New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-10-28
BEDELL
AND TIE MORAL OF HIM.

zrould suspect him OF being a rascal Now that you
know he is a rascal. and examine his face anu
manner with that fact established, you may, per
haps, think you several things that suggest
criminal tendency. But what face among thousand
could stand such test' His hair is very coarse ana
black and his eyebrows almost meet over eyes SCI
snugly under them. Lavater says these features COLI
stitute a bad sign, and prints several pages Oh cue
representing murderers, bandits and other unahiapio
persons whose hdcous mugs bear this SORT OIL "o
formation. But in the pictures he shows thero or
other ugly characteristics entirely wanting In beden
face Bede is a small man, understood as 10 stature
slight in frame and in movement gentle and unoO
trlsye His eyes, despite their ugly pnluon'
are large and frank. There is nothing disag'eeaoi'
In the shape OF his face. His mouth ana chin "
conventional and his voice Is pleasant and hrn. Ina
he Is an intelligent does not need TO DC saul s'
I cannot wonder that the men who employer ni'H
gave him their confidence The moral to be drawn
from the fact that such man has turned o1t ~ oo
an utterly depraved and worthless scoundre Is ooVou'
enoupb and vet how is anything practical to come
NJ IN what does anybody know about anyoous
else1 How can anything BIO found out ABOUT any
bodv7 Even II tho extspicious method OF cxamlhs
tlon we're always satisfactory, IL Is open 10 inc ia
objection that mans entralls Cannon 10 "iuuoou
mon without his permission. Confidence, moreover
&, largo and necessary condition Of civilized He
Tho assumptons must always be in everybody ia'or
or no such thing as community OF interest cou'u
exist There IS no defence nor can mere DC an,
from the Bedell class.
Ue told his story as witness in the criminal case
against the policy-shop swndler, Emerson al "hose
Mace he saws he lost $125,00O Emerson is per
feet type of the NewYork gambling house proprietor
He has the little, full eyes, the long fox nose the
big surly mouth, the notified complexion-ali the
various features that suggest the low, smart vuiturc
Beders confession thorough. Being lawyer
and a sensible thief, he saw that his game was up
Ifru and cd
him with one Of his victims. lie must have realized
all along that sooner or later such scene must come
The very nature OF his crime rendered 1t Impossible
TO escape detection In the course Of each OF these
criminal transactions he had to forge hall dozen
different signatures. He must have known ne coulu
not keep that sort of thing up indefinitely 1t seems
so strange that rational men, educated men OF aars
will commit such utterly stupid crimes
OF course It is necessary at the very beginning OF
anv reference to this remarkable trial to denounce
the District Attorneys Office Possibly the people
are tired of listening to indictments against Colonel
Fellows If they not tired they ought 10 DC
made so. 1t being impossible TO get any good out
of Fellows as Official he must at least be utilized
as an awful example. Let IT not be forgotten that
he Is spending in the salaries OF his assistants Sl21oo
which is far more than has ever been paid before
that he has not even a thrd-rate lawyer In his Office
that almost all Of them mere boys, and none Is
more than boy in ability or attainment; that inc
business OF the Office is being shamelessly neglected
that twenty untried homcides now linser In the
Tombs while the courts being occupied with two
penny bail cases that the Doodle indictments have
been entirely abandoned and that Colonel Fellows,
instead OF attending his business, spends great
part OF his time eectoneering around the country
The young gentleman to whom he inlrustcd the
States interests in the trial of Emerson was Mr.
Jerome who received the place he holds because he
was his fathers This circumstance very properly
lends to Mr.. Jerome a certain associated interest,"
but It does not cntite him to receive his legal edu
cation at the public expense. 1t is painful to have
TO say sharp things about amiable young gentlemen
who are doing suppose as well as they can BUT
the public cannot and must not be asked 10 supper
lts prosecuting office as school for young lawyers
who want to get their names In the papers SO tha'
after three years Of notoriety they can PICK up
practice The case against Emerson was plain and
easy 1t consisted of asking Bcdel enough questions
TO get his story before the jury That was the
whole Of t. Bcdell was an excellent Wltness' anu
therefore Mr. Jerome had as simple task as No
could possibly have had But he did not Know now
70 ask questions in order. He would tell Beden 10
describe a certain paper without hrst showing tha'
the papcr could not be produced. He would assume
ALL sorts of things in his questions. and when Mr..
Howe Objected the Recorder would have to straghten
things out In fact, not only is the city paying out
its money for service that IT does not get not only
IS Il risking every prosecution now undertaken but
# is recurring Of ifs criminal Judges that they shall
act AS prosecutors also considerable part OF Re
corier smyth's time is occupied in teaching colonel
FeIlowss young men how to practice, how to ash
questions and how to draw up papers.
Redell's story was fatal TO Emerson. He had pre-
viousIy pleaded guilty. Any other plea would have
been folly since he had confessed to Mr. Barlow
when he was first accused. When be took the stand
therefore he had disarmed Mr. Howe BY putting
himself as low as anybody could put him. Neverthe-
Howe
started in with this playful question, When did you
begin TO steal Mr. Bcdell ?" II must be very trying
10 be addressed as Mr. and with every accent and
manner Of Difference and respect while the words Inn
ply that you are a hardened thief Beden told him.
1t was in 1873 so, yes said Howe, as II the
mention of the late brought 1t all back to his mind,
~you robbed u man named Armstrong Of $1,000,
didn't you, Mr.. Bedelll'
yes said Bcdell, Il did,
One Of the subtle points In crossexaminaton may
be seen In these questions Howe, knowing criminals
as he does through and through, expected Bedell to
lie about the 1873 Seeing that Bcdel was TOO
smart to lie, Howe adopted another
policy instantly, and impressed the jury with his
amazing knowledge of all the secret and criminal
chapters of Bedclls history.
But the forger showed his sense by making clean
breast of everything and the way he did 1t convicted
Emerson He attempted evasion, protested no
hypocr1tica rcmorse, but like man who saw that
the worst was upon him, he showed himself calmly
,ren,red TO take IT, When Howe said thief or
. foroers or scoundrel,' he bent an acquiescent
head He Acknowledged that In less than four years
he had stolen sums that in principal and interest
would amount to s205,O00 Directly below him as
ha gave his evidence sat ex-Judge shipman and Mr..
La,ocuue. members Of the firm he hsi swindlcd. lie
said they had been kind to him, had lent him money
and then cancelled the debts thus created. had made
him presents time and again, and all the while ne
,vas robbnc them. Yes he was married, and he had
two children and here he looked much like breaking
down that Mr. Howe, who didn't want him to excite
any sympathy for himself shot of at once IN another
direction. II was mistake TO ask him about his
family and the mistake was made worse when Mt
Howe inquired II he was a member of church
Not now said Bedeli.
81 hope not" replied the lawyer. but you nave