The New York Herald Newspaper, January 15, 1872, Page 8

TE WOARTON TRIAL. Resume of the Evidence in| the Case. History of the Wharton and Ketchum Families. The Autopsy on the Body of) General Ketchum. What is Thought of Dr. Aiken’s Chemical Analysis. ANNAPOLIS, Md., Jan. 13, 1872, On the 10th day of July last the people of the city | of Baltimore, and, indced, the whole country, were | startled with the announcement that Mrs. Ellen G. | Wharton, a lady moving in the bighest circies of | Fefined and educated society 1n that city had been Q@rrested upon the charge of murdering General W. Boott Ketchum by poison, and the attempt to mur. | @er Mr, Eugene Van Ness, her confidential business , @gont, At first the statement was received as @ | ‘wila rumor and few peeplo gave it heed; for her Position and standing In society was of the highest, ‘and she had always been conspicuous in charitable ‘works, and was known as a devoted Christian mem- ‘ber of the Episcopal Courch, and was the very last | person likely to commit crime; but aa inquiry of | Be anthorities developed the fact that it was true | Masued by Judge Gilmor, of the Criminal Court and | was A PRISONER AT BER OWN HOUSE. ‘Rot a single fact in reiaiton to the arrest could be @btained, however, from the authorities, and the friends of the accused lady were equally reticent in wegard to it and the causes that operated to bring ‘M about, As soon as Mrs, Wharton was ar- rested she sent for her counsel, Mr. J. Nevitt | Btecie and J. H. Thomas, who, on the 12th | ‘ef Juty, held a consultation with Judge Gilmor and Mr. Plokney, Deputy States Attorney, at which it ‘was determined that the whole matter should be re- erred to whe Grand Jury on the following Saturday, the 15th of July, and that mstead of admitting her 0 bail she should remain a prisoner at her own rest- | ence until that ume, From the moment the arrest ; ‘was announced, THE MOST INTENSE EXCITEMENT Prevailed among all classes of sociesy, and the Icast | Fumor in regard to the matter was magnified as often asrelated, The most unnatural stories were get afloat by the idie gossip of pretentious people, ‘Which were caught up by the daily newspaper press { ‘of the city, and, in the absence of facts, framed into Plausible stories, to which were added the theories | Of thelr own excited imaginations, adorned with @ashy nead lines and given to the excited people, ‘who guiped them down as truth, During the week ‘hat intervened between the arrest and the meeting @f the Grand Jury the immediate public were in a Btate of ieverish excitement, greatly augmented by athe reticence of those who knew the facts but would Sot relate them, and the press were even unable to gain a word of authentic injormation in rejation to ‘She alleged crimes, and, to supply the public appe- ‘site for news in regard to the arrest and its causes, Shey continued to print every wild rumor that could @®e caught up upon the sirect, no matter by whom ‘ttered. These tales gencrally emanated from that @lass of society whose untutored brains fordid their @ppreciation of the situation of a refined ana intelil- gent lady, conscioas of her own innocence, charged with | | | TAE TERRICLE CRIME OF MURDER, and were of a character that freiglved the public mind with prejudice against the unfortunate prisoner. Saturday, the 151n of Jaly, came, and with It the meeting of the Grand Jury; but the general public ‘were by this time be iovers in her guilt, wlitle those | @ircles of society that had known her to honor the association were equally convinced of her entire Mnocence of the charges alleged against her, Two indictments were, however, found against her—one Jor the murder of General Ketchum and the other | for the attemp: to murder Easeno Van Ness; aud on Monday, the 17th of July, she left her Anxurigus home and the association of cultivated | friends for ; TRE COMMON JAIL OF BALTIMORE CITY, geccompanied by her only child, a beautiful young girl, pamed Nellie, leaving to the care of her ser- ‘vants the oace happy household, No sooner had *he indictments been found aad the prisoner re- Moved to prison than strenuous efforts were maag 80 get some statement from her or her frichds, or @ounsel, in relation to the case, but not a word | ould be obtained. She had not invoked atd before, | nd would not court sympathy now. her friends were also indisposed to say a word, and indignantly , @enied her guilt. The city press, to strengtnen what Shey had alreauy put foryp, then began the pubil- Gation of THE MOST PEARFUL STORIES, eonnecting her name with the death of any number of her relatives, and other stories of the most sensa- fional eharacter concerning her early itfe. Her Kindest acta were distorted tuto evidences of deep. seated guilt, and a career of kindness and devotion Bnd religious duty was declared to be one of fearful rime. These tales were taken up by the press of the country and spread uncontradicted broadcast verthe land, For weeks they continued, until the whole country began vo believe that the counterpart of Lucretia Borgia or Countess Brinvillier had been found in Valiimore. it was even asserted that her Busband and son, who had died some months be- fore, were taken from earth by THE SECRET WORKING OF POISON Taken from her hands, and a thousand people, al- Most, Who had been for years the recipieuts of her } gencrous hospitality, deciared with a siow of sin- | @ority thatat one time or another they had been | Poisoned by her, These stories were told and re- | told, gaining in proportion at eack repetition, untit | @t last they wore as good as truth to the hungry ana | excited public. Days, weeks and eyen montis, | these publications were continued from time to | time, unti! at last Mrs. Wharton and her cause was almost forgotten in the busy bustle of life; but when | they did cease she had been tried upon this ex parie | evidence, and, with the general public, found fear. | fully guilty. Even those circles of society that knew | Ber as an associate, and had at first protested fher innocence, began to be lukewarm in her de. @ence; and, finally, under the pressure brought to Wear vy those who had starved many of these wild | gumors against ner, Who happened to boast respect. | able and haughty counections, left ber cause and @arkly hinted that she night be, or provably was, | guilty. So that she could count almost upon the | @ngers of her two hands before her trial thove of | @hat society that honored her in prosperity that wore siili her frleuds. Five years ago the Wharton famliy co! @olonel Henry W. Wharton, of the Unit my; Of his Wife, now Hpou trial! tor her life; a so jor Henry W. Wharton, Jr., a rising young ofic of the United States Army, aud a beautiful daughter, | Bamned Nellie O. Wharton, whom we have referred @ before, and of wiom We shall have occasion to | speak again. Colone) Wharton was for many years stationed at | Baltimore city as mustering and ‘Wisbursing oMeer | @t that and it was under !is direction and | supervision that many of the volunteers in te late War of the rebellion were mustered out and palu. | Probably no officer of the government who was @ver stationed at that post enjoyed tie respect aud | feem of the citizens of that coismuuity in @ her degree than did Colonel Wharton. He was Man Of pleasing address, fine, though at Umes iTauc MAuvers, avd was universally recognized as | Of the most correct and eilicient oficers of the erpment, lie died afier quite a lingering ill- Caused from a collapse aller a season of typhoid fever, in 1567. 