Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1879-05-13
COMMISSIONERS HAYT INDICTED.

Through the disposition of most Of the
newspapers to cover up the crooked trans
actions of Indian Commissioner Hayt, the
public has not been apprised Of the fact
that he was, on Tuesday, May 9th, indicted
by the grand jury of Hudson county, New
jersey, for the distinguished part he has
taken in ~defrauding the public through the
medium of the international Trust COM
pany, Of jersey City, Of which he was pres.
ident. The New York Sun Of May 9TH
gives an account Of the operations of this
wonderful reformer and Of his indictment
by the grand jury, as above stated. The
International Trust company, of which Com
missioner Hayt wa, president, was organized
in 1869 as a savings institution and a life
insurance company. The developments
show that Commissioner Hayt exercised alb
solute control over the investments and
operations of this company and during all
the years Of his management it never did
anything but lose money-the peoples mon
ey not Hayt's. In 1878 the life insurance
business Of the concern was abandoned and
by this change the assets Of the savings in
stitstion were so impaired that it was from
that time in a condition of practical inaol-
vency. Notwithstanding the dangerous
shape of it's financial affairs the bank con-
tinued to take in the savings Of depositors
until about a year ago, when an official in
vestigation betrayed its rottenness and the
institution went to the wall, leaving, after
a payment of thirty-fve per cent to deposit
tors, Sl75,00o still due to the
poor people who had placed their
earnings within its vaults. The charges.
among other things, recite that Commission
er Hayt advertised the entire s~olvency Of
the bank, and invited deposits from children
and laborers, when he knew it was insolvent;
that the company Of which he was president
received deposits up to the day the bank
closed lis doora, when the examiners report
had previously shown that it was an insol.
vent concern that an appearance Of sound
ness was kept up by the use of notes and
other papers borrowed by Commissioner
Hayt for the purpose Of covering up defci-
encies. These are a few Of the points in the
criminal action brought against the Indian
commissioner They are of a particular in.
terest in this locality, the abiding place Of
a number Of honest men and faithful public
servants whose characters have been ruthless.
ly assailed at the instance of Commissions,
Hayt and who are now resting under the bar
ofhis unfounded charges. Our sense of rieh
ard Of justice, in the light Of the past events
teaches US to believe that every mar is in
nocent until he is proven guilty, and We DE-
not deny that even the commissioner of In
dian affairs is entitled to a suspension q
public judgment until the end of pendin,
trials is attained. But as he has Judge,
other men, 60 will he be judged, now tina
misfortune has overtaken him. Cold hearted
cruel and suspicious himself, and having ex
cercised these qualities to the utmost limi
OF the power he possesses, he can hardly ez
pect from an outraged public the same dc
gree Of clemency which would be extende
to a man who had done less to provoke re
taliation-who had permitted a little c
human sympathy and of human kindline.
to enter into and neutralize the harshnes
OF arbitrary official acts. Commissions
MISREPRESENTATION has been expected for som
lime past, but as it is net forthcoming no,
that the Indictment is made, it would be we,
for the interior department to apply to hi,
vigorous dose Of his v bitter mediciu,
Upon the unsubstantiated charges of &c,
hammond, (who, by the way is another d,
funct savings bank hero) be removed. an
oy bayonet force expelled from the India
country several ofthe most competent ar
honorable Indian agents in the service of II
government, and seized their private PROBE
~. Though legal investigation ha. sho,
these charges to be untrue he has made n
even the recompense Of a confession Of /
error, but insists that courts and juries a,
public sentiment have corruptly interced
in behalf of his innocent victims. It vou1
xe cay. be q righteous judgment, to apply
Commissioner Hayt the same pitiless r,
DO has 30 often invoked in his dealings II
his subordinates. Though Commisslor
aayt y now no moro unfit for the position