New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-11-10
TILL EDRiED LETIEE.
iialgilt.


The examn ltiOn in the Philp forgery and
libel ease came to an abrupt conclusion yes
ter,lay, being submitted without argument,
and decision being reserved until Saturday.
Tie two witnesses who swOIo to a personal
acquaintance with the mysterious ii. l..
Morcy," to whom General Garfield is sup
posed to have written sentiments wholly at
variance with his public uttcrances for years
past were committed by Justice Davis 20
Ludlow Street Jail to await their own exam
nation on charges of perjury.
The case is Of National Importance. Both
forgery and libel were parts of conspiracy
originating in a more prominent place
than a newspaper office, having for It's OBJ
jcct something more than newspaper scnSa-
ton, AID embracing persons OF more importance
thin newspaper publisher and penny a-lincr.
The Democratic Nat onal Committee has in
dOIsei, if II did not originate, the charge, and t
circulated plates OF the forged letter before its
publication here, giving simultaneous publicity
to it in all quarters where it was calculated to
do most injury. It had fot its object
thc Illustrating Of the peoples choice of
their ruler, by false and forged issue
dcc-itfully thrus into the campaign at the last
ir is az vital consequence thai a crime having
such an Obioc, should be severely punished as
4 warning Tor the future. he creature Philip
j. tie least Of those really engaged in this
matter; d mere tool OF Others stronger and more
saGacious than himself; and the prosecution
should lool, beyond him for the real culp1t TO
De- dealt with.
The facts developed in this examination,
which was closed yesterday, have been COW
cied up and somewhat couded by Il mass OF
legal technicllty and vcrbiage. There are
some icnt points worth recalling jus now for
those who wish TO watch subsequent develop
ments. Philip, the accused, admits the author
ship OF the libel, not the forgery. 1t has been
shown that lac is in the habit Of initiating dis
tnguIshcd mems handwriting and of making
tac same errors in OrthoSrdphy rs those which
appear in the forged letter. No such person as
the Henry l.. Morey to whom the forged letter
is, addressed can he found. He is said TO be
dead, but his burial place is unknown. The
defendants witnesses called TO establish his
identity cannot swear that they ever saw him;
they had only heard Of him. person claiming
to be Aiorcy's administrator cannot he found
no letters or record of any appointment as such
administrator have been produced; and no
Morcy estate is OF record in the place whore he
is supp0sed.to have lived. Forced to tell from
whom he got the letter Hart swOTe il came
through the mail from an anonymous S0mce,
accompanied 10y the letter OF the non-cXiStent
Compelled to produce it, the
handwriting is found to correspond closely with
Philips. The envelope proves to have been
tempered with erasures appear in two or more
places and, most extraordinary of all, the en-
velope directed and postmarkeG at Washington
for Lynn, Massachusetts,, has no Lynn pOStmlrk
showing its reception there, but has such "a
stamp showing its receipt at New York sub
station either one day or eleven days before the
date of the letter. Two witnesses were pro-
duced who swOre to the existence of H. l..
Morey, but they were confronted with such
contradictory testimony that
Justice Davis had no other course left than
their committa to jail for perjury.