Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-03-06

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pablieSns frssa committing a greater one
They committed a crime with pure motives
In other words. the end justified the means
Garry out that idea. what is the logical con
illusion, and what does ii lead to: There isn't
4 criminal III our prison to-day. but What
I,ould get clear if such plea Is that would bs
l,wed II would lead to scenes. compared
With which the French revolution and
tue Paris commune. when the
streets OF Paris ran red with blood
would pale into insiguifcance. Freeman, the
Pocassett murderer with crazed brain, vas
simply carrying out the Swan-Harriman code
testimony. Hundreds o. years ago the ques-
ZION was asked. sshsl, We do evil that good
may Gomez And the answer has been sound
| ing down from the eternal heights all these
centuries. as warning tn criminals. and
has been incorporated into every statute book
in every civilized, christiAnized country, God
forbid. Such plea strikes Al the very foun-
dation Of society and DESTROYS every bulwa K
Of civil liberty So gentlemen YOU are forced
to look upon Swans and Harriman's stories
with suspicion from this cause. And fail to
find in all the testimony anything that corrobo-
rates them in the least. They stand absolutely
unsupported; while. on the other hand. Mr..
White is corroborated in many particulars by
many witnesses, and all the circumstances
point Enthusiastically to his innocence. The
frame of mind Swan came here in his, pre-
cious declarations. the way he has used the
money. Mr.. Gerrish fatty contradicts him
about large bills. He lied on the floor of the
House. And this leads me, gentlemen, to the
concluding portion of my remarks. | ask
gentlemen. is il reasonable that W X. White
had of himself. or had intrusted To his care
this large sum of money.
| won't try to find or imagine motive for
Swan. 1t is plain enough Undoubtedly. the
leaders OF the fusion party surrounded Swan
and Hartman as soon as they learned of
their action, and then that Tuesday night
raised among themselves the amount of
money Swan AMI Hartman had, if any, and
paid it to them. Taking into consideration
what human nature is, and the character of
these parties, the narrative of Swan and Iiar-
riman is self-eonfessed invention. The in
ventor OF this story. to make il probable. has
covered it with circumstances which make it
incredible. .'Out of the fullness ofthe heart the
mouth speakcth. even when the heart is small
and the mouth large, as in Swans case. And
he is condemned out Of his own mouth by
his declarations before he came here. and the
improbabiiity of the tale he told on the stand.
Take into consideration where Swan and
Hartman slept, in No IA in this State House.
that memorable Tuesday night after their
damnable scheme was completed They were
together in this building in secluded ROOM
who was with them do not know. They
have said that their wives were not with
them, and taking into consideration the
amount of money that c. II. Dwinal paid
Swan and the fact that he lied about his not
being able TO get large bills at the Casco
Bank in Portland; that he has used this
~.
from White and the testimony of the select
man Of Minot, Mr.. Bearce, who detailed to
You the amount Of money he was deficient in
to the town. viz, $500. for which he gave his
note to the town and the $500 of this identi-
cal check that he deposited in the name of the
treasurer of the town, making the $1,000 that
he SAYS he received from Wallace X. White
and the conclusion we are forced to come to
is that it is part and parcel fit finale, of the
gigantic conspiracy TO steal State, 10 rob
the people of,heir dearest rights, subvert pop
ular liberty, and bring anarchy and ruin upon
our State which for more than two months
kept our people in constant state of alarm
and has cost us so much in treasure, and almost
ended in bloodshed. 1t is a part of that con-
spiracy which was planned by wiser heads
than Swan. 1t was planned by a band of con-
spirators, calling themselves Councillors of
the uONcTDoT III tIils Stdtt. anu tHt1T legal
advisers by men who had concealed assas-
sins in this very house. to shoot down the
citizens of this State. and seat men as
who were never elected:
by men who substituted forged returns for
legal ones by men who concoctcd the most
damnablc scheme ever conceived of in this
republic to cheat the people and steal a
State.
Now one word in regard to Mr.. White. l
have explained as best could the evidence.
He is a man of unblemished reputation, of
scholarly attainmcnts, and Of christian par
ents He has during the 80 wears he has
lived on this earth, slowly and securely built
up for himself reputation for honesty, Con
account of its own worth for square dealing
in business. He was exceedingly anxious,
as was every lover of justice in this whole
State that the conspiracy to steal the State
should end in ignominious failure. He met
Mr.. Swan, as he has testified, first in the
Augusta House. next day at the Court House
and later in the day Mr.. II. lie has detailed
to you what occurred there. We can pardon
his zeal for getting them topublicly announce
their determination to wash their hands of the
conspiracy to steal State. 1, from my heart
of hearts believe his story true. | know him
well. l have met him in the trial Of causes,
in all the courts of this county and State.
from that of the trial justice to the Supreme
Judicial Court. I know his truthfuness,
his inherent honesty, his fidelity to the cause
of his clients. know his private life, init
mately associated with him as l have been. /
know his incorruptible integrity. know that
the breath of SANDER the fouest whclpin sins
ubiquitous pack was never breathed against
him before. know him to be honest, up
right, generous to a fault, beloved and re-
spected at home, everywhere where he is
known; and l know that this most foul, most
wicked. most abominable attempt to wreck
his good name, blast all his future prospects,
just budding and opening to bright future
of usefulness and honor will fail. utterly, CON-
pletely. entirely, overwhelmingly tail as it
should; and his accusers receive that need of
scorn, OF reprobation, of Indignation that they
so justly merit and deserve.
1t is needless for me to say what his friends
and acquaintance say of him: you know full
well.
Gentlemen of the committee, into your
hands resign this case and l beg you to
remember that its magnitude not only in
wolves the course of public justice and right.
but also tho character Of the man at whose
request this investigation has been made. To
him personally it is a matter of life or death.
He has Just commenced his career in his
chosen profession of the Law, and while to
many the brief history Of life lies in the past
/ Ill e he Ha e sho