Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-12-28

CASE or BLACKMAIL THAT FAILED
The Editor - THg EvExrNG STAR:


CASE or BLaCKMAIL THAT FAILED
% the Fdtcr - THg EvxxrNG STAR:
Charles J. tiuiteau went to the Oneida Com
nunity and joined it probation June -. 1850
He remained there till April s, 1855, when he
Withdrew and went TO Hobel,en. n j. After an
absence OF three months and five DAYS he was.
at MS own urgent request, allowed to return to
the Community, where he remained till Novem-
Der j. 1855. when he again left. His whole con-
nection with the Community was Of a rroba-
tiOnary character.
Guitcau inherited 1900 from his grandfather
Howes estate. This sum- with his fathers con-
sent. (Guiteau being then a MINOR he put into
the Community soon after joining. On his with
drawais from the Community settlements were
made with him. his money was returned and his
receipts taken in full of all demands whatever
This il fully shown by his own letters produced
in evidence during the present trial. (See ID.
ISL and ~ of Government Printing Office re-
port of tine trial
At the time of Guiteaus admission to the
Community the terms OF admission. so far as
property was concerned, were as follows:
son the admission Of any member all property
belonging 10 him or her becomes property of the
Community. a record of the estimated amount
Will be kept. and In case OF the subsequent with
drlWal az the member, the Community, according
To its practice heretofore, VIII refun. the property
UT an iUNdIenI amount. This practice, however,
stands on the ground. not Obligation but OF eK-
pediency and lberalty: and the time and manner
of rounding must he trusted u the disc rrtlOn of
the Community. While a person remains a MEM
Der his subsistence and education ia the CummiI-
nifty are held u be just equivalents for his labor;
and no accounts are sept between him and the
Community, and no cldim of wages aCcrueS TO him
in ease Of subsequent withdrawal"
This agreement was voluntarily signed by
every member of the Oneida Community. chi
teau so signed it. The validity OF such Com
munIty contracts. or articles of association. has
been fully established by tie Supreme Court of
the United States. See case of GOestde 81 al T.
B'Dseier Il al. p. $50. vol. a. of Towards Re-
ports of the United States Supreme Court. also
the case of Baker e a.. Trustees of the Hurr,0ny
Society. Z. AGcllt-ieb, p. 126 vol 49, of Howard 5
Reports Ii was on the basis of the above agree
ment that both settlements were made with
Guiteau and his receipts taken. The settle
ments in both cases were effected peacefully
Gulteau Iii subsequent correspondence with his
father and brother expressed his satisfaction
with the Community's settlements with him.
and with the results of his sojourn there To
his father he wrote on the latter point:
II know that have received a vastly better
education Ia the Oneida Community than / could
have received either at West Point or Yale Col
lege.n
To his brother he wrote:
lived ia the Community nearly six years. Ny
SoJourn there was during the period OF Lire QrUm 10
10 - when young men generally are liable to
peculiar temptations. ana the fact that / have
a
bad habits, such as smoking, chewing, drinking,
&c, &c, Is partly due to my Community disci-
pline."
SO far as appeared to the Community. his
friendly feelings toward them continued for
some time after his final withdrawal He re-
sided in New York. He joined the Young Mems
Christian Association in that city, and Plymouth
Church in Brooklyn
In August. 1861 he visited Chicago in re-
spOnse. he wrote his father Ito an urapnt
letter from Mr.. ScoYie" From Chicago he
went to his fathers home at Freeport on a brief
visit As appeared in conversation with his
iather ne nad then become antagOnistic in his
ATTITUDE toward the Community, and for his ex-
presslonS on that point he afterwards apOlO"iZed
in a letter to his father. He soon returned to
Chicago. and. in accordance with his sisters
Mrs ScoTlile s-adyice, began the study of law
IN Mr. SGoyiiles office. He continued this till
November, when he changed his plans. Three
lOtaS had occurred To him: /. to return to New
York city; 2. To get into editorial connection
with the New York Itbepeatefst: 3. to begin suit
against the Oneida Community to recover paw
ment for his services during his six years con-
nection with it. under threat of exposure if the
community refused 10 settle. The first project
he carried out against the advice Of his father:
the second failed; the story of the third We pro-
Pose here 10 tell.
he had learned in his two months study OF the
Ia" IN his brOther-in-iaw Office. from books or
IN some other way, the secret that is ALWAYS in
terestin.s 10 beginners in law study that by the
action Of dsSlm,pSu whatever can be made to
appear due as having been earned can be col
ieeted. whether agreed to or not. This dis
coytIy changed all his plans of life. HethOught
ne saw that a fortune might be squeezed out of
the Oneida Community. The law OF assunpsit
was IN his favor, and public prejudice against
the Community was in his favor. Nothing
seemed To him easier than to collect $4,000 to
begin with by Charging the Community 81 500
year. with interest, for his six years service;
and after GSs1pspsit should fail he could bleed
the Community al 6bitaua By threatening to ex-
pose ITS social practices He had not continued
his legal studies far enough to learn that the
United states Supreme Court had placed an i'm
passaDe bar to his claim. and he forgot that the
Oneida Community had no lawful social prac-
tees TO be expOsed-that they We're living with
their doors open to the investigation of the
world. and that all their social principles and
practices had from the first organization of the
Community been fully made known voluntarily
by Themselves not only to the public at large
through their publications. but to the legal and
executive authorities of the State But the
young man was under pressure not only to be
great editor. but great blackmaer and for
tune hunter also. So he started forth on his
double crusade.
Tn reaching New York City he found young
iawyer-meHber of the Young Mems Christian
AssOcia- ion who was willing 10 take hold of his
case against the Oneida Community with him
and help push ii. He appears also to have
found other hackers or sympathizers among the
then members of the association. He soon
got his iaw battery ready and opened fire.
About the first OF December. 1861. the following
letter vas received 10y the Community:
.NEw YORK, November 20, 1851.
"JOhn H. NOyeS, Esq.
~iHGr STA claim has been placed in my
HAMS against The -on@ila Community which
believe You represent, for the 81. 80. The
claim .ut i Charles j. Gu telu, formerly in the
service II your Community, with the exception
o. about three months from June a9th, 1850 until
Il az .4uafasr lion -nJ
n his claim are as follows, viz:
To six years time az 1850 per year. $1,000
interest 0n nine hundred dollars loaned the
Community Observation-Disclosures. $50
$3.50
Amounting in the whole 70 80. $50, upon which
no Payments nave been made. Which sum together
Wit Interest on The same from November /, 1866,
lcl2ln 10 b. justly due and owing To my client and
j hereby demand payment OF the salne And
early attention Is asked 10 the settlement of
thfS ain. 80 that need not resort To any legal
affE rs~r.- I'm rn14 FpT,li-