Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-07-12
WEDNESDAY........JULI II, 1872
A MAMMOTH HOAX.

Cuuibuitv is a condition not confined
IN any age or any stage Of civilization
and enlightenmcnt Indeed, it is a ques-
ton whether or not it does not deVeiop
on a scale Of gcometrical progression as
civilization and education aoyence. BE-
ginning with the dawn OF tradition we
nave examples Of the ease with winch
people are eulled, and the perpetratloh
of gigantic hoaxes is virtually coeval with
the birth of letters. on coming down
through the succeeding centuries we lind
the literary armament studded Win the
names of men who concoctcd marvellous
fairy stories that were gobbled up WIN
snapping-turtlc avidi;y not only by the
masses. but In many instances by schol-
airs and philosophers. These stories are
I'm almost infinite variety. Invading as
they do the domains Of history, travel,
science, psychology. and what not; and In
the majority of cases their authors had
long gone TO the place where all practical
jokers go. or ought 20 go, before Their
victims awakened 20 tho fact that they
had been hoaXed. In truth. hundreds OF
the victims of several Of the most prom
inent Of these tokers and ways have not
been thoroughly disillusionizcd yet.
We have been led TO this discussion. par
ticulaily TO the consideration of the ques-
ton of the bearing of civilization and
education upon the development Of gull
bility, by noticing that the press mas
taken up again what is known as the
Garter case" Briefly. the story of the
Carter case, as told in print runs thus:
About a year ago one Captain Garter
made away with some S2OOJ,0O) OF pub
lie funds. He was arrested, tried by
court of his peers, found guilty, and SEN
fenced 60 forfeiture Of his commission,
term of imprisonment. and TO pay a heavy
fine So far there Is nothing uncommon
or unusual i'm the story, and had the
President been represented as following
the course that generally obtains in
such affairs ii would have been written
that he acted promptly upon the verdict
But just here the story turns its back
upon precedent. The verdict, the story
continues TO run, was hung up, and
through the influence Of friends Of Car
ters two Of the ablest lawyers in the
country were employed by the govern
Inent to endeavor 10 find in the evidence
or proceedings q flaw upon which eXccu-
tive clemency could be based. These
legal lights, the narrative aflirms, de-
voted themselves diligently 10 the task
assigned them. but all TO no purpose.
The testimony that Carter had made one
OF The biggest steals OF modern times
was overwhelming, the courts record was
complete, and It's conclusions were ineyi-
table. Stll there was no action on the
verdict. but another radical departure
from precedent The papers in the case
according TO the last chapter Of the story
were referred TO the Attorney General
IN whose office they have been pigeon
holed COR months. and are incubating the
microbes Of destruction, while Captain
Carter IS walking around in uniform ana
drawing pay as O United States officer.
In the mean time the press continues
20 recur TO the case as great mystery
that can only be accounted for on the
ground that Mr. Mckinley is under some
malign spell that has paralyzed all Volt
AlVA an the HldAAtis anu do q NNi4oN-
quenco, there Is wide speculation as TO
the exact nature OF this spell. and those
who have thrown 1t over him. 10 us all
that Is very amusing, as It seems clear
that our contemporaries are on the wrong
track. entirely. If they will put on their
thinking cap and substitute reasoning by
Comparison for speculation, they will
reach the conclusion that there is no
mystery at all about the case. They will
arrive at the conviction that there IS no
such man as Carter; that there never
was trial; that tho able lawyers above
referred 10 are myths. and that tho
papers said to be in a pigeon-hole in the
Attorney-denerals office are moonshne
In short, their inevitable deduction Will
be that the Carter case from beginning
10 end is mammoth hoax" Apart
from the view that when the Carter
story came out II was abou. time the
public were being badly gulled again,
no other deduction is competent. other
wise, we cannot accept the statement OF
one OF the Presidents strongest support
efs that III Is next 10 impossible 10 as
sume that the administration has been
party 20 any disreputable work In the
premises"
Locking at the situation specifically,
81 IL. We admit. difficult 10 understand
Wig the President has not broken silence,