The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-01-03
DIR. MATrIsON CONYICrED
A Little Tnmmany" TINT IL Said 10 Have
Robbed IA Part Of New rscy.

BELvfDERE, N. j., Jan. AT the Scptcm-
Der term OF the Warren County Courts tho
Grand Jury took in hand the little Tammany
Ring" composed Of county officials. There had
been an exposure Of Its methods before. and il
was after this exposure that Prosecuting Mtor-
ncy Harris characterized the Ring M Little
THmmany." The only respect IN which II dif-
fercd from the great frauds OF Twccd's time in
N W York was in the amount Of money said to
have been stolen. At the Same timc. proper
uonaly thcro is not much doubt that
Warren County has suffered more than
New York city ever did. At erst $4,000
were stolen by Ring which the Prosecuting
Attorney expects at the present torn OF court to
show was composed of the County Trensurer.
tho Clerk OF the Board OF Frecholdcrs. and
many members OF the Board. The Grand Jury
looked ut the evidence on last September. cx-
Nmined witnesses and speedily brought in
seyeuty-six indictments against eighteen OF tho
solidcst mon in Warren County. First Of all
there was the gray headed and impos ing look
ing DR.. John V. Mattson, Clerk ~ tho Board
Of Frccholders, Thirteen indictments wcre
found against him. They cover paltry figures OF
less than n hundred dollars. ~ we'll rs alleged
conspiraciCs involving many thousands Of dol
lars. DR.. Madison went at once To New York
whore he was detained on business, nor did he
finish that business until brought away from
New York by Detective pinkcrton who found
him living In luxury with q variety actrcss. In
his lenther wallet were found 100000 in notes
rs good "a wheat TO raise money on, but belong
ing ~ the county. As DIR. Madison could not
give $4,000 bnil Mt his preliminary hearing in
October he went to Jail.
Here no Expressed himself most forcibly ut
the turn IN the tide, for he had had his carriage
and pair. had lived in fine style in Newark and
had been considered tho man of the town in
Washington. n. J. While thus openly bemoan-
ing his hard lot to the visitors. In private ne
amused himself by saving of his prison bars
and squeezing through an aperture. On Sun
gay. Oct ~ ne hurried 70 Harrisburg. where
he mot the actress. and thence went to AleNan-
dria. Va. Unbcknown to him ono Of Pinker-
tons detectives was in the seat behind him.
reading u novel and waiting for the Doctor to
quit the train; He was Qpprehendcd within an
hour after his arrival in Alexandria and
brought back To Belviderc in irons.
II was his trial upon one Of the indictments
with which the court began to-day. and he was
convicted within three hours. the jury not even
quitting their seats. lie sat stolidly while the
lawyers made no strenuous objections 20 any Of
| them. The Jury WAS. therefore. sworn In within
| WE'VE. brNy boards prcdominated among hem.
| for 1t was tclt 10 hc especially important to have
aclear-headed and wise Jury to pass upon the
| rest followed SO quickly this afternoon that Dr.
Mattison stood convicted on one Of the indict-
| ments before the Court or any ono else thought
| OF a recess. DR.. Mattison wns accused OF iorg-
| ing a bill and receipt that William /. Kinney
or b a1d sRp rcnairs 9 Was UT syn
raised, TO fl39.G2. and the name. Kinney
I
| bringing the paper two or three inches nearer
| the eyes showed II. SO when Mr.. Kinney took
| the stand and swOrc that the receipt was his,
| hut that his name had been altered and the
| amount raised. and that he had had IL endorsed
| 10y Dr. Madison, there was left no defence. Ii
| had been raised 10y the Doctor and presented To
| the County Collector, Cummins. now under in
| dtctnent for COLLISION. and thus passed by the
| FrrchOlders.
pr Mattison's lawyers did all they could.
| which was nothing excepting little cross qucs-
uoning. They did not put in WORD OF defence,
| and the Jury took the case got their heads to-
| gether in their seats and nodded To one another
| and then said that DIR. Madison was guilty.
| But this case ia a mere peccadillo compared
| with some OF tho other charges. Tomorrow
| DIR. Madison will be tried on another indict-
| ment. which one the Prosecutor will not say.
| He Is closeted tonight with Attorney General
and Sheriffs deputies. constables and the like
are running around In the singing cold serving
subpUnas. The little village is thronged with
witnesses. lawyers. and the friends of accused
officials. and these accused persons have come
very influential friends for they have been in
| nucntiM and honored themselves Such for
mcry respected men as DR.. Henry VI. Cox from
Mansfield. is under eleven indictments for con
epiracy to dafraud. Charles :. Strader ex- Free
holder and director OF the Board. has hanging
over his head fiteen indictments Tor all sorts ol
| crimes by which officials came into possession
| Of public money. John C. Danley, ex- Free
holder Samuel Prone. late Steward OF the Pool
house; William Osborn. Freebooter: j. Il. Civ.
ems late attorney Tor the Bonrd; Jesse King
ex-Freeholder: Edmund Teel. cN County Col
| lcctor; Joseph II. Cornish. cx-State Senator
and others. in all eighteen men. who have beer
| most reputable citizens Of Warren County. Tn,
range all the way from $50 90 10000. and Pros
ccutur Harrison believes he has evidence a.
only a small part Of tho stealing. The Who'll,
story Of tho alleged conspiracy is 70 come GU