The New York herald., 1875-12-15
SPENCE PETTIS.

OF THE cELEBRATED FoRGER FROM MAssA-
cHussETTs-LEoAL ARGUMENTS BEFORE THE
GOVERNOR AND COUNCIL IN BosToE-PKTTIs
WANTED AS AN EVIDENCE FOR THE STATE
AGAINST GLEASON AND RoBERTs-oPPosITIoN
TO THE DEMAND
BosToS Mass. Dec IA, 1878
The Governor and council gave hearing this morn
ing the petition OF District Attorney Phelps, of
New York. for the release of Spence Pets the noted
forger in order to testify in certain pending
in that State
District Attorney B. K Phelps of New York, and
Hon. F. W. Jacobs ofthis city, appeared support Of
the movement for the release and the majority OF the
Council were present.
Mr.. F. W. Jacobs opened the by stating that he
appeared for the State and city OF New York in asking
the release OF Petts who in event of the petition being
granted would be carried TO New York TO testify in
certain and afterward to be tried indictments
now pending. Mr.. Jacobs then read the petition of
District Attorney Phelps and letter OF Governor Til
den, OF New York, supporting IT, Mr. Jacobs then re.
cited the crimes for which Pettis imprisoned and
briefly sketched his career. Pcttis' testimony,
he said, would be OF great value in the
cases against Roberts and Gleason the celebrated
forgers and counterfeters He had given evidence by
which $4,000 had been recovered and had ever,
whenever he has given aid prosecuting officers kept
his pledges TO them The achievements of Gleason and
Roberts sketched at some length and the import
Of securing their conviction was dwelt upon.
New York asked Massachusetts, to aid her in convictng
these men The District Attorney and Governor asked
personally for Petts release for the purposes specified
with the assurance that Pets should escape punish
ment
ROBERTS AND GLEASON
had awaited themselves of political connections and in
duence to shield themselves from punishment which
it was believed Pettis' evidence would secure. Mr..
Jacobs next reviewed the various movements for
Pets release and said that this did not seem matter
for petitions. II a request from one sovereign
State to another. This was not petition which, If
granted, would injure the State of Massachusetts,
any of its citizens and not based selfish or i'm
moral grounds 1t was the request of State which
had granted favors the past and might
in the future and was based on the highest principles
of justice and comfy and could be granted without diff
fculty Independent OF tho grounds OF comfy be-
statcs he claimed thai Il would be advantage
to Massachusetts, which, like all commercial communl-
ties interested in the suppression of forgery and
counerfeiting to grant this request The granting OF
this petition would be in accordance with the laws Of
country. He claimed that tho present petition
was based on different grounds from It's
predecessor being entirely dvested or private interest
while requisiton had been prepared In order that
Petts might be transported to New York. 1t was
argued that the objections rails . to granting the
quest no longer existed
MR.. PHELPS WAS PRESENT
to show that Pettis would give his testimony and that
indictments pending should not be prosecuted.
District Attorney B. X. Phelps of New York, was
he thought Pets deserving OF enicncy or that
he was unduly punished. Indead he should not have
appeared at all had not been ntimated that the petit
tion for the release of Petts reality based
public grounds but designed subserve private inter
and ends. For himself and for the Governor OF
New York he only asked for Petts release in order TO
procure the convection of noted criminals
Mr. Phelps then skechcd the great bond forgeries Of
Gleason and Roberts The scheme of these men far
Ran M apA fOrfn Vtnnf
The various forged securities were executed with rare
skill and ST. 600 Of forged bonds had been placed
upon the market. These bonds skilfuily exc
cuted that one railroad official to whom a forged bond
was shown pronounced his counterfeit signature genu
inc.
He said
FIRST cLEw ALMOST
was furnished by Petts and his deposition implicated
Roberts and Gleason. He was sure that with Pettis
evidence he could convict these men Of the crimes
charged against them Petts' motive not high
one; it was revenge against those whom he regarded
as having wronged him. He himself stands indicted
for the same offence, and his conviction is absolutely
certain.
the ground that 1t would facilitate the of JUS
tce by securing the conviction of the noted criminals
Indicated
MR.. HYDE, FORMER COUNSEL FOR pErrrs,
was then introduced by Mr. Jacobs and gave history
of his connection with the criminal in that capacity.
dwelling upon the preliminary trials which resulted in
his discharge and his subsequent conviction His
Judgment was that there evidence to
Pettis' conviction. While Pets lay Jail he for
him and communicated the facts which the author
tiles of New York relied giving as his reason for the
disclosure violent quarrel in that city which had re-
suited In his prosecution.
Mr.. Hyde argued that Rettis was held in prison on
warrant which charged him with being convicted Of
the crime of forgery whereas he sentenced for ut
terlng forged paper. In fact, he held crime
of which he was not convicted His only suggestion
that Petts should be taken from the State Prison
writ Of habeas corpus, carried New York to
tfy and brought back here defaulted bail bond In
this way seemed to him. the OF justice might
be facilitated without atUrdng Petts facilities to
from the punishment ne Is now undergoing here.
MR. J. WILDER MAY,
District Attorney then heard and gave his his
tory Of his with the Pettis and the
movement for his pardon He convinced that the
conviction Of two notorious criminals of the character
indicated would have beneficial effect of vastly
consequence than the enlargement of Pettis, who
longer q dangerous man, having placed himself
within the power OF the law. II seemed to him there
ends to be attained in the administration of justice
which would counterbalance objections to the pardon Of
Pettis.
Mr. Jacobs then made
CLOSING ARGUMENT,
in which he rccapitulated the arguments adduced for
the release and read petition from certain New York
bank officers and others OF that city in favor of Pets
release
MR. CHARLES B. HALL
Secretary or the New England Association for the Sup
preston and Detection Of Counterfelting, then ad-
dressed the Council, strongly opposing the pardon of
had paid rewards for the arrest OF 647 per-
sons. He mentioned the TACT to show his
knowledge of criminals Of Pettis' class.
He furthermore read rcmonstrance against the par
don OF Pettis representing forty eight banks He could
say that Pettis adroit villain and he differed
from those who represented Roberts the head OF the
gang of iorgers whose operations had been alluded
Peltis was he believed the head front and brains of
the combination Accomplished gentemanly and well
informed Pettis had all the traits which make
a great man in his particular line Of crime. He most
earnestly protested against tho pardon being granted,
for he could SEQ how he could be
compelled TO testify against Roberts and Glea-
son, with whom he would TO stand we'll
hereafter Pctts was the most complete villain the
country Afforded and he most earnestly deprccaed the
release OF the greatest In crime IN the United
States Another thing Suppose Pettis should testify.
IL is considered decent impose any very
sentence a witness for the government Indeed II
is far from common 10 sentence such person at all;
consequently the sentence If any inflicted, would
be very light If Petts we're pardoned out he should
expect a issue OF bonds so skilfuy done de-
ceive the person whose name written the back.
He most earnestly hoped that Pettis would remain
where he is
In response TO
A QUESTION
from Councillor Turner Mr. Hall said ;'Were the po-