The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-03-30

The friends OF Mr.. Jay Gould will be
panied to learn that IN 1873 lie was guilty Of at.
tempting to evade the statute which forbds
gambling. There can be no dount OF the fact,
for Mr.. Gould has voluntarily made = full con.
fession. and his attorney, Mr. Thomas G.. shear.
man. expressly asserts that the confession is
true.
Tho circumstances in which Mr. Gould per
United himself to Weld to temptation were
bfieny these During the excitement of the
famous Black Friday week he and certain assn
ciatcs bought from Wall street broker $201OO0
IN gold. to be delivered IN twenty-four hours.
Mhen TOE hour oil delivery srrived the price of
gold had fallen. and Mr.. Gould and his friends
repudiated their contract. The broker was,
tnerelore' compelled To sell tho gold at loss OF
$5i.5v aud he mas now brought suit against Mr..
Gould and the other parties to tho contract In
order to recover th.t sum.
We can well imagine tho sorrow with which
Mr. Gould learned that he had been made de-
PENDANT In a suit In which lie was charged with
preach OF contract. No man with a fine sense
OF honor, and scrupulous and even Qnixotic
regard for fair dealing, can bear to have the
snghtest shadow cast upon his reputation. OF
course. Mr.. Gould did not care a straw about
the $1i5OO, but he did care for his good name.
and was fully conscious that wicked men would
max nse 81 the charge against him TO create
tho impression that he was not man of strict
honor and Integrity. 10 these circumstance hs
TOOK the wlsest possible course by calling 10 his
ssistance MIR. Thomas c. shearnAn. a LAWYER
tull Of Plymouth piety aud legal strstasems
Mr. Gould was unwilling to he defended bv n
worldly lawyer, who might be suspected of pre-
ielrlng the cause OF his client to that of Justice
and ny EMPLOYING Mr.. Shearman he not onlv
but he nlso obtained the inestimable benefit OF
those pious counsels which formerly sustained
and cheered the late James Fisk. Jr.. when the
wicked pursued him. and which still later de-
livercd Mr. Bescher. at least temporarily. from
the hands Of his enemies
On Monday last the suit was brought e. trial
Had Sir Gould employed "A wicked and worldly
lawyer. his defence would undoubtedly have
ssnst him. FoTtnnatey ST for t6 % ne SnsrsG
his soul and his suit, he had employed Mr.
sherman, and by that good mans advice he
admitted that in a moment of excitement he
was tempted 20 gamble, and, Mr.. Shearmnn not
COME sed that the alleged contract was nothing
more than bet on the future price of gold. He
out inhsnuch as II fell, he lost his bet, and
would nave lost the sum OF $3.50 II he had paid
II. some inen having made a bet and lost Il.
would nave paid their debt. Not so Mr..
Gould. No sooner had the price of gold fallen
than he perceived the essential immorility Of
the transaction IN which he ned been engaged.
lie had not only been gambling. but he ID "a
tried 70 eyide the law agniast gambling by
calling tho transaction contract lie resolved
that he would stop short I'm tho vicious career
on which he h1d entered, and wolld not add to
MS en- ~ paying tho money LOST by betting.
M'nday last. md from It Mr. Snearnau drew
the legal conclusion that the plaintiff could not
recover the sun which he claimed TO have won.
Inc shock which Nr. Gcud's confession will
mentally produce VIII be widely felt. Good M N
will sorrowfu, read the story u his fall and
VIII eXcaim jay Gould has been gambling !,
Alas; whom can we trust now - still IL is GER
I in that his frank confession. and his evident
repentance Will do much to restore his reuutn-
tion. When the nr,t shock il over, people will
begin TO recognize that ne has done want he
could TO atone tor his misdemcanor lie has
not encouraged the practice OF gambling bN
uaytng his bet ana Mr.. sherman is confident
that the law will sustain him in this course.
Wheu m An who has incurred debt hv sinful
practices abandons such practices, refuses TO
ray his d bt, cOnlssses Lls fault, and honestly
asks the good Mr.. Shearman TO teach him how to
live reputable life AMI avoid payment Of gam.
bling dents. he has done all that could bc cx.
pected. Let us view Nj. G0uld's offence with
charity. and let Us adu ~ the pious ingenuity
81 MIR. Sherman who has shCwn his client now
10 ease his conscience anG protect his pocket by
Simply iessins that he has violated the gam =
bling statute.