1s wife, Mrs. Ejlen G, Wharton, who is now a prisoner, is a native of Philadelphia, Whose maiden Bame was Miss Nugent She is a lady Of large intelligence, engaging manners, and Wag ® Most fitting companion for such an elegant feutieman as Colonel Wharton was known w be; nd io society she was no less @ favorite than her Bosband. Wer bright intellect, her amiability, her pleasing Manuers and ner unbounded generosity, ade her @ favorite woerever she was known; and we may repeat the language of a most pro t mn tO kuOW ine W) " feted 9 ¢ Wharton’s and not Mavor Henry W. Wharton, Jr., eqn, was a Ane isted of ) £ome business | several miles. He left Washington by the four | the motive Mrs. Wharton | Baltimore, of witch thero is no evidence, NEW YURK HERALD, MUNDAY, JANUARY 16, 1872.-TRIPLE SHEET. Tooxing young man, taheriting, fn a marked degree, | Mre. the recular characteristics of his parents. He Wharton's arrest was one connecting her name with the demise of her son. It was asserted that be bad had his life c the spe facts in relation 10 3 an tute habits had @ bright future before him. He died | she had compassed his destruction for the purpose in April, 1870, from the ravages of a fever brougnt | ofsecuring #. It nt have been that the insur- on by debaach with some old army iriends, ance companies, having lost so heavily Grd his gre | Miss Neihe ©, Wharton, who 13 an example to all | ve latitude to this assertion; for it 1s known thal childrén for her coustunt, kind and generous devo- } was widely and energetically iblished, aad tion to her mother’s misfort is avout twenty- | operated in a fearful degree against her. two years of age, and fa & most beautifal, charm- From the best authority it is ascertained that there ing girl, She has dark prown hair, and large eyes | Was not the slightest foundation for the rumor, and of hazel that Ag up a well-formed countenauce with that pecullar expression that adds exquisite loveliness to its formation, Her. mouth 1s well formed, and about it plays a peculiar expression that makes hey moat charming in conversation. She 1s tall and graceful in movement, and con- verses with @ fluency that 18 @ peculiar character. isttc of her mother, She 1s mtelligeat, aid, if we may judge from the circle of constant friends that give her their sympathy in this her terrible wis+ fortune, she 1s much beloved, A HAPPY FAMILY. Colonel Wharton, in his litetime, with an indepen- dence at command, always lived as becamo his exalted position in society. Upon his family he set much store, and they, in return for his unbounded kindness, bestowed upon him much of their earnest affeetion. Indeod, if those who knew them weil may be believed, there never was a h hold around which clustered in @ more emi. nent degree that happiness which belongs to lov parents surrounded with affectionate and devote children, Their home was, therefore, the a»ode of contentment and happiness, and was the centre of attraction lor ail wno were fortunate enough to bumber them among thelr acquaintances, Colonel Wharton and family were fond of company, and, being able, entertained much. The inteliigende and engaging manners of his family, which had made them auiversal favorites in the army, drew around them the elite of civil society wherever they went. After he died, leaving behind him some means, his family contmued to keep up the same generous hospitality with thelr friends that had ever been a marked feature of their social life, and their hone continued wo attract the refined and_ educated, Among the acquaintances of Colonel Wharton in early life was GENERAL W. SOOTT KETCAUM, a Brevet Major General of the United States army upon the retired list when he died, He was appointed wo the army on ea 1, 1834, and had served to the rank of Colonel of infantry and Brevet Major Gene- ral of the United States Army when ne was retired and relieved irom duty at the War Depariment on | 15th of Decomber, 1870, Hs was a very intimate | Mat she had een arrested upon bench warrants | frend ol the Winrioh fauily... He had served. With He nad served with Colonel Wharton when both were young oficers: andl in their army career they hau been faithful an fast friends. Alter Colonel Wharton's death ho continued the same intimate relations with the family that had existed during his life, He was in the habit of visiting them very often, and was to them what he was to very few people living, a warm friend and adviser, Ho was a MAN OF PECULIAR HABITS; very precise in his business calculations and of all affairs that pertained to lite, He was noted for his | ecullarities, and it has often been said of him that ie substituted the Army Regulations for the Bible and a volume of tactics for a Prayer Book, He arose from his bed and left his heme upon the heights oi Georgetown on the morning of the 24th of June, 1871. He walked over to Washington, as was his’ wont, to visit Judge Sherman on I street, near fifteenth, where he arrived as early as Seven o'clock, having then breakiasted, Later in the day he had visited several friends in different parts of the city, and was at his ofiice, corner of Nincteenth and G streets, where he was a clerg for General Meyer, of the Quartermaster’s Department, at nine o’clock in the morning. Later he was egain upon the sireets in the pursuit of transactions, in which he walked o'clock train for Baltimore, ia company with Mra, Eliza B, Chubb, to whom it was raimored HE WAS ENGAGED TO BE MARRIED, He reached Mrs. Wharton's house a littie after 81x o'clock, and partook of @ very hearty tea ata later nour. He retired to bed between cleven and twelva o'clock, aud iu the night was heard to be restless, to dress 4imself and go down stairs into the yard and then return to hts room, which he did pot leave again during that night On THE FOLLOWING MORNING, SUNDAY, he compiaived of feeling quite unwell, bnt his ec- centricities were such with @ good looking cham- bermatd at Mrs, Wharton's that she refused to at- tond upon his room thereafter. He complained of feeling unwell during a greater part of vhe day on Sunday, but ate his meals as usual, In the evening he must have been better, for ne excused himself and went from Mrs, Wharton’s