The Evening critic., 1883-06-07
THE oTTMAN COMPROMISE.
How the Case was Settled Accord.
ing 70 The Dennrfmenf of Lnstlce,

The statement OF tho Department OF Justice
In regard to the Ottm0n case was made public
yesterday. Tho statement includes letter
from the Solicitor OF the Treasury TO General
Devens, Introducing the counsel OF ottman.
Then follows another from Judge Devens TO
District Attorney Wells, Informing him OF the
receipt OF tho foregoing letter from the So
licitor OF the Treasury, together with the ap-
pllcation OF ottman, and requesting him
10 tho proposed dismissal OF the Indictments.
on the 18th OF January, 1873, Mr.. Wells
made TO the Attorney-General brief
report upon tho state OF the litigation
atthat time, and suggested that immediate
and decisive steps be taken in the suit against
ottman In Alexandria, Va, where part OF
the stolen money had been found lying as
deposit to ottman's credit ina bank. so far as
appears from this correspondence, nothing
further was done until January u, 1882,
Brewster, setting forth his alleged grievances,
complaining that all his money and property,
"the fruit OF many years OF honest industry,
was SHIELD and tied up by the United States,"
and requesting tho Attorney General to dis
continue the civil suit and enter nolle
prosequi In the Indictment. on the 2lst OF
February, 1882, George d. Corkhill, United
States District Attorney, wrote to Attorney
General Brewster, giving condensed history
OF the ottman litigation and brief statement
OF the status OF the several cases.
In conclusion, Mr.. Corkhill said "Having
been OF counsel for tho defendant In tho
criminal cases, cannot , With, WITH Propr,iety p now
Its further action In the promises, and i,
therefore, respectfully suggest that you desig-
nate nate some member OF the bar as special !, as; ;,
be TO investigate the cases, with view to de-
termining whether they should be further
entire charge and control OF any action" on
the 4th OF March, 1882, Attorney General
Brewster wrote letter to Mr.. George Bliss,
ipclosng Ottman's petition and a copy OF the
foregoing letter from District Attorney Cork
hill, and requested Mr.. Bliss TO take charge of
the cases rs special attorney for the United
earliest convenience. Mr.. Corkhill thereupon
turned all the papers over to Mr.. Bliss, and
the latter, on the 25rh Of May, 1882,
port. In this he enters Into lengthy
statement OF the case, concluding that
the accused men were undoubtedly guilty, an
assumption that runs through the report. He
also proves to his own entire satisfaction that
the money captured was the identical money
stolen. He then reviews the trials had and
states his belief that the Government can
never expect to have 80 favorable situation
as on these.
The fact that the law now allows ottman to
testify in his own behalf is cited and the de-
duction made that he would naturally tell a
pretty good story. Then the fact that on the
first trial the Jury stood seven and on the sec
osa as ai0Ver reason why yu' Colonel Bliss Bliss
had no ''ldea that on n third trial conviction
could be had" He had found no one who would
say that he thought so. Judge Macarthur had
informed him that he did not think convic-
tion could be had, though Colonel Bliss judges
that he believed Ottman guilty. Hon. Jere-
miah Wilson, who tried the case as
special counsel for the Government, and
| was strongly convinced Of ottman's guilt,
| does not venture, says Colonel Bliss, to eX-
press the opinion that q conviction could be
| had, though thinking that II Ottman were
| forced to new trial he would settle by giving
up all claim to the money. Assuming, as he
does, that the money is part OF that stolen
from the Government, still he is confident that
| no Jury will ever, in a criminal case, be con
vinced of that, and the compromise was, there
fore, in his Judgment, the best possible thing
that could be done.