The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-11-14
TELEGRAPHIC NEWS
FROM OVER LAND AND SEA.
Philip Held for Observation-Disclosures.
Davis Very severe on MIR. Hewitt
-rhe heDemoeratic National ON.
mittec Makes u Statement
OF F"cts-waso Hamp.
tons Views The Pan.
anna CannI-Etc.
Philip Committed.

Ne" lork, NOV. l3.-Judge Davis this
morning rendered an elaborate decision in
the case Of Kenwsrd Philip, accused OF libel
His honor says he is charged with two of.
fenses--hrst, that he wrote tho so-oalled
Morey letter, counterfeting the signature of
General Garfield, who made public denial
OF having writer the letter, and the accused
wrote the editorial headed Lying and stick
ing to it, and asserted that General Garfield
was 3 liar in giving denial of tho author
ship Of it. 1t is apparent, his honor saws
that no such person as Henry L. Morey e1-
listed at Lynn, Massachusetts. The letter he
also holds is unquostionably forgery, and
not in the handwriting Of General Garfield.
The question Of the guilt or innocence of
Philip must be left to a Jury to determine
The defendant is held TO answer the charge
of criminal libel, and must be committed or
give bail.
In his decision the Judge is very severe on
Hewitt He says Hewitps connection with
the letter and the transactions tba,
have grown out Of it. is, 10 saw
the least of most extraordinary
character. According to the testimony
of Hart, when he received the letter. the
very singular manner in which il reached
him, arre'ted his suspicious. He saw its inn.
portance II genuine, as weapon of deadly
power IN the hands of Garhelds political
foes, but he was not satisfied TO publish Il
upon the examination which his editorial
staff could make, and he therefore took tho
letter and envelope TO the democratic ma.
uonal committee for inspection. He there
met Hewitt, BarHum, Randall, and several
others. Hart showed them the papers
a1d said in substance, that he
did not want to publish the letter
If 1t was forgery, but if genuine, he did,
and wanted no other paper 10 get aheid of
him in it, publication. He says IL was rx.
amined by all the persons named, but Hewitt
made the closest nod most careful exami1a.
ton. and spent fully half an hour In its OK
animation, aud then pronounced the letter,
both body aud signature, to be in the hand
writing OF General Garfield. Photoprapbs
were then taken for the use of tho national
committees and Mr. Hart returned with the
letter u his office, but his mind was not Cul.
ly satisfied, and late in the evening he sought
and found Hewitt again, and wss again as.
sured that he, Hewitt, had examined a
large number of Garaelds letters,
and that the Moroy letter was
genuine, and this was clinched by impressing
Hart's mind with the idea that he would
have made 1t out a forgery if he could II is
not very surprising that Mr.. Hart, with the
usual anxiety OF newspaper publishers to be
ahead of their neighbors, should have pub
lished the letter without further inquiry, bu,
II is astonishing that man ofknown society.
OF great. experience in business and public
affairs, and who is supposed TO have decent
reputation for truth and justice, who speaks
as an expert in writing, with all tho suspci.
Gus circumstances that attended the reception
OF tfe letter, with the envelope and its
erasures before him, with post.offlce and
station stamp on its b ok, with
the letter marked personal and confidential,
and addressed to some person whom no
certainly did not know, with the letter before
him, the contents Of which, il true, would be
| greatly injurious, and if fslse, would do a
wrong to his intimate friend as base and
wicked rs an assassin's stab, should have
thought II just to press and cause its publi-
cation, without first removing all doubts as
10 its character. How ever much an equi' able
decision may leave for others, upon MIR.
Hewitt mus. rest large share of the re-
sponsibllity for the first publication of this
base and shameful forgery, and his subse-
quent relations to the forgery DO not lift q
single shadow from his conduct He wa a
member of the national committee, he doubt.
less kEe y the extent and purposes for which
it was taken and used by that committee,
and that it went forth to the country with
the sanction Of his endorsement. He knew
beyond question !bat it met speedily with
the indignant DENIAL of Garfield, who dc.
nounccd the letter as base and stupid
: forgery and its sentiments as brutal.