to the residence of & Woman whom he had known long and inumately, auc in whose companionship he had spent MANY QUIET HOURS OF PLEASURE. He returned to Mrs. Wharton’s later and was un- disturbed during Sunday night, so far as any one knows. : ON MONDAY MORNING he arose quite early, as he had made an appoint- ment on the Sabbath evening for the purpose of golog to Washington on the early train on Monday; bat, nding that Mrs, Chubb was no’ qoing, he re- turhod to his roou and reclined upon the ola with lus clothes on, He complained of feeling unwell to the servaut, Who went to his room about eight o'clock, Who informed Mrs. Wharton, and she in. sisted upon sending for a physician, and, contrary to his advice and desires, did send for Dr. P. ©. Wilhams, who came and prescribed creosote ant Lime water—a sootning preparation for the coating of the stomach. Under tis lofuence he seetued relieved and during the day partook of his meals as-usual, and before and alter the aoctor | came (lid not Vomit more than a gill or tivo, On Monday evening so much better was he that he decided again to go to Washington °. SDAY MORNING BY THE RARLY TRAIN. M , Who was to return with him, went to pis rou, on Tuesday morning for the purpose of calling hin, a found ham asleep; and, when awakened, he said (hat it was too late to dress hime- self, but told her to go and he woald come by tue hext train, and dine with her at three o’ciock in the Aiternoon; later m the day he got up and reclined rs, Chul upon tue sola, complaining of feeling quite unwell. Ie did not, however, Vomit that day, nor even yn =6Wednesday, except very silghily. Quite fate In the alternon of Tuesday he became so much" worse that tt was deemed best to send for a physician. Dr. Williams was sent for, bat refused to attend, it having since been stted as a reaso! y General Soichum had insultel him. General Ketchum Conthaued unwel). but took light nourish. ment during Tucslay, aad was not regurded as se- riously uuwell until wan WEDNESPAY MORNING, when his symptoms were of such a violent character thal Dr. Williams nally attended and adminis- tered to htm. ile prescribed forty drops of yellow. Jessamine every two hours in a little water, two doses of wiich were given—the last at ono P.M, The first dose given revived the General a live, but he very soon relapsed 1nto that state of coma that characterized hin when the Doctor first saw bim that day, He afterwards administered chioroform and chioral; bat the General breathed his last at fifteen minutes after three o'clock oa Wednesday, the 28th day of June, AROUND THE DEATH BED there were gathered a few peopie, ladies and a emen, who have appeared since the trial of Mrs, Wharton began upon the charge of Co elle | his deatn, as witnesses in the case, Each has retated in touching tones the agonles of the scene anu each struggle has been viewed und set down as certain evidence of the guilt of the accused, Of tls evi- dence I shail speak agatn in reviewing the trial, and turn now from the sad death scene to a recita- ton of the rumors that poisoned the public mind against Mre, Wharton in connection with this death, 10 is asserted, and 19 vo doubt true, that General Ketchum, in the Kindness of his heart, had loaned Mrs, Whartoa, some time alter her husband's death $2,609, Laking her note therefor, and that the objeet of his visit to Baltimore on the 24th of June, during which he died, was for the purpose of collecting this money ere she left for Europe, as she intended on the following 12th of July; and itis ciaimed that haa i accomplishing General Ketchuw’s death was to get possession o} the $2,600 nole; ana the absence of this nole alter he died was regarded and used as DAMNING EVIDENCE OF HIER GUILT, It is claimed by Mrs. Wharton and tier friends, how. ever, that when General Ketchum came to Baitt- more she was not indebted to iim a dollar; that although he had held her note for $2,600, as above stated, she had on the 17th day of January, 1871, at Mrs. Chudb’s nouse In ey liquidated that obligation, and had, at General Ketchum's own sug: gestion, tora the now up and thrown the pieces of paper upon the hearth, When this statoment was Inale inquiry was made of Mrs, Chubb, who sated j to remember that irs. Wharton had-been at her house upon thas day, or had any business transac- tons wuatever with General Ketchum. ‘This wag Tegarded as evidence of fabrication ou the part of Mis. Wharton, and furnished new proof, as was Supposed, of her guiit, But it since transpires by the evideo of Mra, Cottman, Mrs, Chubp’s daughter, that Mrs, Chuo ‘was got in Washington on that day, and that sfrs, Wharton did cail at Mra. Onuby's house. send Jor Geuerai Kewolum, engage ta private conversa tion tu the paric a 1 2 leave, and that alter be (Mrs, Cottman) found upon tus hearth pieces of y A ee ods pI papersuch as would A OTH HAVING BERN DESTROYED, Thus it see if we may have belief in circum: stantial evidence, upon Which yecially ia the prosecution, rests, Wharton Was not indebted to General Ket Goilar; aud another fa Dusiness tran: Us en z uum one | ct 1s granting that ie had Sactious With Ner uvon Uus visit to nuded {0 jeave on bees morning, even Waving dressed himself aud carried his valize down stairs for that purpose, and again On Tuesiay, that he had finisied wuatever business transactions he bad, and was about to take leave of Mrs. Waarton tor the last tlie ere her de. parture for Europe on tne followtag 1zin of Jniy, Of wiichbe Well knew. ‘The evideuge of Mrs. Cott. man Waa 30 clear and conciusive as to dates and circumstances that there is tte room to doubt 10" al @ obligation Wat did exist had liquidated and ina? nae SHB OWED GENERAL KETCHUM NOTHING, save a return of tat iriendsiup aud good will which he had always extcuded to herself and family, aud Which she Was aiways so ready and whiling, even @uxious, to bestow upon all about her. It it doca Not prove the direct fact of payment ,of the no whieh it does, as tar a8 clrcumsiantial evidence can do 40, it subsiantiates the statement of Mrs. Whar- ton ip the fuliest degree, that sue was at Mra, Chubb’s on the 17th of J veg 187}, the day tho note was due, and transacted business with General Ketchum, and wipes out entively the imputation that she had not told the truth in that regard, aud even raises the strongeat possible presump- tion nearly as good as the itself that the note was at that time id and de. troyed §=as iM Wi ‘Siyong the many tpmols cirowgted af toe dmg of from tae fact Wat he inte | i | was | | HIS SICKNESS AND DEATH could nave been obtained for the asking at any time. Not only did his entire sickness utterly reinte the allegation that be hada been med, but @ chemical analysis Was made of the contents of his stomach by Dr. Alken, who, to the utter astonish. ment of every one, said he fatied to find poison; for it Js universally expected