The Portland daily press., 1875-06-15

that time, there have been sold to that house
about 100000 worth of them. The goods were
| shipped by Messrs. Depres, Hartley & Co. of
Lyons, to Lawrence Graft, liquor dealer, of
New York. Graf is now ip custody and is one
Ut the witnesses on whose testimony Talcott
was indicted. 1t is not the kind of evidence
on which it is safe to base an opinion Of guilt
or innocence, but as grand juries are only re-
| quIred to hear the accusation, and as that
would convict if urcontradicted, the finding of
the bill was consistent with law and usage.
The indictment of the entire firm shocked
! the mercantile community, because the head
Of it enjoys a life long reputation for fairness
and probity. The grand jury however, is COM
| posed of highly respectable gentlemen, and the
probabilities are that their action was neither
thoughtess nor indefensible. The case is en-
phatically one of which it is proper to suspend
any judgment until both sides can be heard.
1t is entirely certain that a very large majority
of people in this city will refuse to pute any
evil intention to Mr.. Horace b. Claln on any
authority short of the verdict of petit jury,
and doubt whether that would be sufficient
to convince those who know him intimately
that he was capable of wrong doing But
man who has multitude of partners and
clerks may be technically responsible for
things of which he could have bad no actual
knowledge The smuggled silks having been
traced to his warehouse and the payments for
them to his bank account, the statute provides
that possession and payment shall impose the
burden of proving innocence upon the party
thus implicated.
While Lawrence was pursuing his nefariOus
traffic rival sprung up. A man named
Wolff embarked in the same business and is
involved in the same entanglements. HIS Gus
| toners were Field Morris, Fenner & Co., and
they held for him some 100000 worth of
goods They too are obliged by law to account
for their possession of this smuggled property.
Perhaps it was advisable IN order to get at all
the facts that accessories as well as principals
should be put upon their defense. At any rate,
there is no occasion at this stage Of the drama
to PREJUDICE or condemn anybody, much less
honored merchants who have borne high rep
utation for longer period than they would
like to have measured off in years.
Fortunately there is a wholesome moral to
this sad history of disgraceful swindling.
None of the participants have derived any
actual profit from it. Rogues are obliged to
spend SO much of their gains in closing the
avenues of detection that the net residuum is
small. If Lawrence had saved all the money
allotted to him in the arrangement, he would
have realized trife under $4,000, but what
with his expenses and the prodigious cost of
counsel on both sides of the water, his portion
of the plunder has evaporated.
Des Anges, the betrayer of his trust as
Deputy Collector, has reaped no advantage
from his perfdy. Whatever allotment was
made to him has been absorbed in expenses
incident to his incarceration and the outlay for
his defense. Hopelessly ruined financially,
his future is clouded with au ignomiDy from
which escape is impossible, and the chances
are that he will expiate his donble crime by
years of penal servitude. The purchasers of
the smuggled goods have suffered a loss which
will cOunterbalance all preceding avails, in
consequence of shipwreck by which $4,000
in coin value was sunk, there being no way
of effecting insurance on merchandise invoiced
as hosiery, at the value of silk.
The case of Des Anges is instructive as well as
pitiabe. He came to this country from England
during the war. 1t is understood that his expa-
enlisted in the union service, made good record
during the civil strife and enlisted the sympa-
thies and support of kind hearted men in and
about Boston. Through the intercession and
with the assistance of Charles Francis Adams
Jr., he secured an appointment as Inspector of
Customs in Boston. Subsequently he was
transferred to New York, where he filled like
office. He was the first man promoted in con-
formity to the civil service rules established
under the auspices Of George Wm. Curtis and
President Grant, dstancing all competitors for
the place of Deputy Collector He was thought
to be smart" as long as he was successful, but
the result has shown what dreadfully short
sighted creatures rogues are, no matter in
what line they operate Perhaps there never
w8s a more apt illustration of tho venerable
adage that ''honestv is the best policy"-a
motto more commendable for its homely CON-
mon sense than for its lofty virtue.
The past week of the Brooklyn trial has
been notable for the revelation of the tactics of
the prosecution. As soon as Mr.. Beach began
his summing up, the attorney Mr.. Morris
Sam Morris as he is popularly designated-had
the court room filled with mob of the ''b'hoys
who were studously drilled to their work.
They were to applaud the speech at stated in
tervals during its delivery and to crowd the
corridors and applaud their orator, when he
made his exit and his entrance. The dramatic
effect of this neat little device has been some-
what transparent but on the whole rather sat-
isfactory. Morris is nothing if not sensational.
He believes in scenery and decorations. 1t was
presumably at his instance that the decease of
. Al fool xNIa af A
was theatrically announced in the middle of
the day while the mutual friend" was on the
witness stand.
What impression this side show may make
upon the jury is still matter OF conjecture.
1t is perfectly evident Mr.. Beach has relin-
quished all hope, if he ever had any, Of ver-
dict for his client, for he has taken to bullying
Individual members of that body, and lawyer
of his calibre would never do that if be did not
feel sure that a majority of them were against
him. 1t is self evident proposition that the
most he aims at is a disagreement. If be should
accomplish that 1 dare say he would be perfect
ly satisfied.
Little Carpenter, undoubtedly pqued at the
contemptuous refusal of his friends to call him
to the stand, has got up an interview in
which he has made rehash of his former con-
tributons to the scandal. 1t is of no earthly
consequence except in that it shows still more
clearly what set all these tattlers were and
what an Unsuitable appetite they had for chatter
Carpenter is the Paul Pry of the story, and
without ally of the malignity of Bowen, the
jealousy of Tilton or the intriguing spirit of
Moulton, has done the little he could to gather
-, o,J ,,,aon;fv into i'm nortance whatever h6
has been permitted to overhear about matter
concerning which he has no actual knowledge
and still less legitimate coucern.
YARMOUTH.
News and Other items.
Iondnn nahman drives the famous race