National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-01-26


Judge Smell yesterday morning, m the Police
Court, on the charge OF grand larceny Of sletter
from Mr.. Norman Wizard.
The complainant and GefeH6ant were beth in
attendance, accompanied by their counsel.
Mr.. NORMAN wIBED TESTIFIED
that he had known Snyder SIX or seven years In
the month of January lsstV1s7I) Snyder was at
witness house as q guest. Witness was a per-
sonal friend of Gen. R0bt. G. Schenck, Minister
to England. He had received letter nom him
which contai1ed some very amusing and pleasant
passages, which he had frequently read to his
guests. This letter was placed in drawer in his
library, and defendant had been in the habit Of
going into the library, and had been seen to open
wife which bed him to think that Snyder was not
bis friend, and was playing the spyupon him.
his cierk]be went to look for his letter in the
place where it had been deposited, and It WIS
gone. He subsequently, found that tie letter was
been Offered 800 for it. The letter was written
in the fall succeeding the last Presidential cleo
ton. 1tEas addressed to him in this city.
CrossleIamned by Mr.. Riddle for defence: wit
mess hsd an ONCE ATS Broad street, N. y, and
had his papers all sent to that point but this let
ter UasDOt among the papers; he lad his Office
and papers removed TO % Dey street. N. Y, where
defendant also had en- office; he did not show the
letter to any enc while he was in Broad street.
SehenOk7
General Hepkle objected to this question, and
Witness said that he had shown this letter to
Mr.. Riddle centeIded that the letter must be
read or its contents disclosed in order to give its
The witness went on to say that the letter was
written 80 him in response to letter OF his stat
ing that ne was going to support Greeley
Witness. did, and voted for him.
Mr.; z. Did you send him a check for 81, OO0t
RuledSut
Witness then went on to say that Mr. Scheack
said many things In favor of President Grant and
Secretary RObessn.
Pacific Mail Company or the Little Emma mine ?
Witness No, sir?
Mr.. r. Who else did you read this letter tor
witness said he showed 1t to Secretary Robson
and to Mr.. Strohm- He also showed 1t to Mr.
Murtagh, Of The NATIONAL REPUBLICAN.
Mr.: X Are you one Of the editors or reporters?
Mr.. R. Was there anything said in It about COL
Letting claims against the Government
witness. There were several matters CT bust
ness alluded to in it.
Mr.. R. Do you think there was 800 worth OF
Witness. would not have lost it for q, 900. 1t
was worth that much to me.
r. How did you know that It was in Snyder's
Witness. Mr.. W. P. Wood told me he had seen
it in his hands
Mr.. Henkle objected to this mode of proceed.
ing.
witness said he heard about two weeks ago
that the letter was in Snyder's hands He told |
S0yder, AFTER seeing him in his library, TO leave
his house and not to show himself there any |
more. He had always kept the letter in his |
drawer The last time SNYDER was st there IN WAS n
when he told him to leave his house. and he had |
never been there since. Witness is native Of |
Canada, but had taken out his naturalization pa
Pers here in order to obtain patents his inVen-
tiOns.
Kris. NORMAN WARDS TESTIMONY,
Mrs. Wizard wife Of complainant, testified that |
there were several letters from Mr.. Schenck in |
the drawer where Mr.. Snyder used to have ac- |
cess, and they were missing soon after Mr.. Sny- |
der lett. She searched the house for them, but |
thew ThnTa thran fans Of
them, received at various times. They had been |
several weeks in the drawer when Mr.. Snyder |
possession before they were placed there. She |
had found them there and gathered them up into |
package and placed them on one side Of the |
drawer. They were missed in a few days after |
be left. Her suspicious were aroused about ais |
character, and she told her husband, who forbid |
him access to his house. Defendant had not been |
to the house since.
TESTIMONY OF OTHER PARTIES.
John W. Wagner testified that he lives at No. |
20 New York avenue; his business a draughts-
was employed By MT. %isrd January y I 1874 aaS
vent TO work on the It'll. He saw Mr. Snyder at
engaged In TritinG When he ot .hro a5s eiy
ing he went TO the drawer in question, took out
an envelope and folded his letter into it. and ad-
c. NJ. Vantyne testified that his occupation is
engineer, and that he is employed by Mr. Wizard.
