The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-09-14
GOV. HARTRANFTS ALLIES.
THE MURDEROUs MOLLY MAO UIREs
IN PENNSYLV1NII.
EMPLOYING Assassius M Political Agents
Their Lenders Rewarded The Thugs
and "The Old Man at HARRISBURG"

been brought home to that organization would
be only the crime, on the part OF men OF we 18th
aud station and incumbents OF high public Of
Aces, OF protecting 1t In it, misdeeds, and OF
encouraging II by assuring u Of immunity. And
that Is the crime which, beyond any doubt, has
been perpetrated by the Republican officials and
politicians OF the state Of Pennsylvania, upon
whom the responsibility for many OF the shock
ing offences OF the Mobiles must riehtfully rest
At the trial In Pottsvlle OF Thomas Munley, for
the murder. at Raven Run, Sept. /, 1875, OF
Thomas Sanger, mining boss, Mr.. Franklin u.
Gowen. the President OF the Pennsylvania and
Reading Railroad Company, aud the leading
counsel for the prosecution. In the closing ad-
dress to the jury-an argument that was UNI
usually elaborate and studied In Its language
made the following utterances:
But there has been attack made upon this oreani.
ration aud ~ to THIS time we have not had furnished
liudabe or cOmmendabie. Criminal in its character.
You viii Sn S "a PROM SS
nep men 10 ths townships, Through the instrpmen,
secure Offices for emselves. You see mere ana now
| member OF this order. You know that q previous
Commissioner q this county was memoer Of this or
Governor You know that another county Coulinis
VIC ed OF an offence aud ptrdoned by the Governor
High conssbles chiefs Of police. candidate. Tor
men we're All the time guilty Of murder.
| At another point he said;
Then ". cc?Id say 70 Pat conry Commissioner Of
OF this STATE dsres TO pardon Molly Magure-you
Again;
have seen society OF murderers and assassins
having its members In the highest place OF tnis
stables aud police officers. nave seen trusted mem.
county nave seen THIS oresnzSti"n Weld polttiea
power In q site which has controlled the eleeuons
nation Of meeting. between some Of the highest ON
which large snms ~ ',ney ere naid 70 aerurs tbe
votes Of thus informal to turn the OF
wasa revelation a. decp aud as dimning a. that now
nrst line '"'' 0''''''" " ''''" ~ '''
Mr- Gowen has been engaged In pushing the
| Molly Mcguire prosecutions from their incep-
counsel. IN connection with Mr.. Hughes and
Mr. Guy Z. Farquhar Of Pottsyille. aud Mr..
was formerly District Attorney Of Schuylkill
| county himself. and In that capacity devoted
| ings ~ the organization, which was then sus-
| pected, a. II has since been proved to be the
| cause & nearly all OF the m NY murders that
| have stained the recent ann ils of the coal
gions Of the state. lie was In frequent commu-
nication with James McParlan, detective, whe
| was sent from Chicago 10 worm himself into the
| confidence Of the leaders OF the Mobiles, and
who became an active member Of the oreanzl-
| tiun for that purpose, and thus Informed him
! self Thoroughly Of III dongs. II ANYBODY Is
| likely to know Of secret leagues between the
| Molhes and the Republican state ponticians il
| Is, therefore, Mr.. GOwen. md In using the lam
g!a.e la did at the trial " Thomas Munley
there can be no t,,-.,ht that Information which
entirely warranted It was In hts possession.
| called on MIR. Gowen IN Philadelphia TO ask
| him for the particulars OF the revelations which
had neen brought TO his knowledge. / found
| him IN his railroad offce In South Fourth street.
| gentleman who has an aDre tranCe OF strong
and quick powers OF observation aud great en-
| ergy ana nrmness Of character. He was very
| decided In refusing 10 say anything upon the pO-
litical ASPECT OF the Molly Mcguire cases.
| Il am afraid" he sail. THAT II politics are
| drawn into these the sltgnte I
degree, Il my endaug the chances Of their
II. Just in the midst 81 this exciting political
| campaign. ! were to say anything that would
hurt Republican politicians In the state. II might
| prejudice really wcll-meaning Republicans
against the cases. and per avs make them think
mat was pursuing partisan purposes IN these
prosecutions has had that very result before
this. There WAS the murder of Alexander Il e
robt ed OF s2UOOo or $1,000. and there never was
IN anybody mud doubt but that the murder
was committed by the Molles 81 that county
or As To who the actual murderers were. Great
excitement relgned IA me county, hut after !
