, 1877-12-14
Epidemics of Fraud.

EpluemlCS or FRAUD.
The years 1867 were in England pre-
eminently remarkable for crimes of an
extraordinary character. The criminals
were no vulgar thieves; they were, on the
contrary, men Of brilliant abilities, who
were apparently led astray by ambition
and aesthetic tastes. On Sabbath morn
ing, February II, 1856, a man, wander
ing across Hampstead Heath in search of
strayed donkey, found a dead man ly-
ing on the rise of mound on spot
which seemed to have been carefully Sc
iected. Beside it was silver cream-ewer
smelling strongly of prussic acid, and in
one of the deceased'S pockets was piece
of paper bearing the words "Jean Sad
leir, Gloucester-square, Hyde Park Mr.,
Sadleir was a member of Parliament toI
Sligo, ex-Lord of the Treasury, and had
been chairman or director of any number
of banks and companies, and in fact
better. known man did not exist III the
politico commercial world of England
and Ireland. When the inquest was
held, letter found in his house explained
all. 1t ran: 81 cannot live; l have ruined
too many; could not live and see their
agony and more to the same import. 1t
was too true, as many in Ireland ut this
hour can to their sorrow attest.
And then there came a crime of which
We have been reminded by the telegram
referring to the extensive frauds said to
have been perpetrated on an English rail
road company. About the year 1850
there entered the service of the Great
Northern Railroad one Lionel Redpath,
who rose to the position Of Registrar. 1t
was his duty to know who were the
shareholders, what stock they held, and
what amount of dividend due to each,
and likewise to place against every name
the sum due to bearer. Redpath's Gus
tom was to make transfers of stock to inn
aginary individuals, and to sell out and
appropriate the money. In this way he
realized annually a splendid sum, part of
which he used for speculation and with
the rest INDUCED his really refined and
aesthetic tastes. His house was model
of luxury and elegance; pictures and
OIjets dart abounded, and on one occa-
sion when the Emperor of the French was
very eager to get certain statue at IA
nous sale, Redpath bid against him and
got it. Altogether it was computed that
not less than $750,000 had thus been
stolen by him, and this case, in connec-
tion with those that had preceded it, Gre
ated very grave reflections and animad-
versions throughout the country. it was
heard before two particularly able and
eminent Judges, who expressed the opin-
ion that frauds Of this kind seemed great
ly on the increase, and that in the case of
companies they were in some degree due
to the fact that no friendly relations
grew up between employees and employed,
to prevent men from committing depreda-
tions from feelings of attachment. The
frequency and magnitude of crimes of
this sort may, indeed, well make people
ask themselves whether secular eduCa-
tion is, after all, of that value in checking
criminality which many Of its advocates
contend that it is, for in this country, as
well as in England, the number of forger-
les, defalcations and misappropriations,
nowadays, is such as to make most men
feel very Respondent as to moral progress.
Crimes of violence may show decrease,
but do not crimes of fraud and cunning
show corresponding increase9 Are
there not in this community to-day mum.
bers of families of the highest respecta-
bility who have members guilty of crimes
for which they are, or ought to be, in the
State Prisonl Education Of the intellect
will not make men good. 1t will but
change the nature of their criminality,
and too often sharpen their wits to a
point which will enable them to evade
detection. There is large and increas.
ing body of thinkers who are of
opinion that our common school
system educates the intellect with
out enough consideration for the educa-
tion of the heart, and who contend that
thousands of boys and girls are annually
turned out of these institutions who thus
get no moral or religious instruction,
either at home or at school. We hope
they are mistaken. But the frightful
catalogue of all sorts of breaches of trust
which our columns are daily presenting
give terribly effective handle to those
who hold to such theories.-New York
Times.