Mr.. S. told him that he was going to bring some
thing out in few days that would astonish him.
witness inferred from his remarks that be meant
to publish something.
COLONEL VIM P WOOD
testified that he had had several conversations
with MI Snyder about some letters which had
passed between Mr.. W. and General Schenck. II !
was at the Park hotel, New York witness wanted
to get hold of them for publication, but did mot
succeed. He (Snyder) had them all; some were |
from Mr.. W. to General Sehenck, and some from
General Schenck to Mr.. Wizard. Tho order of the
letters was one from Mr.. Wizard to Gen. Schenck
about his election in OhiO 1t was rather rich, and
he wanted ii. Another one from Mr.. Schenck ad-
mitted partnership between the two, and related
to business matters.
Mr.. Henkle. Did the letters refer to Mr. WARDS
boiler attachment, or to guns?
Witness. To guns, and acknowledging some
service on the part Of the Secretary of War
Witness was asked to give the purport of the
letters, but said they were shown him in a spirit
Of confidence, and he did not wish to divulge it.
There was man named Stewart who appeared
to be acting jointly with Mr.. Snyder, and Mr.. s.
would not give him possession without the con-
sent of Stewart.
q. Did you offer anything for them?
witness. Mr.. Snyder could have got 500 for |
them.
Q. Did you want them for the New York Sun
such things from me, and always made good tho
bargains which made. Witness doing all
he could to annoy the party. He was Republi-
the party in the party, He brst heard of the let
tiers through MI. snyder, but tney we're shown
BIN BY lily. L. Stuart i was in NJ feh last. Mr.. I
went and told Mr.. Wizard. The reason Of his tell
ing Mr. Wizard was that he was telling him (wit-
ness) that he believed Snyder was playing the
part Of spy on him, sni witness told him Of his
refusing to give the letters up as an instance Of
his friendship to him.
BY MI. HenEie: witness first knew of the let
tiers when the appropriation was asked for exper-
imentiDg with guns and he (Witness) wished to
follow up how il was divided and who had the
tain the letters; he had been urged to GET them
by Mr.. Gibson, Of the New York Sun.
Mr.. Wizard being recalled, testified that the
at nr in unns hah haan uda
in New York; there was a reference to guns; Gen.
Schenck is bis partner, and resigned his place in
Congress to go into business with him in an
ordnance improvement; afterwards the President
rendered him the mission to England, and he in
formed him (Witnessl that the arrangement with
him must be modified. This letter related to the
same matter.
The testimony then closed, and Judge Smell
said that 1t had been proven that the letters were
in the possession Of the complainant when de-
fendant first visited his house. 1t had also been
proved that the identical letters had been proven
10 be in possession of defendant afterwards; that
they were taken from complainant's possession
without his knowledge or consent for criminal
must go to the grand jury for fuller investiga-
ton. |
on their own recognlzance for appearance before
the grand Jury, the latter as q witness.
Subsequent to the adjournment 81 the court
warrant was sworn out by Norman Wizard, charg-
ing Henry B. Hays, Henri L. Stuart and Fred
erick H. Snyder with malicously conspirlng to-
feating the passage through Congress Of a bill to
pay the afant Just claim OF Sll3 600 jointly due
the afiant from the United States, and for the
further purpose Of defeating the passage by Con-
gress Of certain other large appropriations for
Improving the ordnance Of the United States, in
which atisnt is largely interested, and for the
further purpose Of defeating the act pending in
Congress granting patent to atiant which Is Of
great value to him, and for the further purpose OF
running his credit by obtaining the control Of
judgments In New York against afiant and insti-
tuting yexatious suits thereon in the courts Of
this District, and for the further purpose Of ruln
ing the social standing Of himself and his vile by
circulating false and scandAlous stories about
them, and by issuing q false and libellous
publication, and further Of obtaining from VIII
liam p. Wood, by means Of q forged dispatch,
three hundred dollars Of money Of the affiant,
against the peace and Government Of the United
States.
Detectives Sargent and McEIsresh were given
the warrant to serve, and arrested the parties and
took them to police headquarters from whence
they were released on bail for Q future hearing.