National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-09-21
STOLEN COURT RECORDS.
Indictments and Appeal Bonds Missing-Ar-
rest Of Charles G, Fisher for thu Thsft.

| IebL OI SnhIle1 W. Elh0ef l0r the IneILs
Some days ago IT was discovered that certain
important records of the Criminal court were
missing, and search was at once instituted for
them, but without success. A careful investiga-
ton showed that among the missing papers were
| several indictments for criminal offenses, and
forty appeal bonds from the Police Court, in cases
| where the fines ranged from twenty to fifty dol
lars In the present excited state o feeling on
matters connected with the administration of
criminal Justice IN the District 1t is but fair to
| say that the discovery created considerable ex-
element and comment, especially among those
who are now interested In the investigation by the
| police board.
The factEof the theft OF the papers has been
Published in the newspapers and talked OF on the
Streets but yesterday 1t was oficially brought to
the knowledge Of the police authorities by Mr.. A.
A. Birney, the newly-sppointed Assistant Dis
trict Attorney, who reported at police headquar-
tiers that forty appeal bonds had been stolen.
The case was at once assigned to Detectives MIL
Ter and McDevitt with orders to exhaust all their
ingenuity in unearthing the fraud. recovering the
papers and bringing the guilty parties to justice.
The officers took hold with will, and as O result
by o'clock they had succeeded in finding and
bringing to headquarters thirty of the forty
stolen appeal bonds Where they got them from
is as yet mystery, but It is certain that more
than one party interested in the said bonds has
pSOu dppIOdOuCO anu OucIcu POSSESSION OF the
bonds for sum far less than it called for on its
face.
Satisfied from information obtained that Mr.
Charles g. Fisher, the recent Assistant District
Attorney, was o party to the fraud or theft,
Major Richards gave an order for his arrest, and
last night, about O'Clock, he was found at the
Theatre Comique by Mr.. McDevltt and requested
to accompany him to headquarters. This Charley
readily acceded to, and after his arrival he was
fp4a Aruffh f6of Ca han
arrest for the alleged larceny. He protested his
innocence most yehemently, and asked for the
authority for his arrest stated that he had been
guilty OF no offense, and demanded warrant
Willing to comply as far as possible with the
letter of the law, Mr.. McDevItt started to the
Police Court to swear out a warrant, but on his
arrival there he met Mr. Leighton, who informed
him that he had resigned his position as deputy
clerk, and that his resignation had been accepted
The whereabouts Of Mr.. Howard L. Price, the
newly. appointed clerk could not be ascertained,
and then it was suggested that Mr.. Samuel
Mile, the acting judge Of the court, could settle
the whole matter
In his capacity as justice Of the peace he could
issue the warrant and in his capacity as Judge he
could accept the bail, which Mr. Fisher said he
could offer. Determined to be accommodating,
Mr. McDevitt woke the Judge up about Il o'clock,
and submitted the proposition to him. Mr. Mills,
edlu Ju6blCo, Nc UeCllQeQ 10 issue
q warrant which would come before him as acting
judge, and that, as acting Judge, he declined to
accept bail in such q case at such an hour of the
night, and without being fully acquainted with
the responsibility Of the proposed surety.
When this information was communicated to
Mr.. Fisher he protested that his arrest without q
warrant was illegal, and as the ofense was
bailable one he was entitled to the ordinary
treatment of criminals opportunity to give bail,
but as it was after midnight, Mr.. McDsyItt
declined to further aid him and he was locked up
The warrant charging him with mutilatIng the
court records and abstractIng valuable pa pers
from the files of the United States Court Will be
sworn out this morning, and to that charge Mr.
Fisher will be required to plead in the Police
Court.
When arrested Mr.. Fisher stated that he had
came from his home in Georgetown for the pur-
pose of borrowing skiff to use in cunning to-day
near Analostan island, and this statement was
verified by subsequent inquiry. The feeling in
the community against Mr.. Fisher is rather harsh
at present, and people are but too willing to be-
lieve the serious accusation against him, and as
the officers are positive Of their case, 1t may be
said that Charley will have hard time. In a
conversation with reporter Of THE REPUBLICAN
last night he said that he was innocent Of the
charges, and that certain statements alleged to
have been made by him were false, but until he
proves them so by undisputed evidence they will
ktard as