that when he makes an Analysis evidences of poison will be the result. for if they are not present he generally creates them by his bungling experiments, While Cam on the death of young Wharton I may give some facts that I learned from several proml- nent people in Baltimore im relation to him and hig mother’s connection with his life, Sad as it 1s, it should he told, It shows how terribly this charge must have grated upon her motherly heart, after all she had done for the waywara cilld which she loved as her own life, and how utterly void of truth | It wae, Harry Wharton was 4 large, fine-looking young man, of remarkable personal appearance and en- gaging manners, ie was noted for nis generosity and kindness, and was, therefore, all the more Mable to the contaminations of dissolute compan- lonship. He was, some time prior to 1570, the cis- bursing oilicer of @ surveying expedition, operat ing upon the Northwestern Jakes, It is stated by tuose who kuew him there that, while he @ most general favorite with all who Knew him, his habits were anything but what the, should have been. He became very dissipated, and as a consequence of evil assoctations, it 1s believed, ‘TOOK TO GAMING, and finally his accounts became entangled in the Meshes of his vico and he was about to be turned from the army in disgrace. His mother, learoing of thls fact, gathered her little resources together, liquidated his obilgations and procared his houor- able resignation irom the service. How much he was tn arrears to the government and what amount it took to settle his indebtedness no one Knows, ex- cept, perhaps, his mother; but he was beard to re- mark at alfferent times alter having his live Insured tor $40,000 that if hia mother received that amount i would not repay her for what she had done for am. After his resignation and return home from the army he became full of good resolutions to do better and contemplated starting for the far West, but be- fore he did so he PROPOSED TO GET HIS LIFE INSURED, half of which to be placed in favor of his mother and half In favor of his sister, for fear that anything might happen to nim, His mother strenuously op- posed it, as is stated by many of their intimate ac- qualntances; but he said that he felt it his duty to do so, and finally, agatnst her protestations, had his life imsured“as above stated, Shortly alter this he met an old army friend and his good resolutions Were forgotten. Te got on one of his sprees with this young officer, which lasted two or three weeks, at the end of whieh he was brougit home sick aud never left his bed alive, There are other circumstances which I have learned in this connection 700 SAD AND SACRED FOR TAE PUBLIC BYR, The one I have related shows how utterly false and groundless the assertions were that connected this unfortunate woman with the death of her own blood, In this case is presented a fair iustration of the foundation of the rumors that were sent broadcast over the land iu relation to this unfortu nate lady. ‘the kindest acts of ner life were turned against her, and the devotion of her children was looked upon and distorted into evidences of her criminality, In many of the rumors which were sent out TO POISON THE PUBLIC MIND there was not the least shadow of a circumstance that could possibly be distorted by a candid mind into evidences of guilt, yet they were so termed, nd the commonest acts of every-day lite which elong to all persons in her situation of tife were jointed to as evidence to prove that she had beea ullty of heinous crimes, By the tight of events Which have Sooty transpired, and which will be treated of more at length hereatter, it is seen how this idle gossip has redounded to the feartal injury of this sorrow.stricken woman, Another circumstance that was pointed to as an evidence of Mrs. Wharton’s guilt at tue ume of ber arrest was the fact that she was PREPARING TO GO TO EUROPE when she was arrested. This was distorted into an inclination to fiee the country to escape the conse. quences of crime. ‘he mest imagiuary tales were ‘old about her endeavor to borrow money, to sacri- ce property and to betray friends tor the purpose of enabling her to leave, Indeed, the stories of her conduct, as told, were, to say the least, exceedingly suspicions, and this circumstance alone poisoued many minds into @ candid belief of her gutit. It now transpires that the trip to Europe had been contemplated for at least @ year, and that tickets for the passage had been purchased tor months; that the day set fcr their departure to Europe was the 7th of June, and that, that arrangement having been interrupted by : THE SIOKNESS OF HER DAUGHTER Nelite In May, the 12ti day of July had been supsti- tuted as the day of their deparvure as far back as her danghter’s tlines3 in May. These facts, coupled wih the knowledge that Miss Nellie Wharton had at this time in her own possession and to «do with as she pleased $15,000 worth of government bonds, which would have been ample for their trip, taking into consideration the fact that passage, &c paid, entirely controverted the fact that she was 80 sorely dis- tressed lor ineans that she could not ily the country if she so desired wiihout sacrificing her property or betraying friends, There are many other circumstances which were urged against Mrs. Wharton that might be related equaily flimsy and without significance as those presented above; but, after a candid, THOUGHT#UL AND FAIR INVESTIGATION of nearly all of them, it is asserted, without fear of successful contradiction, that there is nothing in any of all this array of “suspicious circumstances!’ that might not surround any person in ber situa. tion in life wicshout possible explanation, Returaing again to THE DEATH BED OF GENERAL KETCHUM, it may be weil to follow the {neigents of the next few days in Convection with this importaut matier, As stated before General Ketchum breathed his last at three o'clock and fifteen Tainan Ra. the gsth of qune 1s7il, fho next day Dr. P. C. Williams, his ate ending physician, as he bas stated, suspecting that General Ketchum hal been poisoned, called around him Drs, Chew and Miles, of the Maryland University, an old decrepit medical institution of Baltimore, and performed an autopsy apo the oody of Gen- eral Ketchum, the results of which undoubted puzzled both Dr. Williams and his associates, as fi is stated and was published neariy a week after, a8 is understood by the authority of Dr. Williams, that General Ketchum «ied of congestion of the brain, It 1s evident, at the least, that they were unable to flod any post-mortem sestons that could enable them to account for his death, and they were ‘there- fore convinced that GENERAL KETCHUM MAD BERN POISONED.” So his stomach was taken out, placed in a jar, taken to the Maryland University and there submitted to analysis by Dr. Aiken, the chemist