New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-12-27
SURPRISED At The TERDiCT.

II is related that when John Green was ac
quilted on the charge of fraudulent persona
ton of bail in the case of Snyder, the Wash
Ington burglar, he "seemed surprised at the
"verlict," and joined in the applause with
which his friends rewarded the jury. Green
was a Baltimore man, who probably did not
know Washington very well; and that ac-
counts for his surprise. Other people took it
as a matter Of course. The manner OF the
administration of justice ut the ma
tional capital has long been dis
grace from which honest citizens turn
away their heads in shame and sorrow. Ever
since the Ring first got possession OF the District
Government the courts and law Offices OF
Washington have been the theater OF a success
sion of scandals, of which we have 10 reason
to believe that the end is yet at hand. When
Columbus Alexander made himself obnoxious
10 the Ring, we saw police and prosecutors
entering into conspiracy with the public
plundcrers to convict this innocent man OF
felony. When their plot failed we saw the
official actors in it deliberately opening the
Jail doors to release Their guilty instru-
ments awaiting trial. Under the lm-
pulse of an aroused public feeling,
the Assistant District-AtOrney and some Gov
ernment detectives were indicted for con-
spracy, along with professional burglar or
so but the President so far outraged decency
as to take one of the accused out of the dock,
during the trial, and invite him to wedding
at the White House, the jury disagreed; and
the Government made haste to drop the whole
business, dismiss the prosecutor, and release
the imprisoned witnesses. When Dir. Pierre
pont came into the Department Of Justice 1t
was only with extreme difficulty that he sue
ceeded in getting change made lii the Dis
trict- Attorneys office. AT the last session of
Congress, so loud was the complaint of
Ring influence in the preparation of the
Washington jury-lsts that Congress passed
bill Just before adjournment to authorize new
list and it now turns out, to the great sur
prise of the public, that the President with
held his signature, and the old system still
prevails.
Until there has been thorough cleaning
ont of the judicial department of the District
Government it is useless TO expect that justice
can be done in any case which concerns the
Ring; and one of the first duties OF the
present Congress is to give is attention to
this vital reform. We must have an invcstiga-
ton to determine not only what wrongs have
been communicative have pretty clear idea OF
those already-but to discover what power stands
between the criminal and the law and what
can be done to restore the efficiency of the
courts. Let il be ascertained if there is still
partnership between thieves and burglars on
one side and prosecuting attorneys and police
men on the other. Let us know who stopped
the prosecution of the safe conspiracy, and
who is answerable for the celebrated transac
tons in bogus bail Possibly some light may
be thrown upon the remarkable case of MIR.
John Green. At any rate committee of the
House Of Representatives, going to work III
earnest, may add a great deal of useful IN
formation to our present stock of knowledge.