The daily gazette., 1877-09-28
ISECONDzEDlIrION
The PhaadeiphtSs Frauds.

InfIf the great Philadelphia swindIer's !
place were not in the State prison, we
would. suggest that he. be put under a
glass case at the Permanent Exhibition,
of which he was president. The public |
would go. farto see the champion con-
fidence man of the country. There Is |
something positively mangnificent in the
"cheek" of this man Morton, which
raises him to heights far above those of
ordinary swindlers. We do not allude
to his brilliant achievement in robbing
the West Philadelphia Railroad Com
pany of so many thousand while his
most intimate friends firmly believed
him to be an honest man. This Is not
the first time that trustees of a corpora
tion have blindly trusted everything to
one man, only to find themselves duped
and robbed at last, Nor do we refer to
| Morton's election as president of the
Permanent Exhibitien Company That
was q splendid strike of impudence, TO
be sure. We cannot refuse a sort OF ad7
miration for a man who, knowing that
he ought to be hammering public stone
in striped suit, associates with gentle
men and so gains their loveand trust
that they put him up as their represen-
/ bdtlNC bCsb iudns 'uuOIbOu Wdo CuOoCM
president of the Exhibition Company
because he was supposed to possess the
very qualities now shown to be totally
wanting in him. But corporations OF all
kinds-financial philanthropic, social
and religious-are 100 often the prey OF
master knaves who get to the head, to
make us wonder at all that the Exhibi-
tion was betrayed in that selection. A
~ M I'll, L.
imposed ON the Exhibition people. The
subllmity of his confidence game-that
which marks him .facile princeps among
the tribe; of its practitloners-is the eff
fronterY with which he faces down the
public since his exposure. He admits
all the offense charged against him; but
claims he is innocent of wrong intentions.
He was actuated in the commission of
his crimes solely by the "desire to aid
Others" He chad not made one dollar
by the transactions" He is "conscious
/, of no dishonesty on his own part" His
only desire now is ''to disguise nothing
t and to do nothing dishonorable." The
whole tone of Morton's talks with the
reporters, if correctly given, is that of an
injured person-not the yictimiZer, but
the victim. He seems TO think that the
one virtue of .frankness which he affects,
now that concealment is no longer pos
sible, should outweigh all his crimes.
1, That Is a matchless assurance with
which he promises 10 "do nothing
dishonorable" hereafter, as if people
could still be asked to trust him out OF
n Jail! If, besides securing this king OF
. the confidence men for their show,
the Permanent Exhibition Company
: would engage, as additional attractiod
the trustees OF the west Philadelahi
Q Railroad who stupidly allowed this
man to 60 on ovefissuing thousands
of shares of stock for period of sew
en- years without discovery, the sue
T. cess of the fair would be almost made,
g The indignant stockholders Of the
r line would cheerfully pay a quarter
$ apiece to see and rail at the men who
stole and fooled their money away
!. and the great public of investors tC
whom the same misfortunes are like
to happen any time thtough the peril
dyi of other Mortons and the stupiC
= neglect of other trustees would surei,
D be curious to look upon these priz
n specimens of the persons from whom
e their class has so oftens suffered anc
ri will suffer to the end of time-tht
confidence man at the head of 'corpo
d fations and the trustees fdiotically
4 acqulescing in all he does. y