of that institution. Until the 7th of Juiy these aoctors, together with this old chap Aiken, experimenied and endeavored by aivers Ways and means to ascertain the cause of General Ketchum’s death, ‘They finally came to the conclusion that he died of tartar emetic poison, although it is painfully evident that No? ONE SINGLE SYMPTOM OF THAT POISON Was present during hiy tines if we may believe Dr. Williams’ statements of his symptoms, On the 7th of July, about four o'clock im the afternoon, nine days alter General Ketchum had died, Dr. Wa Uams waited upon Leo Knott, States Attorney of Baltimore city, aud for the first time confided to him the suspicion (not the fact which he had gained after eizht days of asstauous labor) that GENERAL KECCHUM HAD BREN FOULLY DEALT WITH. Leaving Out the question of the high character of the physicians that performed the autopsy upon General Ketchum’s body, which is not questioned, but were no less open to suspicion than Mrs, Whar- ton’s up to the time of her arrest, the public might like to laquire whether or not tt Was not a little out of the ordinary manner of pursuing such investig: tions for Dr. Willams, with lis two medical frien and his chemist, Aiken, to conduct a sub rosa ine vestigation upon the remains of a man sup have died from poison without the authority and tone witch only judicial and legal funciions can arantee. Whatever may be thouglit of this case it is painfully evident that there has peea a mistake from the first, followed by neglect and STUPIDITY, IF NOT CRIMINALITY, in theend. It may be reasonatle to suppose, If we can judge from tie light of events, that if this mat+ ter had been placed in the first place where it should have been, i the hands of the oficers of the | Jaw,.that some other cheinist competent to have done his work, and obtained satisfaciory and legiu- | mate results, ay have been employed, so that we should have hi CERTAINTY OF GUILT OR INNOCENCE, As itis there 1s An uncertainty overnanging the matter which is galling to the public and unjust to the prisoner, gulily or innocent, which can never be removed. If this woman be acquitted, and pass out free and untramelied into the broad stiniight and to the bosom of her friends, she goes there tainted with the suspicions that something might bave been found It @ proper chemical analysis had been made, and this physician, or physiciaas, Who (ook it upon \hemseives to make this investigation without the just and unbiassed sapervision of the lega! autho- Tiles are responstbie for whatever of injustice that n done toward Mrs, Wharton, re other pecuilar phases concerning the commencement and continuatioa of Us investiga- fon wuich might furaish an interesving study, This avalyses of Professor alken—if it may be $0 termed— WAS MADE WITHOUT THE AUTHORITY or Knowleuge of the law oMicers of the State of Maryland or the city of Baltimore, as authorita. lively stated, Later he declared that he had found the eviaence of poison, and nis analysis was an sumed to be correct and the action of the State aus Worities based thereon, If might be pertinent 19, inquiry that, had not protessor Aiken ob Y ede “gatistact Ud pears crory results,? Who Was to pay eatigation t tine ‘ 4 Heal In benait ot hie pees ied. beg! who carrie of the pablig be very likely to accord th thee seh people will bane Ng of the action of dawene die: AL KETCHUM'S AVTEND) nigh-toned, Christian gentieman as he Is reputed tO be, the public, in view of ail the facts, will be lusely to hold him responsible for a grave érror, which no future action of his can account for, nor the yerdict of a jury make good, whatever that verdict may bes Upon the aguon and communic»ts’ ys of wese Duval: praise for their ' clans or phystctan attendant upon General Ket- chum’s demise and post-mortem investigation Mrs, Wharton waa arrest and this terribic sorrow brought upon her lore contented and ha) household, On the 10tn day of October, Was brought from the jail to Baltimore city daughter Nellie, who had shared ee Confinement equally witn her, refusing to eave her side even for a moment, excopt, perhaps, to turn away and EASE A BRRAXING HEART in @ flood of tears. The court room was crowded to suffocation nearly, and the mos‘ intense interest was manifested in the proceedings that were to take Dl dge ascended to his seat at ten o'clock A.M, thiéss silendé, one the crier opened the Co Atthis moment the hushed breathing ure of the crowd gave evidence of Invense Xcite Ment prevailing, and all were anxiousiy looking to see from whence the prisoner, of which so much had been said, should come to answer for the crimes whereof she stood charged, At lengtn she came from @ place in the rear room allottec for prisoners, accompanied by her daugiiter and coun+ sel. She at once step; to the Olerk’s desk, and then followed some short proceedirgs, which were an enigma to the wondering crowd, and then passed out of the court room, entered her carriage aud was driven rapidly back tothe jail, It was soon alter found that this little proceeding had been the ustal reliminaries necessary to the removal of the case ‘rom Baltimore olty to Anne Arundel county, the capitol of wich is at Annapolis, and where the case js how being tried, On the Ist day of December the steamer Samuel J. Pentz, moving down the Chesapeake Bay, had on | board Mrs. Elfen G. Wharton and a little knot of friends, bearing them on towards Annapolis, where this prisoner was to meet her triat for life upon the following Monday morning, the 4thof December, They had been conveyeu quietly through the streets of Baltimore aud passed upon the steamer almost unobsirved, and were seated in au obscure and un- ostentious part of the caoin during the ride over the water to the new prisou house, In almost full view of the bay upon which they were being borne. WHEY ARRIVED AT ANNAPOLIS about ten o’ciock in the morning, aud at once entered carriages which were waiting for then, and were then driven to the jail, As soon as they arrived the prisoner and her friends ascended to the second story of the jat!, in which was the room that had been prepared ior her, and which she was to occupy during her stay at Annapolis, “fhe warden, Who was waiting in the passage, as she appeared upon the threshold swung back the huge oaken door with its thousand spikes of tron, and Mrs, Wharton and her {riends entered this her new prison cell, where she was to remain, (or how lon no one was then able to tell.. When they had al: entered the huge door was swung to, the heavy bolt flew forward to its clasp, and they are leit alone until Monday morning, when she will go apd her frends foliow to the old Court House, which stands not far distant, to be subjected to the rude gaze of the idle and common herd, and to answer to the terrible charges that have been alleged against her. YACHTING. English Yachtsmen on Centre-board