The National tribune., 1906-04-19
THE GREExE-cAyNoR TRIAL.
The result of the Greene-Gaynor tri,

| THE GREENE-GAYN0R TRIAL.
The result of the Gresne-Gaynor trial
at Savannah is another laundering dec
laration as to how much better it pays
to be honest. Benjamin d. Greene and
John F. Gaynor were contractors, who
were in too much hurry TO get rich.
They had been undoubtedly playing all
manner of sharp practices in the execu-
ton of their contracts before they
launched out upon their gigantic scheme
of robbery in connection with the
United States Engineer whose duty 1t
was to supervise them and hold them
to a strict accountability to the United
States. He was corruptly negligent in
his duty, and shared in the division of
| the profits of his own wrong-doing. For
this he has lost his commission in the
| United States Army; served a term of
five years in the penitentiary; has been
put to enormous expense defending his
case; has lost very much, if not all, of
his ill-gotten gains. and is branded for
| life as unfit for association with honor
able, decent men. In n purely none
tary way. and without counting in the
shame and disgrace which would be
worse than death to most men, he is
out of pocket a great many dollars in
| the loss of salary and opportunities for
| the future. He can never be employed
in any way that will suit his education
and talents, because, careless as men
may be about morals, the worst of them
I lHKi tntn 4ln,, In 1rxr
kind of business with a man who has
been branded as a felon.
| The jury at Savannah unanimously
declared Greene and Gaynor guilty of
conspiracy against the Government. pre-
senting false claims and embezzlement.
The penalty for this is imprisonment in
the penitentiary. which may extend to
II years, and a fine of $575,000. The
least punishment that can be inflicted
under the findings of the jury is two
years in The penitentiary and fine of
| $1,000. Greene's and Gaynor's legal
| troubles began with their indictment
| Dec. Q, 1899, or seven years ago. They
! fed to Canada, and for years main
| tanned a costly fight in the courts to
prevent extradition. They also forfeit
ed their bail of $4,000. They have
| thus lost up to this moment. at least,
seven of the most profitable years Of
| their lives, four of which were spent in
| Canada, and during which time more
| honest contractors have been making
| large sums &C money in the profitable
execution of legitimate undertakings.
| Greene and Gaynor have been before
the courts six full years. with legal pro-
| ceedings in New York, Savannah, Mon
| treal, Quebec and London, at a cost
reported to reach $3.50. 900 for them and
| 100000 for the United States. Even
| if. which is unlikely, they manage to
| escape the penitentiary, the record up
| to this time will show that they could
| have much better executed their con-
| tracts with the Government at a loss
| than to have resorted to stealing. Though
| they got away with an amount far in
excess of the plunderings of any other
contractors in the history of the U,.ited
States, they were. instead of being ex-
ceedingIy smart and cunning, consum-
mate fools to have done as they did.
| Honesty would have paid them incom-
parably better than the most successful
fraud.
Judge Speer has sentenced the pris-
| oners to serve four wears in the Federal
Prison at Atlanta, Ga, and to pay each
fine of $575,794.90, the amount they
are charged with having embezzled.
Upon one Indictment the sentence was
| two years and upon each of the other
indictments four years. but the court
directed that the sentences be served
| concurrently, which reduced the term
to four years. Thus with the allowance
Of three months off each year during
which the behavior of the prisoners may
| be good, the sentence would be reduced
TO three years.
The fine need not be paid if, on COM
pleting the sentence, the prisoners make
affidavit that they are not possessed of
more than $40. In lieu of paying the
fine they then may serve 80 days longer
Counsel for the prisoners announce that
an appeal will be taken.
In imposing the sentence Judge Speer
reminded the prisoners that they had
been found guilty of these heInous
charges by a jury of plain, clear
sighted. honest Americans. OF that juryi
there was perhaps not man who could
2ot trace his ancestry to Il Revo.ution-
airy patriot. Their verdict was the best
answer to the oft-repeated assertion
that no maH worth a million dollars
could be convicted by a jury. Every
legal technicaiity that could nc invoked
had been brought to bear TO saYe them
Notwithstanding the gravity of the Of
! fenSes, it was not deemed necessary 10
impose the extreme penalty Os cunula-
tive sentences. which would aggregate
II years imprisonment and S59i.743.9O
in fines. He would measure the pun
ishment by that imposed by his broth
or officers upon Carter, and wouiI rec
ognize that both of the prisoners were
elderly men who had been in prison
for more than year.
Losses ut Franklin and Gettysburg.
Editor National Trihune. Could ,-o,,