Weekly Arizona citizen., 1880-11-13
Philip. the Democratic Forger.

New YORK, Noyem Der 13.-Judgt
 Davis this morning rendered sn elab- orate decision in the case of Phlp l The accused is charged with two Of
 fenses-first, that he wrote the so. called letter, ccunierfeiting The sig. nature of Garfield thereto, and second, that after Garfield made public hi, denial of having written such a letter, ! the accused wrote an editorial and as- serted that Garfield was a liar in deny ing the authorship of it. It is sp- parent, His Honor said. that no such person as Henry L. Mercy existed at Lynn, Massachusetts. The letter Is unquestionably forgery, and not in the handwriting of Garfield. The question O: the guilt or innocence of Philp must be left to the jury to de- eide. The defendant is held to an- swer the charge of criminal libel, and must be committed or give bail. The ! geuuineness of Mercy is a very im- portant factor in the case Philip must be held to answer unless he can show that Garfield wrote the letter.
 Judge Davis said: MT. Hewitt's connection with the transaction is of a most extraordinary character. Hart testified when be received the letter that, iD the very singular way in which it reached him, his suspicious were aroused. He saw its importance if genuine as weapon of deadly power in the hands of Garfeld's pO- iitical foes. He was not satisfied to publish itupon the examination which he and the editorial staff could make, and therefore took the letter and en- velope to the Democratic Committee for inspection. He there saw Hewitt, Mir. Barnum, Randall and several others. Mr. Hart showed them the papers, and sad in substance that he could not publish the letter If it was a forgery, but if genuine he would, and he wanted no other paper to get ahead of him. He says it was examined by all the persons named, but Mir. Hewitt made the closest and most careful eX- animation, and then pronounced the letter. both body and signature, to be in the handwriting of Garfield. Pho Icgraphs were then taken for :he use of the Nalicnal Committee, and Hart returned with the letter tO his office, but his mind was not fully satisfied, and so, late in the evening, he sought and found Mr Hewitt again, and was assured that Hewitt had examined a large number of Gen. Garie.d's let ters, and that the Mercy letter was genuine; and this was clinched by Impressing Mr. Hart's mind with the idea that he would have made It out a forgery if he could. IL Is not very surprising that Mr. Hart, with the usual anxiety of newspaper publishers 10 be aheud of their neighbors, should have published the letter without fur ther inquiry, but 1t is astounding that men oi known ssgacity and exper- fence in business and public affairs, aud who is supposed to have Q de- cent respect for truth and justice and who speaks as an expert in writ ing, with all the suspicious circum- stances that attended the reception of inc letter; with the envelope and it's erasures before him; with the city Postofice and station stamps on its back; with letter marked " personal and confidential addressed to some person whom he certainly did not know; with the letter beiore him, the contents of which, if true, would be greatly injurious, and if false would do wrong to hIs intimate friends as base and wicked assas- sims stab, should have thought it just sto press and cause it's publication without first removing all doubts as to its character
 General sherIdan's Report.
 CHICAGO, November g.-GeneraI Sherideu's annual report 10 the Gen. eral of the Army sets forth that there are in the Department of Dakota 1850 officers and men; in the Department of the Platte 2S4O; in tha, of Missouri 47S0, and that of Texas 364O. He wished again to put himself on record as considering this force entirely in- adequate to the great territory and numerous demands upon the army from it's northern and southern bOun- daries. The ratio Is about one man to every 65 square miles, and in Texas one man to every 125 square miles. The result is troops are frequently over-worked and often compelled Co take the field against greatly super for numbers. The officers and men are equal in intelligence, activity and devotion to duty to any army in the world, and no army of it's size has ac- complished one-third as much. hard work from one years end to another. He referred to the rspidi1y with which emigrants are opening mp iand in the far West. He says that our frontier is SO extensive that for the present we are compelled to adhere to the system of small posts, although i [ is inconvenient and costly.