Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-05-16

Register Hubbard VIndIeatcd.

From the Chicago Evening Journal of May , 1879
The case of Register Hibbard came to a
sudden termination, yesterday. 1t took a
long time to blow that soap-bubbie, but
once blown, 1t vanished into thin air with
all the alacrity of a dream. The three
young men" of the Chicago Bar Associa
ton made the suds One of them admitted
some months ago. that he had nothing
against llIbbard. but that Judge BlOdgett
was the man he was after. The yindlcatl0n
of Judge Blodgett has now been followed
by the excnlpation of the Register OF his
court.
The indictment was fatally deiectige in
legal point of view, but Leonard SWEET. as
counsel for the defence, offered to waive
that point. and positively refused to accept
an acquittal on that ground alone. The
time OF the court was not consumed by any
elaborate details, but the charges made IN
the indictment were shown to be false. alb
soldtely and nexcusably, in every instance.
The deiame.- Ci Mr. Hubbard had employed
experts TO go through his accounts and
select Zee bills which were the most clearly
open to suspicion of being extortiorate.
Four were selected, ami upon those t1u- the
Indictment was based. Since then tho Js
fence has had experts 90 through those
Gases with the most painstaking httl-
ity, The examination showed that In each
OF these cases the charges had been below
the amount allowed by law. The fee bills
were less than the law allowed in one case
to the extent of IS, in another of S35,
third of so, and the fourth OF $50, max
ing all told, SOB. OF course, that being
the case, the prosecution had no more to
say, and verdict Of scquittal followed, as
light does sunrise. The smart Alexis
who started all this hullsoaloo about over
charges in bankruptcy cases are inexcusa-
BILE. They should have looked into the mat
ter and known the facts in the case. 1t
is very serious business to prefer
charges agains: men discharging public
trusts. The loose and hippant perpetra-
ton Of this sort OF wrong is one of the worse
practices OF the times. But this much is
doubtless true in the present case A we'll
founded hostility to the bankruptcy act had
more to do than personal spite with these
prosecutions When the war upon Mr..
lIibbard began. that law was 10 iull blast.
To compass ;s repeal was the problem. Il
was a very bad law in many OF its details.
and Justly obnoxious. When Mr.. llibbari
was appointed register the Office was not
very lucrative and there was very little
competition for it. 10 fact. there was some
surprise ielt that 50 good a lawyer shoul
accept the position. But it proved to be
very profitable, not nearly as rich bonan-
"a as seems to be generally supposed, still
good enough 10 make him an object Of en-
w. And between the pre- ludice of the
business public against the law. and profess
sional jealousy. Mr.. lllbbard became
target Tor q great deal of unmerited abuse.
His viudicatian conld not have been more
complete. We congratulate Mr.. Hibbard
upon his personal triumph. ard the pablo
has no small occasion to rejoice over the
result, Tor official honor and integrity con-
cern the public interest.