Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-11-19
NE. HEWITT ,ENSrEED.


Judge Davis is very severe on Mr.. Hewitt.
lie saws: MIR Hewitts connection with the
letter, and the transactions that have grown
out of it are, to say the least, of a most ex-
traordinary character. According to the tes-
timony of Mr. Hart when he received the
letter in a very singular manner in which it
reached him his suspicious were aroused.
lie saw its importance, if genuine, as a
weapon of deadly power in the hands of
General Garfield's political foes. He was not
satisfied TO publish it upon the examination
which he and his editorial staff could make,
and he therefore took the letter and the en-
velope to the Democratic National Commit
tee for inspection. He there saw Mr.. Hewitt,
Mr.. Barnum, Mr.. Randall and several others.
Mr.. Hart showed them the papers, and said
in substance that he did not want to publish
the letter if it was forgery, but if genuine he
did, and wanted no other paper TO get ahead
of him IN It's publication. lie says it was
examined by all the persons he named,
but Mr.. Hewitt made the closest and
most careful examination and spent fully half
an hour in its examination and then pro-
nounced the letter. both body and sig
nature TO he in the handwriting of General
Garfield. Photographs were then taken for
the use of the National Committee, and Mr.
Will lht lritNi W pllltt
But his mind was not fully satisfied, and so,
late in the evening lie sought and found MIR.
Hewitt again and was assured that he
dewitt had examined large number Of
General Garfield's letters and that the Morey
letter was genuine, and this was clincher, i'm
pressing Mr. Harris mind with the idea that
he would have made it out a forgery if he
could. 1t is not very surprising that Mr..
Hart with the usual anxiety OF newspaper
publishers to be ahead of his neighbOrs,
should have published the letter without fur
;hcr inquiry but it is astounding that a man
OF the known sagacity and great experience
in business and in public affairs and who is
supposed to have a decent respect for truth
and Justice, and who speaks as an expert in
writing, with all the suspicious circumstances
that attended the reception of the letter with
the envelope and its erasures before him,
with the city pOstoifice anu station stamp on
its back, with the letter marked personal
and Confidential and addressed 10 some
person whom he certainly did not know
with the letter before him, the contents of
which if true w.;ild be greatly injurious and
If i.i e would do wrong Ia his intimate
friend. rs base and wicked as an assassn's
stab, should have thought it just 10 press and
cause lis publication without FIRST removing
all doubt as To its character However
much an equitable division may leave for
others, upon Mr. Hewitt must rest the
larger share of the responsibility for the first
publication of the base and shameful forgery
and his subsequent relations 10 the forgery
do not lift u single shadow from his conduct.
lie was member of the National Commit
tee. lie doubtless knew the extent and
PURPOSES s. and for which il 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
that 1t met speedily with the indignant de
NAL of Gen. Garfield, who denounced the
letter as base and stupid forgery, and its
sentiments as brutal
NV mind has reached IA clear conviction
that the Morey letter is not in the handwrit-
ing of Garfield, but is altogether forgery,
pcrpetrated by some person or body of
persons for the purpose of dcceiving the peo-
pie and defrauding them and Garfield of
votes The evidence bearing upon Philips
ruilt or innocence Of the forgery, taken in
connection with other evidence, tends to cs-
tablish grave conspiracy To accomplish
National crime.
The conspiracy points to men in other
quarters, and far higher positions, OF whom
Philip may have been the accomplicc or only
the dupc and tool. 1t is better. therefore,
that the question of actual guilt of forgery
bp left TO the consideration OF jury, before
whom additional and perhaps more decisive
evidence may he brought