Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-10-16
Tilden's Latest Steal.

When the great "reformer" was charged,
during the last Presidential campaign, with
cheating the United States by false return
Of his income, it was at once pronounced
campaign lie. The United States has I'M
dertaken to give him an opportunity to show
the falsity of the charge-but what is his
defence2 He replies by making off with
the books which are understood to contain
evidence showing that his income from the
New York Iron Mine alone was more than
the entire amount upon which he paid tax
We have already given the story of the
abstraction of the books from the room in
which the United States Commissioner was
engaged in taking the evidence Of one OF
Mr.. Tilden's agents. The examination of
Thomas Harland, who ia accused OF exc
cutting the scandalous job, is now proceed
ing at Detroit, and the evidence which has
resulted is most damaging to his principal,
the Gramercy Park reformer. McCloskey,
the general superintendent of the New York
Mine, swore that his attorney drove the car
riage which bore the stolen books away that
the books were delivered to his clerk and
that they are now in his, the superintend-
dents, custody. Portions Of these books, as
our readers will recollect, the United States
District Attorney thought of so much i'm
portance to the case against Tilden that he
had ordered a copy to be made and attested.
Does anybody believe if the income charge
was all campaign le," these books would
have been seized by force and hurried away
from public inspection
In the Michigan case, as in the Florida
case, ciphers play the important part,
Tilden, il would seem, cannot get along
without ciphers. Not any plain English
for him. Three cipher dispatches from
Harand to "George W. Smith, Is Gram
ercy Park and one from said Smith in re-
ply, were produced at the examination. We
may say, in passing, as bearing upon the
crookedness of the transaction, that no such
man as George Smith lives at 10 Gramercy
Park, but that S. J. Tilden does live there.
McCloskey at first declined to produce the
key to the ciphers, but afterward furnished
the translation. The first dispatch inquiries
of George w. Smith why the books of the
New York Iron Mine should not be replev-
ined. The second is the reply, without sig
nature, that there is no reason why the
books should not be replevined. The third
dispatch is from Harland, sent to Smith, at
No. 10 Gramercy Park, stating that the
books were successfully obtained. The case
against Tilden in this phase of the matter
of his income could not well be worse.
On Tuesday, Judge Baxter issued an or
der for McCloskey and his associates to show
cause why they should not return the stolen
books, and accompanying the order the
Judge said
"Mr. Attorney, this is no way TO try a case.
You know 1t is not proper mode Of serving a
writ of replevin, to have horses and carriages In
readiness, with the attorney in the case on the
box, and then attempt to seize the papers and
books legally before an officer competent to take
testimony and remove them from the presence
and custody Of that officer. At all events, think
the power of this court ample to compel their
return, and, II necessary, will exhaust that
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