Vessels The Question of Measurement Discussed. The following interesting correspondence, taken agitation at present prevailing in England on tlie question of centre-board vessels:— ON THE MEASUREMENT OF CENTRE-BOARD YACHTS, To THe Epivor oF THE FIELD:— this subject I have had leisure to look into the in the United Kingdom, and find that ony three have pertinent sailing rules pro- nibiting ‘centre-board or siiding-keel vessels’? irom sailing 10 their matches, viz, the Royal Yacht Squadron, Koya ‘Thames and Royal London—ali of whom have a_ godd_ reason for domg s0 from the nature of their courses, On Which a racing vessel which can at pleasure reduco her draught of water in a large dogree might olten gain a great and unfair advan- tage over her opponents. Tne Royal St. George has no fixed code Of sailing regulations, but issues a new one before each of its biennial regattas; and in 1869 they inserted @ similar enactment agalast centre- boarders, though what the object ef tne committe in doing so was I have never been able to learn, as no corners Can be cut off in Dublin Bay racing, and 1 cannot say whether the. restriction wii ve per- severed in next regatta. The other mode of excia- sion 18 by over-weighting them in size, which the presené rule of measurement clearly does; aud it was with the yiew of correcting this that I propounded a modification of it for «aiscussion, and not with the intention of entering on the much more elaborate question of an enurely new rule for measuring ali yachts, as “Phe f#ouied Trotman” seems to think. The preseat rule has many faults, the chief one in my eyes being its Nability to error in application, especially in large vessels, where the multiplication by beaw and half- beam on (thelr great lengin makes a small mistake or diiference in opinion as to the exact breadth of a Vessel of great consequence—as, for instance, the Livonia, which on the thames was called 206 tons, a Lam informed, at Liverpool, under the same tue, ni feot of length a small difference soon mounts up. lt is by no means easy, however, to substitute a better rule, One man is for displuce- ment; another for area of canvas; another for measuring spars; & fourth for multiplying length of water line by beam and rejectiag the last figure of product; a Sith for multiplyiug total length by beam and total depth and dividing decimally; while my own individual opinion leads me to tuk Liat for racing crait leagth, and length alone, takéeu eituer on the water line, or the mean between Uie iengia there and on deck, 1s tie true measure of speed, and that ume should be given or received according to | the difference of that measurement in fect aud inches aions, excluding all other considerations, and aliowing @ man to ould wide or narrow, deep or shallow, or as he pleases. ‘Who sitall decide when doctors differ?’ and I therelore contine my- sell at present to ihe change of the existing rule ior centre-boarders; and, in putting my ideas iorward, can assure D. K. i. by No meaus meant * to penalize centrevoarders,”’ as he seems to imagine, but io re- lieve them from an untair pressure under which ney at preseut javor The galy lates ave receiver sindé my first letter are from the present owner of the cel rated little Yankee sioop Truaat, brought to Raa Ftd ago by the late Mr, Grinneil, and one of the fastest of her size ailoat; and ig opinions are de- pat of the greategy wélght, us he thoroughly un- erstands such Graft, which 1 contess Ido not. he says that wuder my rule Truant would be reduced from 3 44-94ths, her tonnage under existing rule, to 2 4¢-94tns, tho second multiple veing 14ln. -}- 44in. = 68 - 2 = 2um., or 2 feet 6 inches, iostead of 3 feet 6% incites, aud so would tend to carry out my idea; but he pvints out that a centre-board might be so fixed as, when up, to be only level with water line. Theretore, a vessel thus fitted would gain her own natural depth without paying for it, ‘This, of course, 1 did not intend, and would modify rule as printed by saying, ‘the mean between her actual draught and that of the centre-board when lowered as iar as it could be” may be used as the second multiple, instead of hali-beam. ‘This, [ think, would be fair to centre-boarders, and I don’t share Mr, N.’s opinion that larger vessels, such as superior to our fixed-keel yachts as to give chem no chance, bat rather agree as to their merits with D. K.; nor do | see how it could be “dodged.” But I regret I cannot now give the rule he proposes in- stead, a3 [ have mislaid it, but will at a future time, and hope soon to have some more measurements to craft which use sliding keels, Dec. 12. RED WITH WHITE MALTESE CROSS, To THE EDITOR OF THE FIELD:— SiR—The correspondence tn your columns rela- tive to small yacht measurement, as applied to centre-boards, is so pertinent in the present condi- tion ol the Brighton Sailing Club that I venture to ask your permission to state one case, in the hope that some consistent and detiniie rule may be adopted. We are ® young but prosperous club, increasing our members and our fleet. From the nature of our coast, our boats are, with one exception, essentially beach boats of light draught, and the successiul results of the centre-board n'a boat built to comply with beach- Ing requirements has resulted in alteration to exist- ing vessels, und construction of new boats with centre-boards, We are in itis winter thne endeavor- { jug to argue out a system of measurement that we can apply, taking into consideration ine new force— the ceatrevoard. From our matches of last season — estimated by length of kee: only—we have iittic in- formation; but J think ours ts the first club that has taken into consideration the value of the duration of the race in our time allowance. Hitherto. we have allowed on one hours sailing on a triangular course two minutes per Loot per hour—our frequent competitions in most cases coming close upon that wme—with an equation for over or under four considered in the calculations, It has been suggesteu that the computation oi ton nage by ordinary deep-yacht measurement 13 in our case a fallacy, tue draught of bvats of twenty and fifteen tous being so closely approximate, and we fully discard the value of a boat as estimated by Jength of keel only. At the same time we cannot fail to be impressed with value of beam (not excessive), it has been suggested to arrive at @ figure on whiot to estimate our time ey epoca t by adding length to breadth, again by adding naif tne breadth, aud again by estimating the means of three meas urements of breadth; dnally, by tonnage, as ordl- narily measured. We find that, since the largo inerease in the number and quailty of coast regat- tas, it is essential that some definite, well-considered rule should be adopted that would admit to compe- tition boats of diferent dimensions. Many diMcuities have arisen in the