The Portland daily press., 1877-03-27

so we'll known should have been so suddenly
lost to sight. Great multitudes of citizens
were familiar with Mr.. Halls features. ae has
hlled a large space in the public eye for more
than twenty years, passing during that time
through the alterations of prosperity and ad-
versity, and exhibiting degree of versatility
and eccentricity that made him equally an OBJ
| ject of interest, whether he was on the lowest
or the highest round of the ladder of fame. He
was man of wonderful industry and varied
| accomplishments, lawyer, editor, PLAYWRIGHT
and politician; remarkably clever with his pen.
and the life of the social circle and the festive
board he was incuraby addicted to punnIng
but that was his worst literary fault He 70.
deemed 1t by doing better things in such abun-
dauce that no body disputed his claim to rank
among the wits of the metropolis. He got his
start in life by being elected District Attorney.
He was then a Republican of the straiphtest
orthodoxy. He kept faith with the party till
| about the time the war was over, and lust
when democracy was at the lowest ebb Of its
waning fortunes he turned sudden summer
saut and marched over to the enemy bag and
| baggage. Their welcome of the new recruit
was proportionate to the scarcity Of converts.
They made him Mayor, and had him on the
lists for Governor, when the terrible break of
1871 involved them and him in a common and
irretrieVable ruin. he served the party with
all the blind zeal of proselYte, and allied him
self without scruple with the infamous trium.
virate whose audacious robberies constitute a
fresh and startling chapter in the annals of
| crime.
The prevalent belief is that Hall did not
share in the plunder which he helped his con.
federates to acquire-that they were sordd, be
imerely ambitious. This seems Incredible, but
he was SO unlike other people that, it may
have been true. 1t is pretty certain
that he did not get much of the
| money that was obtained from the Treasury
through the help of his signature, Itis not
less matter of fact that the frauds could not
have been perpetrated without his concur
| renee. He signed warrants for millions of fic-
| tltous claims. 1t is an affront to his intelli-
| gence to imagine that he did not know what
he was doing. But the thieves were at that
moment in undisputed possession of municipal
power They brooked no interference with
their schemes of rapine If he had presumed
to oppose them or demonstrate with them they
would have dethroned him without particle
of hesitation. If he was disturbed by any in
ward upbraidings of conscience he stifed them
In his own bosom, and remained up to the day of
doom plant tool of the vest oligarchy that
ever oppressed helpless aud stolid communi-
| ty.
From the fall of the bandittis he had con-
sented to serve, there could of course be no res
direction. His political annihilstIon was as
complete as if he had ceased to exist. 1t Is not
necessary to credit him with extreme sensitive
ness in order to reach the conclusion
that bis subsequent history was one of
| bitter regrets and constant modification.
He sought refuge in literature, in
play writing, and even in play act.
| ing. He astoushed the whols city by ap-
pearing before the footlights in a theatre of
which he became for the purpose the manager,
and in play of which he was both author and
hero. His failure in this role was disastrous,
but be kept on as long as he could get an audi
euce. After that he turned his attention again
to the practice of law, mainly in the criminal
courts. The change diminished somewhat the
notoriety of which he was the object, but still
he was always being good deal heard of and
| talked about. For year or more gossip has
associated his name with that of leading ac-
tress of Wallack's Theatre. His deyotions to
her were Sd open and constant that the pair
literally became topic of this, town. Conse-
| quently when his absence was heraldsd the
first thought of a great many people was that
he had gone abroad, and that she wcad shortly
follow him. This theory of the case is the only
one so far that finds any considerable number
OF supporters. 1t is held by some of his most
intimate friends who have witnessed his infat-
uation in respect to the feminine thespian in
whose tolls he had become immeshed, and who
nave been gradually preparing themselves for
almost any denoaenent that might result from
SO strange an ENHANCEMENT Whatever the
fact may turn out to be, it may be taken for
granted that for the usual period of nine days
(unless the mystery is solved sooner) Oakley
Hall will be the theme of more conversation.
speculation and conjecture than he ever has
been BEFORE and that is saying good deal.
The suggestion that he might have absconded
to avoid the ring suits is not worthy of a mo-
| ments consideration. There are to be no ring
| suits, and he knew it very well. The lame and
| impotent conclusion to which the prosecutions
OF the fellows who dragged this imperial city to
the ragged edge Of repudiation has been
brought is perfectly characteristic of every
thing that has the tant of law upon it. When
Tweed was willing to settle by the surrender of
millions of his stolen property, the idea of COM
promising felony was so repulsive to the pop
ular sense of justice, that the proposition was
contemptuously rejected. But the stern virtue
of the people gives way at last under the vexa-
tious delays and ponderous costs of litigation
that never has beginning OF real action nor
an end OF useless expense, and so the whole
matter is to be settled for some insignificant
and trifling pittance, no pecuniary benefit ac-
crung to the city, but great deal to the law
gers. 1t is just as well, perhaps, considering
how absolutely impossible it is to bring any case
to trial if there is money to be got by put.ing
it off. The only result that will come of stop
ping the proceedings is the release of Tweed
from the county Jail. AS compensation for
that the corporation is exempted from the fur
ther payment of costs, which in its present i'm
poverished condition is great object. Every
body was sick ard tired long ago of hearing
about the Ring salts and utterly incredulous of
their ever being brought to an issue. And then
there is an innate feeling that it is hardly fair
to intiict all the punishment on the ring leader
when his accomplices were almost if net quite
as guilty. They walk about our streets with
full purses and brassy faces, uuharmed and
unpursued, while he has undergone the rigors
of eighteen months service in the penitentiarv,
and is still under the surveillance of the sheriff
in quarters that are somewhat circumscribed
and not in The least pslatial
But as for Halls having been frightened
away by any apprehensous on this score the
| idea is preposterous. There is in sll probabiii-
| ty "a woman in the case" and the nearest
friends of the missing man do not COMFORT
themselves as if they were of a contrary opin-
ion. Naturally they are reticent about it, but
they are not searching for him with any marked
alacrity, nor evincing excessive surprise that he
| cannot be found.
| A matter of more practical concern Just now
is the overhauling of the life insurance compa-
MES by the State Legislature The public is
| acquiring kind of information respecting
these corporations that will be very likely to