Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1875-09-08
CRIME AND CRIMINALS AT
WASHINGTON.

ihS Hi'Nth VI 'liiic aI tno Nupitoi
and the immunity from punishment
awarded TO criminals who havomoney
to soothe itching palms, are now at
tracting general attention on account
of the recent outrage perpetrated in
the District Attorneys office. With
population of about $4,000, OF which
one-third is black, the statistics of
crime at Washington, when compared
with cities of double the size, are as
founding, and well justify the alarm
now felt in that unprotected commu-
nifty.
When judges, district attorneys,
marshals, baliffs, and detectives who
were glad to get Office for the pay and
who had received no inheritance, be.
come suddenly rich, as a rule, there is
good ground for suspicion that such
wealth has not been honestly acquired,
and that they have utilized opportu-
mites corruptly. This condition OF
things is notorious at Washington,
which during the last five years OF
Grantlsm has become the paradise OF
felons.
Murderers counterfeiters, robbers,
rufllans, gamblers, cut-throats, and
other criminals, have no dread of the
law, because they know how to disarm
its terrors, and to propitiate those who
administer it, Justice has become a
mockery and cheat. Worse than
that, ii is used to shelter crime andpur-
sue innocence. Life is not safe and
property is at the mercy of combi-
nation of thieves and their confodcr-
ates in authority.
The public is familiar with the latest
outrage, in which the son of the Dis
trict Attorney released burglar from
Jail upon fraudulent bail, after the
Grand Jury had presented him for
grand larceny, The Police Court, be-
fore which this criminal was arraign-
cd, has the power of an ordinary COM
mitting magistrate, Therefore, when
Schneider was committed to Jail on q
charge of burglary and larceny, its au.
thority over him was exhausted, and
the case passed up to higher tribu-
nal.
But if there was any doubt on this
point, the presentment by the Grand
Jury took him entirely beyond the
reach of this Police Court, with q ju.
risdiction of 500 and of minor Of
fenses. That prescntment was held by
the District Attorney, and his son and
assistant, as he styles himself, issued
the order upon which he was bailcd
by the clerk of this court To make
it complete, well known citizon was
falsely personatcd as the bail, so that
fraud and collusion were manifest
through the whole proceeding.
But this is not the worst phase Of
the transaction. 1t is now positively
asccrtained that the very parties who
figured in the safe burglary and the
release of the burglar Benton from
jail, were those who oonspirod and pro
cured the discharge of Schneider Az
ter his commitment, a telegram wal
sent to Richard Harrington in Della
ware, where he is now residing after
being driven in disgrace from Wash
ington. Hc is known TO have visited
Schneider several times in jail, anC
though he did not appear on the rccort
as his counsel, he managed the whole
business, while a shyster named Evan
was Pu' ior""'u W ~ '"'o"B" Wv
necessary forms. Ihls Evans was Tor
merly a clerk Of the Police Court an'
was employed in the District At'or
ney's Office at the time OF the bur
glary, in which he played an inierlo
part under Harrington's direction, an'
A A l.l A.