The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1880-11-18
NEWS By TELEGRAPH.

NEW YORK. November iS.-Judgc
Davis this morning rendered an
elaborate decision III the case OF
kcnnard Philips. The accused. his
honor says, is charged with two
offenses. First, that be wrote the Sc
called Morey letter, counterfeiting
the signature of Garfield, and made
public a denial OF having written
the letter. The accused wrote sn
editorial headed Lying and sticking
to it," and asserted that Garfield
was q liar in giving the authorship
of it. 1t is apparent, his honor says,
that no such person a. H. l.. MOrcy
existed at Lynn, Massachusetts,. The
letter. he also holds, is unquestiona-
bly, . forgery, and not in the hand
writing OF Garfield. The question Of
the guilt or innocence Of Philip
must be left to 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 Hewitt's
connection with the letter and the
transactions that have grown ont of
it are, to say the least, OF most ex-
traordinary character. According
to the testimony of Hart, when he
received the letter, the very singular
manner in which it reached him ar
rested his suspicious. lie saw its
importance, il genuine, as a weapon
Of deadly power in tho hands of Gar
fields political foes. He was not
satisfied to publish il upon the ex-
animation which his editorial STAFF
could make, and he therefore took
the letter and envelope to tho ma
tional Democratic committee for in
spection. He there saw hewitt,
Barnum, Randall and several others.
Hart showed them the papers and
said in substance that h, did not
want to publish the letter if it was a
forgery; but il genuine he did, and
wanted no other paper 10 get
ahead of him in Ifs publication. he
sons named, but Hewitt made The
closest and most careful cxamina-
ton and spent fully half an hour in
its examination and then pro-
nounced the letter, both body and
signature 10 be in the handwriting
of Gen. Garfield. Photographs were
then taken for the use OF the MI
tional committee and Mr.. Hart re-
turned with the letter TO MS Office.
but his mind Was not fully satisfied,
and late in the evening he sought
and found Mr.. Hewitt again and
WAS again assured that he (HewtiI)
l. A
Garfield's letters and that the horey
letter Was genuine. This was
clincher by way Of imprcssing
Harris mind with the same idea.
lie would not have made Il out a
forgery If he could. II is not very
surprising that Mr.. Hart with the
anxiety OF publisher to be
ahead of their neighbors, should
have published the letter without
further inquiry but il is sstonish-
ing that . man of known sagacity,
OF great experience in business and
public affairs, and who is supposed
10 have . decent reputation for truth
and justice. who speaks as an ex-
pert In writing, with all the suspi-
cious circumstances that attended
the reception Of the letter, with the
envelope and its erasures before him,
and postofice station stamp on its
back; with the letter marked per
sonal and confidential and addressed
to some person whom be certainly
did not know with the letter befor-
him, the contents Of which il trne
would be greatly injurious, and if
false would do a wrong TO his inti-
mate friends rs base and wicked A.
an asssssin's stab, should have
thought il just 20 press and cause
its publication without first reInov-
ing ell doubt as TO its character.
Ne. Hewitt must take = large
share Of the responsibility for the
fret publication OF the base and
shameful forgery and his subse-
quent relations 10 tho forgery do
not lift = single shadow from hi /
eonduct- He was . member OF the I,
national committee and he doubt- !
less knew the extent and purposes
to which IL was t-kcu and used By /
that committee and that Il went
firth 20 the country with the sane