surveillance
OF the opposition lawyers, and against
rules Of evidence. For Westerveit might have
done and said and seen all these things without
| absolute participation. When he went with
Mosher in search Of the buggy he might not have
known Of the use to which it was to be put in
his talk with Douglass he might have been,
really, as he would have it appear, only seeking
| to satisfy himself about the facts OF the abauc-
ton
The sum Of tho matter, therefore, is that q
conviction Is very doubtful case OF equal
Importance, and when the right is 30 clearly in
view, can hardly be mentioned in which it would
be possible to make 10 strong a defence. The
testimony Of Chief Of Police Walng, of Now
York, descriptive OF tho search FOR Moshsr, is
very interesting but bears imperceptibly on
| Westerveits guilt. Chief Wallng testiiies to
| the fact that Westervelt was in communication
with him, processing to give information that
would lead to his brother-inlaw's capture. 1t
! is now understood that this was mere game on
the prisoners part to get into the secrets OF the
police but il it were all it fret appeared to Wal
ling. it would be possible to reconcile it with ig-
norance Of Westervelts in the Ross matter.
| From all that can now be seen the poplar SYM
pathy is to be worked upon without practica! re-
| suit.
The arrest OF State Treasurer sooy of New
Jersey under circumstances Of most peculiar
and disreputable kind would have caused more
excitement than it did IL the most determined
efforts had not been made TO suppress the scan
! dal. Thoro wore NO f~r eu"eus-fui thnt only the
mere fact has escaped Of the discovery Of Mr..
Sooy in female society the very reverae OF re-
spectacle. and in which he Lad squani cred
thousands of dollars belonging to New JERSEY
tax payers. what doth gravity out Of its bed
| at midnlght?" was never a question more rea-
sonabiy asked than here, for apart from the
supposed restraints of his position Mr.. Sooy is
| all old man whom the follies of youth should
long have passed by. The interest felt by rs in
the affair is explained by tho discovery having
been made in this city, and from the knowledge
that the stolen money was mostly spent here.
The Pennsylvania Railroad WAS, also, the uu-
conscious agency Of the State Treasurer IN his
rascality, it having paid him large sums OF money
vndes the fair apprehension that the transfers
were in the course OF official business.
The old folks excursion to-day was one of
the pleasantest events of tho vacation season.
The weather, happily, proved charming, great
| contrast to the wretched atmospheric condition
| Of past days innumerable and warm enough to
| satisfy the well-known craving Of the aged in
this particular. would like to say here that it
is a mistake to suppose that old people or at
least the class OF old people towards which this
attention is directed-have any sensitiveness
on the score of uniting in such
demonstration. l have heard criticisms
to the opposite effect made,-views
expressed tending to the idea that such thing
as this excursion would be regarded as patron
izing and offensive. But it is not a true view,
III any one familiar with affairs in retreats for
the aged will bear me witness. There is a
blessed natural provision through which the out
worked mortal lays down with his cares, and
with his results, great or small, in the battle Of
life, the petty prides and artificial obstacles
which divide younger mon. This does not refer
to people of co and TO- but to the really old, With
such will be found largely the fact that they,
far from regretting their vgor, proud of their
age and Of every attention, whether considerable
or trivial, that is paid them on account OF it,
They do not consider themselves patrouized in
the least by being carried ont to Hocklaud by
the carload, to drink tea and eat cut peaches
and cream, and to briefly summarize their
pilgrimages for whomever may desire
desire that information. l have been painfully
amused at times when visiting the Old Mems
Home on 39th street, with the complaceucy
with which the inmates regard their situation.
They talk about 'us old men" as proudly as
though to be an old man was the finest thing
in the world. And it may be : there is great
deal to Le said in favor Of that position. The
excursion to-day wa. the most successful one
of the kind ever given here. Several Centen-
arians were OF the party, one of them being
100 years of age. %
Tie uncertainty in the National Gaurd has
been at last ended by the appointment by the
, Governor Of Gen. John p. Bankson to be Msjor
!, General in place of Gen. Provost, resigned.
The selection appears to give satisfaction. Gen.
, Eankson has a good war record having served
: with credi. as Captain of the 'Corn Exchange VI
, Regiment, and Subsequently upon the s,aT OF
I General Griffin. Ho Is prominent business
msu, now that tho 'Cruel War is over" and Is q
favorite III society. The change all around may
be for the good OF !" the service" but it viii
Provost ! What an anomaly The gallant
o Neff, too How can that soldierly mustache &C
n into retirement? 1t is all very sad but it is ,
:, | world OF change.
Il Tho discussion upon the laying OF tho marble
n in the Public Buildings actively continues ant
Il has drawn out letter from Slr. Macarthur, til,
, architect But the critics have much the bes
" of 1t and it is evident that il the Building Com
o mission intends to really investigate the matte
J, it will bring some unexpected and damaging
q facts to light. The central assertion of MI
u Macarthur is that "not a single foot Of mafbl
Is is paid for until certified to by the State measur
n er," but the Bulletin very particularly ask
~ II that measurement is not made when the mar
,, BILE il landed here a. it comes from the quarry
~ 1t wants to know whether the stone is meas
~ ured at Broad and Market streets when it
u ~ ready to be put in place? With the objection
70 made to his letter Mr.. Macarthur has plenty o
y room given him to write another and more e,
y, y, plcit one.
or The Chestnut Street Theatre announcement
u has been received with chorus OF gratulatio
ke by the press but believe the popular feelin
in TO be one Of disappointment. We are to hav,
no it appears, company to rival WAllacks, DAILY
All and the Union Square, composed, for the MOI
10: part of players unknown to famo, Mr. Mscka
u who is stage manager Of the new enterpris
~ ~ is the only superior comedian in the Con
OF pany as far As can be seen. Mr.. ]. W. Morr
~ Ia a clover actor and Mr.. Bradshaw showed
vs. good deal Of comic talent when at the Walnu
eh but any comparison Of the company with u
Nv finished troupes before referred to is out Of Il
question. Nor will it do to say this result "
unavoidable. II Mr.. Mackay could have be-
secured other players Of the same rank cou
Ara have been obtained If the proper effort had be-
eat made. lNDRX.
'of American Cutlery I'm China
G.-. Tho {E,oI;abN T.oop,nuup,- fnr Aupua