New-York tribune., 1879-01-17

THE EVIDENCE OF FRAUD ONERWHRLMING-MORE
CONVICuo>s YEsTERDAY-A COMMISSION IN
COURT PREVENTED BY LAWYERs-A TOWN
COUNSEL ARRAICNED.
Icy TELEGRAPH 10 THE TRIBUSEI
BELvIDERE, n. j., Jan. 16.-The Warren
County consprItOrs being made 10 face the pena ties
o. crime IN much greater celebrity han they ever
dreamed Of Trials, whicI promised week ago 10 be
contested stuOborn'y and TO last many days. have
been wound up in "a few hours. Many OF the
accused men have lost heart and their lawyers
have found the proofs of guilt overwhelming 10 be
met by any reasonable ar.umeuts
Cummings the Coun;y Collector. and his friend Bul-
GIN were convicted OF fconsracy to-day acrsome start
ling evidence of their guilt had been presented Adam
H. Rcecc. Of PmllpsburE told the story Of hls transac
with Dean and Cummings in relation to the forged
5000 pOtc how he received the note from Dean becy-
ing to b. good how he 80 36f on the note from
Cummings in January, ISIS, and how he delivered the
note and money To Dean in Ncw-York. TIE 5000 that
hcreceiycd from had given his note for at the
time he nad refused aftcrwaId to tell the County Col
lector who owDcd the note. DR. Mdttis0n also re-
atrd Lis part III the conspiracy; hs meetings
with Bulgin and Dean in Ncw-York, where
the plan was formed 10 share the residue
note and the division Of $500 between himself
ann Dean after tue nOe lad been given W 10 Busin.
Il, Identified eJtor and telrgrams sent by Bulgin
TO MIN asking for meeting with Dean These papers
were found IN the possession Of Dr. Matson, when lie
was rccapiurod By Detective Kurt iI Virginia, trr
his escape from the jail in B''vidcre. check
for 200 drawn by Cummings TO the order of Eurin,
ana c,shed by the iIack,ttsjown Bank on March Is.
1873, day that Dean and MattSOn paid $500.
was put IN evidence along with the other apnrs.
William J.. Cummings, cousin Of the cXCollector, was
then called bY District-Attorncy Harris 70 Civ" u
startling account Of confession which Lis kusuan
had made to linn Saturday last, and repeated
sunday III The presence of This stated
III.
oxCoEcctor. tog thee with fan statement Of the crim
nal acts he had committed TIE cx-Collcctor promised
his friends Sunday night that lie would
go into court Monday and tell the truth about the
conspiraces IN which he had taken part On Monday,
however, he said these friends that his lawyers would
not let him GO on the stand The story told by
the witnesses produced marked change in
tho actions OF Cumminrss lawyers They asked
for ana obtained leave 10 consult with their
client IN secret. and when they returned to
the courtroom Cummings took his place the witness
stand. he tired 10 cxous" his action by aying That
he believed the note 10 be Il good one untl after
he nd got it into his possession, and that he
DID attempt TO have the note passed by
tie Board OF Freeholders afterward but bore tie loss
himself. In his cross-examinatlOn by the District
Attorney, however, he stumbled SO badly ana admitted
So many things that Dean had sworn 10, that his de-
fence was i-re better than confession Of his guilt
He even produced the forged more on wiuch lie had
written statement tnat II had been paid in iu. When
asked WY hc kept The note back, when served with
notice hy The Cour 10 produce H. he said he had no;
the note or known for several months until
was handed to him to-day 10y Mr. Shipman his counsel.
The lawyers looked dscustcd ana did not attempt to
of, any further defence either for Cummings BulGn.
aud they made il request tne should be
united 10 The jury without argument. Possibly they
dreaded n" effect OF sarcastic criticism OF their
duet wAIch AUoIDey-G,Ueial STOCKTON might have
made had he been allowed to speak. The Cmcf-Jns;icc
prtspntod fhc Situation to thr jury in clear manner,
aud the Latter soon br0ugat ~ verdict ~ gu ".
progress then made IN the tGld OF samuel
FroHc, the CASuprrntcn!CDt OF the Poor House, who
is accused Of conspiracy with DR.. Madison and cX-
- SO, raised To g4G6hy Matson ANA SradeI.
and pad ~ Cummings. The fact easily proved by
documentary evidence. FfOme however. claimed that
Ia. hdd II -ycT received part OF the extra $500,
and that tGs amoUnt ADDED TO the order without
his UaHSrI'. Dc. Mitt.sUn sustained THIS plea when
baOug into court for t1t purpose by tie defence but
he lead into direct contradiction or Froint as 10
the manner winch the $500 WAS dlYd' d. during
cross y animation by DiSirci-A toIncy Harris.
Immediately after the huou Htrrm - on Ot court q
novel scene WIS presented IN the courtroom The
members of the Cimmon { 'uuch Oi Phiilpspurg we're
arraig ed prisoners, having hotn indicted Tor taking
excessive pIv. In August, 1877, they sat seven
or cIgbt evenings III revising old tax warrants,
and striking N names OF taxpayers from
ser zee they 80 each IL April 1873, they sat ,wo
Gays AID rNculu- town committee. IN auditing
accounts of officers. For t, the town charter al
lows ~ day tOg The first tso Il tys, and Hl DAY
service so each. Their offence consists, there
fore. ~ charging - ctCL III excess OF thc amount
they entitled TO draw. Tnry were all perm! Tea
10 bail Tor Iid Thcir names are A. McDcrno,t'
MOuIt, A. MocIug G. Ncticr. ii. +. Mckrever, WIN. h.
BO~Cls VIM Hon, ChaN ritYItaVcs.