National Republican., 1885-09-26
EXPERT PHELAN'S CASE.
An Effort to Prove Him the Victim OF
Prejudice and Procure His Pardon.


Prejudice and Procure His Pardon.
Aflidavits in the case of William C. Phelan
have been submitted to Attorney General Gar
land and an application for his pardon made
to President Cleveland. Phelan is now in jail
at Fitchburg, Mass, where he was sent in No
vember, 1883 for term of five years. He was
found guilty of passing n $50 counterfeit note
on a man named Weber, who keeps restaur-
ant on Temple place, Boston ION March IA, 10,
or 16, 1881" as the indictment rccltes.
Phelan was employed ut various times by
Underwood aud also by Dye, publishers OF
" Government Counterfeit DetectOrs," as an
expert. The ailidavits on file with the Depart
mert of Justice state that officers of the United
states secret service, jealous of him, trumpcd
up one charge after another against him, and
finally sent him, an innocent man, to prison. -.
Phelan was arrested III New YORK on April
Is 1ss2, by officers of the secret service, charged
with obtaining 50 under fnlsc pretense from b.
G. Underwood, publisher OF n counterfeit de-
tcctor, for whom Phelan then worked. He
had hearing before United states Commits
sioner Shields, and that charge was dropped
for another one. He was accused OF passing.
during May, 1881, a $50 counterfeit bill OH
George Olerman, Il counterfeit detective who
worked with Phelau.
cite that Phelan was again examined befors
Commissioner Shields, and before the rs-eX-
animation was finished he was accused of pas.
ing the $50 note ON Restaurant'keepcr Weber
at Boston. He went to Boston voluntarily in
May, 1882, and he was brought up before United
States Commissioner Halet. He was held in
bail for trial, Knowing that he was innocent,
jumped his bail and went to Canada.
While Phelan was In Canada on May "A,
1883, Canadian detective named John Fahey
arrested Phelan with $4,000 counterfeit bonds
in his possession. The ailidavits allege that
this statement Is absolutely false. II gave the
United States officers knowledge Of phelans
W Gi0tn fikynM MnIlr IA
went on TO Canada, and although there is no
treaty by which man charged with passing
counterfeit money can be extradited from
Canada to the United States, Phelan was ex
trndited.
Phelan's friends say, in their application for
his pardon, that his extradition was accom-
Rlis,hed BY hard swearing on the pagt of the
that when United States Detective McGrath
went over the border to bring Phelan back he
carried an affidavit from Weber stating that the
$50 counterfeit was passed on him on March o,
1881. When Phelan arrived in Boston again, in
McGrath's custody 1t was found that March
fell on Sunday, and that Weber's restaurant
had not been open on Sunday within sixteen
years So the date In the Indictment was
changed from March to March II, 10, or ID,
lesl.
Lowell ut Boston was an albi. lie pleaded
that lie was at work In New York on the days
named for d. q. Underwood, and an affidavit TO
that effect is now before the Attorney General.
United States District Attorney George =.
Sanger stated to the jury that Phelan could
have been in New York, taken the II o'clock
morning train, arrived in Boston, passed the
counterfeit. and return to New York in the
evening. The IL o'clock morning train arrived
~ Boston then at G:l0p. m. Weber testified
the bill wns passed on him ut $50 o'clock on
the evening Of the lath 10th, or 10th Of March,
Phelan's friends cry, he must, If he took that
morning train, have travelled several blocks,
eaten $40 dinner, and passed that bill in
before Attorney General Garland and the petit
tion TO President Cleveland for Phelans par
don recite these fncts and impeach the motives
parts Of the testimony to prove that there nro
the gravest doubts as TO Phelans identity with
the man who passed the counterfeit. Minister
Phelan's extradlion from Canada was brought
about,