New-York tribune., 1883-06-07
NEWS FROM WASHINGTON.
THE COMPROMISE WITH oTTMAN.
WHAT THE OFFICIAL LETTERS AND REPORTS SHOW
utI Iss,s urc :


tice to-day furnished for publication letters and
reports relating to the recently compromised Ott-
man case The correspondence thus furnished is
said to include all letters and papers file in the
Department which have any material bearing on the
The first letter is from Mr.. Raynor. Solicitor
of the Treasury, to Attorney-General Devens.
1t was dated December 10, 1877, and was written
to introduce Jasper W. johnson, who represented
Ottnan In an application to Mr.. Raynor to direct
District-Attorney Wells to suspend proceedings in
the criminal case against Ottman. On Decem-
Der 20, 1877, Attorney General Devens wrote
TO Mr.. Wells relative to Mr.. Ray
nors note, and requested him to uso
his own Judgment with regard to the
proposed dismissal of the indictments. On January
IA, 1879 Mr.. Wells made to the Attorney General
report upon the state of the litigation and sug-
gested that immediate and decisive action be taken
in the suit against Ottman, in Alexandria Va,
where a part of the stolen money had been found
lying as deposit to Ottman's credit in bank.
Nothing further apparently was done until jan
uary 2l, 1892, when Ottman wrote to
Acknowledgement Brewster, setting forth
his alleged grievances; complaining thas
all his money and properly. "fne
fruit of many years Of honest industry" was held
and tied up by the United States" ," and requesting
the Attorney-Genera to discontinue the civil suits
and enter nole prosequi on the indictment.
On February "a, 1882, George b. CoIkhill, United
States District Attorney. wrote TO Attorney
General Brewster giving history or
the Ottman litigation and a statemeDs
of the status of the several cases.
In conclusion Mr. Corkhill said: "HayiEg been OK
counsel for the defendant in the criminal cases, 1
cannot with propriety now advise the plaintih tine
United States as TO Its further action in the prem
ses and therefore respectfully suggest that you
designate nember of the bar as Speciai ASSIST
ant District-Atoney, whose duty II shall DC TO i'
vestigate the cases with view to determining
whether they should be ur.her prosecuted or dis
missed and to take entire charge and control OK any
action.'
On March 4, 1882 the Attorney-General wrote
let er to George Bliss, mclosing Ottmans petition
and q copy OF the letter from DistrIct-Attorney
Corkhill and requested Mr.. Bliss to take charge or
the cases as Special Attorney for the United States,
and to make report upon them. Mr.. Corkhiil there
upon turned all the papers over TO Mr bliss, ana
the latter on the 25th of May, 1882, made the
Attorney General a report.
MR. BLISS OPINIONS AND ADVICE.
In this report Mr.. Bliss enters at great length into
particnIars IIe narrates the story of the loss OK
S47. 900 from the Treasury Department in June.
1870 notes the ARE first of Is. b. Halleck Treas
ury clerk, and then that of Ottman, speaks tho
agreement by which Halleck was accepted as y
Government witness and of his palpably false tesii-
mony at the two trials of Ottman and discusses
various features of the case. He then says in part:
The condition OF things then this The Governments
lost s47 600 seized In Omans possession OF as
his about s33 600 which is believe portion OF this
Nancy Tbi, occurred IN 1875 The Government has
since In trials. one 10 1876 and one I'D lsI s1usus
TO satisfy Jury OF this Latter fact, and has failed In tue
first trial 1t had the advantage OF Court when raiea
strongly in its favor. o. e secoad tra II aS rue eau a
| happens Tue defendant's mouth was s9ut. Ihe un-
doubted THIEF was seeking uner ever TIE connection
facts fresh In the minds OF All he wItDesSs
ment could ever again expect have so favorable SIT
uatlon. II another trial now had II would appear
as nJ has sSe 10 ore OF te western Territories IL
he were fonnd assumed he could be- ana were pousns
come if he eonI avoid H. he would not feel himself in
any danger from the Government ana wouia ,%
| that he feels that he was badly treated oy
| the Government lie would naturally not care ID
sHinr however that he earnest and willing as
ever he must far as possible ten lne same 0u & ss' ~
his story undoubtei lie, he must OF necsssy
would DE Impossible this lapse OF time that under
crosse he should not be involved IN e,ee
greater aud than before sotnas
6e woud nc utterly di,credted Without him the evidence
for the Government would be wholly Inadequate. Win
nov tssiiy in his own behalf he would even II he were
guilty have great difficulty In giving story 70 40,
Count ior his possession OF so much money whon eouo
6e dscredited only in case he were man unable %
stand cross-examination do not know wnat sort cs
person he rs. but guilty ncne 20 'na ne ~ tbS ~
this late day 'slaud the racket one or more vi ,ne @
Witnesses against otnan ere dead IN ye,ens Gny Jno
would stand better now than 1t did IN iormss Gdnss
trials The moral amSsPSSre IN los Sre favorable to Justice
now than IL was ut the tine oi the former trials.
| CONVICTION IMPROBABLE.
Ihaye no idea that third trial convictlon eouu
be had found who will say that ne tninSs
so Mr. Merrlck, who defended Ottman, Is con-
|
Judge Macarthur informed that he does not think
conviction could be had though Juuse nc ,S csss
IA special counsel for the Government and is strongly
convinced Of 0itmaus guilt does not % ad oueh SS
lug thai il ottman forced to new frai ne wooe
settle by giving up az cam 70 she ne he could
nor control It, Mr. Wells, who was Disrict-Attorney'
says no case I in s DIAL result is ths The Governments
bas ired twice TO convict Oman under circumstances
faed and by a great preponderace with tue jury ls
has done nothing for over five years DURING Inat tno
held s33 of money found In Ottmans
or 1ndrr MS contro! aud maintained its attachment on
$4,000 oman now asks 1hat sne and ts
money returned to him. 40 no, rsoSsst "V~ Ss
far as the criminal proceedings are concerned ei:
As TO the civil proceedings IN the case penSlng III ts
IT. sached and has no very marked interest TO proceed
vita unless it could extend ts ae'cnens I es
sized by the police Assuming that 1t could do TINS 10
could ony hold 1t by proving in that SUIT wnst mas
failed 10 prove the criminal SUIT It must prove ot
| mans gully participation In the receipt OK
| 10 rnonsv There 10 no evidence II could rely upon
| other than what it had ia the criminal SUIT
| Wr WeIIs the former DIstricLAttorney, seemed 10
th,nk ina, as the salt Virginia was IN equity, ana
therefore no jury would be needed decision 'avorsp.e 10
IN the Government could be had there Bat IL would DC
pecessary 90 prove Otmans guilt In the same manner
s In the other The suit In equity coud at most
result in "a Judgment for the $l2'ooo remaining !"
IIayns arrived at the conclusion that the Goyernmene
cannot Succeed in its SUITS civil or crnna have sur
been oppressed by strong reluctance to advise the abc
nte surrender OF Nancy the Government hoids fors
o. nave already sad believe 1t Is part OF the ssoet
money and am unwilling TO see such ttil failure
mstice as believe would be involved IN that course
have therefore, sought IT, so tar AS the cyll sus
| were concerned, some compromise could NOT 10
edseed have been baied ia this attempt b tue face
| That considerable portion OF the money % %sas