course of attempts to legislate; and asthe subject 1s one of universal interest would enlist the practical experience of your many nautical readers, PLUS. BRIGHTON SAILING CLUB, Dec. 12, Leas it would not be out of place in dis- cussing yacht measurement to give an instance of the sort of injustice which the present rule pro- duces in the case of centre-board vessels, Ata re. atte this year I was asked to i aga! the dimensions of the vessels as noar\, as I could ascertain, the one with fixed keel, 44 fect by 8 fect 6 inches; the centre-board, 31 feet by 11 feet; or, by the resent rule, 14 and 13 tons respectively, the former py therule counted as 4 feet 3 inches deep, the latter as 5 feet 6 inches, Now if we calcula’ according to the real deptha, say 7 feet and 2 feet, the result will give 23 tons and 5 tong Fespectively—a somewhat starting difference, but Mauch more Reatiy conveying the true state of the ],0ade Whgn the ret sesuit, bolleve tag oregver, 1 boll from the London Field of December 23, shows the Since writing my letter of November 2t last on ) sailing regulations of the various yacht clups ‘as certified as 278 5u-94ths, showing that on | Magic or Columbia, under this rule, woula be so | guide me, and especially of the lurger American | low wate and generally of mavigetinn aba why 8 should yacht clubs encourage the most incon venient type of vessel and discourage the most con- yenicnt? Because the latter are bad sea boats, perbaps? But, as your correspondent “G. S. G.”? says, “lengtlt oo they are better,” and L malutain that length 15 not bad criterion of size, for what one has in in depth, “Red tes suggests an amended rule. Iam so entirely at one with bi a8 to the great point whicn calls for alter- ation, sate opty @ gg vt ae acterjze OF f that I si gaaite have nb opinion oi the wiaral jon a3 would make it, and 1t is very simple, ‘In all cases the second multiplier to be the real depth, mstead of the half beam. Sliding keel vessels to add —— | of their to e.” I should hke him to fill up the blank. f course T nave an opinion, more or leaa definite, but I wish for ~ his unbiased. My reason for not adopting his | suggestion 1s that {hold it to be of importance to | get as nearly as may be the real tonnage as @ starte Z powwt, from which any modifications for spectal consiruction may be made without danger of con- fusing the main faets, ‘Ihe size of sliding keel has | lite todo with size of vessel, but may, and docs, vary greatly as well in size as in shape; the distance | below the Vessel to which its lowest point extends | 18, therefore, @ most untrustworthy criterion for measur.ng tonnage, CENTRE-BOARD, FOX’S YACHTING ANNUAL. | During the past few years yachting has made rapid gtrides in the public favor, 80 much so thas there are hundreds now interestea in this manly sport compared with the few solitary individuals that were the patrons of the pastime some ten or fifteen years ago. Yacht clubs have sprung up in every portion of the United States, and although some do not own large sea-going crafts, they own a large number of small craft, in which the enterprising owners make long cruises along the coast, both east | and south, Upto the present there has been no oitl- clal record of the statistics of yachtang given to the public, and as there are at least five thousand peo- ple intimately connected with yachting tnterests and one hundred thousand others who take pleas- ure m viewing the annual regattas of the different clubs and perusing the yachting colums of the New York HERALD, the necessity of having some an- nual statistics of yachting matters which can be used as @ pocket handbook by all those interested has become apparent. With a view to supplying such 8 necessity Mr. Edward Fox (a journalist who has been intimately compected with yachting news for the past jour years) has issued the following cir- cular:— Fox’s YACUTING ANNUAL, 83 Nassau Street, Room 4, New York City. Sir—Vhe tirst number of Fox’s Yachting anaoual ‘will ba published May 1, 1872. ‘This work will contain @ complete list of all the yachts in the United States, with their dimensions and other particulars; alist of all yacht owners, yacht clubs, with Oillcers and other data; distia- gulshing flacs of each club, secretaries’ addresses and other matters of interest to yachtmen, ‘The Annual will be published by supseription at the rate of $1 percopy. ‘The subscription list for this purpose, now open at the oflice of the Secretary of your clap, will be closed on tae 10th of April. ‘The pnolisper respectiully cails your atteution to the above in order to estimate the provable edition required. Yacht owners will kindly fill out the enclosed form and mail it to the above address, Soliciting the hoaor of your patronage, I am yours respectfully, EDWARD FOX, It will be perceivea by thé above that this manual will contain @ list of all yachts in the United States belonging to recognized yacnt cluba, with their di- mensions, distinguishing fag and other data of in- terest, This will alone be of immense value to they will be enablea to distinguish all the yachts afivat by meaus of their distinguishing flag, which will be accurately described in the Annual. ‘This work Will also contain a complete list ot all yacht clubs in the Unived States, with their oticers, humver of members, yachta, &c.; an alphabetical list of all yacht owners, addresses of the dittereut secretaries of yacht clubs and a set of colored plates of the distinguishing flags of each yachtclup. In order to obtaiu the correct dimensions of every every yacht owner as soon as the publisher can ob- tain their Post Office address:— -Tonnage.... .. Length on water line. The Annual will be published by subscription, at the rate of $1 per copy, and with this view subserip- tion lists will be forwarded to the secretaries of every yacht club, returpable on the lth of April, 60 that the publisher may arrive at @ falr estimate of the necessary edition required to supply the de- mand, The maaual will be forwarded to subscrloers shortly alter the Ist of May. A few pages of the mannal will be reserved for the advertisements of yacht builders, sail makers, riggers, cabin fitters aud the other trades connected with yachting Inter- ests, In order to facilitate the coilection of yucitin: news the secretaries of different yacht clubs would do well to communicate, cither by letter or in _per- son, with the pubtisher, Mr. Edward Fox, at 83 Nag. sau street, NYS A Confidentin’ Clerk Shoots Himself ina Bath tub—He Has Nearly Ono Hundred Dolla His Possession. Avery singular and mysterious case of suicide was yesterday afternoon reported to Dr. John Beach, Deputy Coroner, at his residence, 111 West Forty-fifth street. Kor several years past George Bosnett, an educated and accomplished English- TERIOUS SUICIDE, Man, twenty-eight or thirty years of age, has been