Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1905-10-21


son rrar educarTon. a goUu position N
society and powerful political sfilia-
uons do not palliate crime. Crime in
broadcloth is still crime.
The entire % were convicted and
were sentenced to serve from two 10
nine years. These were the eonspira-
tors. big and little:
Robert L. Lindsay. Addison F. Burns.
William Burns. Orlando Van Hise.
George Linn, John X. Corwin. John
+. Gardiner. Samuel l.. Carter. David S
Bingham, J. F. Richards, Benjamin F.
Picker, Herman L. Schuster, Charles
NaSsell, Charles Newman. John +. Nor
ris, H. II. Mcclellan. George w. Nelson.
Cyrus Smith. J. S. Wolfe. John Brady.
Jr.; George L. Brown. Samuel c. Clark
and Leo Whybark. There were 81 in
dictments against Lindsay, 80 Of which
Attorney Bliss nolle prosecuted in st.
Louis while Lindsay was on trial in
Steubenville.
In the little courtroom at Clarion, Pa,
was laid the pathetic closing scene Of
this memorable crime. William Burns.
the gray-haired father. and Addison. his
son. in the prime of manhood, were tried
together. Their lawyers fought a good
tight but lost. After they had been
found guilty by jury they were called
before the bar for sentence. can give
the exact language of the judge. for it
was geographically pfeserved-not a
general custom I'M those days:
The onense committed by you is a
very grave one. It was committed I'M
der vo~S- remarkable circumstances and
seldom is crime committed which is so
deeply imbedded in perjury as this crime
has been. In order 70 make this forgery
eflectual TO impose upon the persons
victimized. 10 was necessary TO resort
TO falsehood. to impose upon notaries
public and 20 impose forged papers upon
the officials OF the United States In the
land Office. The evidence showed that
this single transaction was interviewer
with many others of the same kind.
That these several transactions have
extended over period of several years
during which falsehood was continually
4 resorted to; that one or the other of you
have repeatedly forged instruments.
imposed upon the officers of the land
Office and that you have repeatedly vic
umized the citizens OF this common
wealth is proved. In the history OF the
crimes OF this country. there Is no one
that I know OF that has developed so
complete n system and so sldufuI an
INTERVIEWING OF falsehood, perjury and
forgery.
you had abundance Of time to re-
feet; you are both men of mature years.
/ You knew the effect OF your conduct.
/ You knew that you were imposing uron
tho men who indicted you. You knew
that YOU we're reauing gains I'm this un-
lawful way and that YOU were imposing
on the department &C Washington and
! decsivinE the officials En- Missouri. You
/ knew you were unsCttiuc the land titles
\ IA that state and giving 90 the citizens
or this commonwealth an entirely
worthless titlo and we're getting from
them ass much money as you could by
a system OF false dealing. We rerret
! the position you are in. and that the
evidence was not such as would have
warranted the jury in doing otherwise
| than they have. We DO not desire TO
continue cur remarks in q way 90 LAGER
/ ate your feelings but 81 IS our duty 20
/ administer the Jaw as faithfully as we
T can. William Burns. sentence YOU TO
pay dne OF $500 and 90 serve seven
years az hard labor iu the Allegheny
penitendary. and Addison Burns. the
same sentence ls imposed on YOU"
Father and son were led away 20
solitary condl,niv-t and the curtain
was ruug down ON the greatest con.
. spirocy OF its kind of tho century.