Daily Republican., 1889-06-24
B0YNT0N ON FISHER
WHAT THE WASHINGTON
CORRESPONDENT SAYS.
The Attacks on the First Auditor Not
justified by n knowledge of
the Facts.
General II. V. Boynton in Cincinnati
Commcrcial-Gaze

General H. V, Boynton in Cincinnati
Commcrcial.G
WAsHINGToN, June 1G.-Certsin lfo-
lated facts In the story OF the diabolcal
safe burglary conspiracy In the District
OF Columbia in tie Grant times have re.
Gently been quite widely reproduced IN
| order to discredlt the Presidents ap-
| pointment of Ju &c Fisher of Delaware
as first auditor OF the Treasury.
While the quotations from the history
OF tue crime are accurate, and while the
use made of them would be fair and un-
aDswerable If there were no features of
the case which modified them, 1t lie just
both 10 the Presld and Judge Fisher
to say that there were such elements,
| and that they were OF a character to re-
move any objection to the appointment
OF Judge Fisher which may be urged
upon the ground that he was involved In
the safe burglary conspiracy.
The fullest presentation Of the sup
posed case against the President and
Judge Fishr is found In the Washington
correspondence OF the Chicago Herald.
Under date of June 10 Mr.. Powers tele
graphed as follows:
probably none of President Harri-
4 pob hHpO uho eau 'ttl IlUTt ul-
favorable comment than that OF Judge
Fisher of Delaware, who has just been
maze first auditor of the Treasury Mr.
Fisher first came into notice during the
excitement incident to the famous bur-
glaTy conspiracy, in some respects the
most Infamous crime that has been COM
mite In this country, because that It is
the only effort that officials of the federal
government at the national capital, and
intimately associated with the President
and the heads of the two departments,
ever made 10 blacken the reputation of
honorable gentlemen ia order to save
gang of unconscionable rascals IRON ex
posure. This conspiracy was Matched in
the office of the United States district
attorney Of the District OF Columbis, and
mainly the invention OF Dick Harring-
ton, the assistant district attorney. The
district attorney at that time was Judg Z
Fisher, of Delaware, whom President
Harrison has just appointed to be the
first auditor of the Treasury.
"As district attorney he was mere
hgure-head, the work of the ofllcs bcing
entirely In the hands OF Harrington. This
indicates how ELI lent an auditor he will
be. Although he was not one ol the con
spirators, he was not intru tel with the
into the confidence OF the outside lawyers
who were assigned to the work OF prose-
cutting, and ali his sympathics aud all hi,
slight connection with tie affair wa. with
The conspirat rs. The onjy connected
story OF this, the most disgraceful epi ode
OF official lie In Washin 9tcn, was writ
ten by General b yn,on, the Republican
correspondent of Republican news
paper, aid publish Il ia 1871 ia the
American Law Review.
The first point at which District At.
| torney Fisher came into the case is thus
described by General Boynton: 10 d's-
| credit the testimony Of Hayes, etc .,
Whitley bwurr oIta warrant AMI had
| him arrested for perjury at the close al
his tesiim my, and while the case was lie.
fore tho jury. The aifiiavit was drawn
by Judge Fisher, tn nominal district
\ attorney. Hayes was prompt dischar. ed
by the Criminal Court ON the ground
that 1t was an unwarranted anil lagitlous
attempt to influence the trial then IN pro-
gFess. ln this unwarran ell and lsg =
ious attempt Judge Fisher, then the
officer whose duty it was to punish VIC.
atOrs OF the law, anl now first auditor,
was an active part.
Further on General Boynton says:
| Throughout the trial the situation about
the OIL ce Of Judge Fisher, United Stat, $
attorney for the strict, was a standing
scandal. 1t was the headquarters for IL e
| defense. Here the defendants and their
| friends gathered to consult before each
day s cesion of tie court, and here they
reassembled upon adjournment. The dis-
| reputable witnesses who were brought
here from New York by the secret ser
vice, those whom Somerville decided
useful In the common cause, crowded
here; they, together with the prominent
| officials, coRIrac tors and operators OF the
| district ring, under the very eyes of the
Department OF Justice and of Congress
| "a dry goods store in Baltimore was
| Cracked and one of the men arrested
foI it found an opportunity of telling
Harrington that he knew too much about
the safe burglary to be kept in jail long,
and Harrington st once took measu. es
to get him released on bail"
General Boynton says: "Charles Fisher,
son OF the district attorney, and an as
sislant IN his fathers office, with Evans,
dressed up a man named Green, from
Baltimore, to personate wealthy citi-
zen oil Georgetown named Edes This
man WAS accepted as surety for Snyder,
and the latter was released on S3 900
bail. Fisher, Evans and clerk of the
police court were subsequently indicted
| In connection with this case
| "Shortly alter this judge Fisher re-
signed tho district attorneysbip, and
Presiden: Harrison, after that careful
examination OF the history which his
friends say he gives to the history Of
every man whom lie appoints TO Office, has
selected this man as the flttest, within
the range Of his knowledge, 10 be first
auditor OF the Treasury"
MIR Powers, who Is clear, as well as
| IN able ard CONSCIENTIOUS writer, has