prutracted trial the Mollies were acquitted. OF
course II WIS fair trial; yet an satisfied that
| the influence eNerfed by the organization upon
puti' ms anu upon tht cnmihlil ~ o'hli !rl'eu
largely, through the partisan feelings that were
aroused. TO the result of the prosecution. Now
! visa nothing ~ th.t KIND 10 happen here.
imuortant than INVITING else"
Unless II ne," intcrposed. "to convict mer
who hold hign station IN pubic and private hi'
Of aiding aud protecting them"
We'll; we'll sad Mr.. Gowen, "one thing at
time. My first OF Joct nov T. 10 crush this 50
ciety OF assassin, and will not hazard success
, In that for anything else. You Will not he,
ANYTHING from me ABOUT the political aspect o
tue 4ses. Whatever comes out incidentally II
the evidence Is VI course yours 10 turn &
, such use as you sec nt. Bu' I vii
10 the use make Of it. Recent
one Of the witnesses testified TO having he r,
J | kchOe, the head of the Moilies In Schuylkil
r county, say that the old man At Harrisburg
couldn't go back on him and his companions.
Ia my summing up carefully avoided maxim.
any aluslOn t. that testimony. That was sid'
Issue. and my main object was the convc1ioi
, | II the prisoner
, bat how about those very explicit and posi-
, tive accusations Of quit against some OF th
highest officers 81 the state. to which you Z Nt
utteranc. Ia your argument IN the case OF !hos
~ Ell" replied Mr. Gowen, THAT ia said an,
d out and stand byit Whatever have sid
. you stand 10y it, and your only reason 70
not giving rue fun particulars upon which thos
accusations are base /. and which you declar
are iu your possession. Is your desire to ayui'
! prejuilclng the lros cntinns by awakening tn
. os.lty # the pohtieiansY
" | cannot answer you any further than hav
done, aud YOU must not question me any more
nav sald an mat can Consistently with III
But 70 minds u the slightest intelligence, MI
= huweu's revelations are not necessary. howeNe
interesting tu-Y might h". me circum-t1nti
evidence winch j. 10 he obtained Tor tue uor
in9ulrN' or i already w,thln Inc hnoWiedee .
y tho pubiit, is is,i fullY SUFFICIENT to iuuicat
, the character ~ the damuins facts that hay
- been uncovered by him.
- For a long time II was openly declared /
T. SchuNlkil county that no MOLLY, being cuuylcte
Of crime would need TO serve the term of MI
sentence, Whatever has offence might be, h
u wuuld bc sure 60 receive "A pardon on accu iu
Z OF his membership IN the assOcittlOn Of dssli
a sius. The votes Of that organic tiOu are "a
= cousidetattuu for the pardous Of its mem ner
i To Molly MHguire- are steady voters Of ia
u Republican ticket, and there Is M rXpl natlo
r. for 10 save au expfess league with the ltupuul
+. can pohtic ns who control the pudonin
!. power, an1 VINO sell II Tor the votes Of the c1a
j miners. Ne rly every lolly that has been scr
e. fenced in Scnuylkill county has been pardon"t
a. ana me Moll -, have regularly voted the r.
s publican ticket. Place these Two cir' Im-tlns r
- together, IN there can he but one lufersIce.
r Among the parduurd Vas a haliut-buX sruif,
named Mon guam, who was sentenced in IN
Summer of ls1j tu three months iuprlsonmeu
!. Or f. uds AZ township election in en-" lrecet
10 Ing spring. lie wa- ptrd ned before the * tr'
Pr. zion Of his sentence. Inc WAY II came anot
was explained .ftcrWW h} one john Dear
whom Mon ighau'- fraud helped 10 eject a ruue
fl visor. Dean, VINO has SINCE been sentenced
4 I two years iuurIspunent Tor prrirY one ii
a willie drunk displayed a letter which ne hal II
% ceNtd from .. :. quay, the Republic "a seer
' tAIy Il Sfa e.. ia winch the writer SAYS tuat 1
had received Deans letter asking aOot
MoEash ms pardon. and replies that GOV. III u
ruit WAS out of the city, uut that the . lrdo
r would be forthcoming lew days before Il
- election, AMI luqIt.ug whether tuht WAS ~
wa Z WA wanted. TINS letter was read ny mai