the confidential clerk and agent of Mr. Charies H. Reld, commission mer- chant, at 87 Broad street, now living at 202 West Forty-fifth street. Mr. Bosnett discharged hig duties to the entire satisfaction of his employer, @nd asfaras known no fault whatever could ve found with him. Over two weeks ago Mr. Reid, a partial invalid, started for Aiken, 8. C., with his wife, for the benefit of his health, leaving their dwelling in charge of Mr. Bosnett and two or three female domesttes till they should Teturn, Bosnett, reportea to be temperate, and a man of steady habits, since the departure.of took some of his meals there, Usually he was at home at a seasonable hour; but three nights during the last week he remained absent. Saturday night, as he did not appear before the time of closing up, the doors were locked by the girls, who retired to their rooms. About tea o'clock yesterday morning Bosnett returned home, and when asked by Catha- ine Bridgman, One of the girls, where he had been all night he replied that he lodged at the St, Vioud Hotei, Forty-second street, Bosnett said he came home after the house was closed, and being unabie to get in had slept im the hotel, He appeared per- fectly sober and in a peaceful state of mind, aud alter exchanging a few words with the girl passed to =the batbroom, on the second floor, entered it and locked the door be. bind him, After remaining tnero au hour or moro Catharine thought‘ it strange he did not come ou!, aud, going im the hail, listened at the keyhole ana heard the water running in the tub; but aside from that all was quiet. Soon afterwards Catharine became uneasy, ard trying the bath room door found it locked, She theu knocked loudly on the door, but received no answer, which alarmed her very much, aod alter a consultation with tho other girls it was decided to call in the police, and soon an officer of the Twenty-s:cond precinct, who arrived, burst open the door Jeading to the bath. room, and the refound Bosnett in a nude state, with the exception of his merino undergnirt, iying dead in the bathtub, which was filled with water, fis feet lying out of the water on top of the rear end of tue tub and his head nearly covered with water. On the forehead was what appeared to be a deep scratch, Without disturbing the body Dr. Beach was immediately simmonea, and on viewing the remains it was discovered de- ceased had shot himself in the right tempie, the bullet passing directly into the pratn, doubtless causing almost instant death. It ts belleved that Bosnett extended himseif in the tub before dts- charging the pistol, @ new one of six chambors, which was recently presented to him by-a friend. In the pockets of deceased's clothes, which wad hung up in the room, were found about ninety-one dollars, some cards, letters, a new silver watch and chain, ‘and various other small articles; but nothin was discovered to show the cause that prompt him to take his life, In one of his pockets, however, was found the following, written in @ piain and beautiful hand, on @ sheet of mourning note paper:— SUNDAY, Jan. 14, 1 Please to keep this unfo sible, "Good-bye, everybody.” ee oe hie Coroner Herrman will hold an inquest on the body to-day. Deceased left no relatives in this country, but the friends of Mr. Retd will givo the remains a respectable interment, Captain Killalea, of the Twenty-second precinct, was present at the jouge, and rendered such service as was needed, e also detailed an omicer to remain there during 2 We alternooy and evening every person interested in yachting, as at a regatta - yacht the following circular will be forwarded to | Mr. and Mrs. Reid has lodged in the house and {| CITY POLITICS. The Tammany Hall General Committee and the Colombian Order. The Tammany Saint Sick and In Extremis~The- Consultation—Political Boctors Diesgrecing~ The Rule or Ruin Policy—The Row Over the Closing of the Wigwam—Rogular- . ity of the Election of the General Commitee Questioned—Bren- nan, the Folitical Sphinz— The Ex-Boss” on. the Situation. ‘The Tammany Hall and Tammany Society fs becoming more and more difficult of settleme with every fresh attempt to pring order outog chaos. Every one of thenew would-be leaders hast & political nostram of his own which, if applied tof the evil according to his particular mode of pree scribing the same, would restore the sick St, Tamtd many to something like his previous strength andi vigor. But political doctors, like the ordinary allod pathic or homeopathic practitioner, are apt to asd agree, and while they wrangle over thelr indi specifics the patient languishes and suffers, 80 is with poor St. Tammany. Although the faculty of political doctors are in consultation as the malady which aMiicts him, so deep are thetm own jealousies, misgivings and rivalries that notha ing yet has been done to cheok the disease whicky threatens the dissolution of the once time-honored! old saint. It is the “‘rale or ruin’? policy thoroughly, exemplified which controls these POLITICAL CHARLATANS who would try to tll the shoes of those once power) ful sachems before whom but afew months ago tnd Most blatant and presuming of them would ha' bent the pregnant hinges of their knees, that might follow fawning.” But ’twas ever thas ever shall be, The work of reconstruction and organization must go on, No one manor set men were ever found, except under a popul | deiusion, absolutely necessary to the well-being great people. So will it no doubt be proven in thd present case when our AMBITIOUS TAMMANY FRIENDS ’ shall have reconciled differences, harmonized actiom ; and entered into the work of reconstraction wit! the one grand democratic idea—the success of great democratic party of the city and State, they are at present floundering fearfully in th pit they have laid for themselves, and out of whic! there seems no immediate chance of extricath ‘The Brennanites and Uarnardites, the Genetites ant Scheilites, the Jim livingites and the Joe Dowling ites are all playing fast and loose with each other while at the same time they are opposed by th Tammany Society, who are the corporate ownel of the Wigwam. From this fact arose the attemp! at closing the doors of the temple the ne Gcueral Committee, who sought an entrance theret the other night for the Burpoas of holding # pow wo" but which was frustrated by @ mandamus by Judge Barnard. How does the dificuity d between this Tammany Hall General Committee, and in whose interest are the leaders and tke knowin; ones of it working, and the Tammany Society, ‘*ans what are they going to do about it?” THAT IS THE QUESTION, . The fact is, that under the jolly retgn of ‘Boss’® Tweed, of merry cuss memory, some parties word admitted into the Columbian Order much to th | disgust of the veterans composing the old Tame} many Rosle: and 1t has become @ sine qua with those in the course of the order of recon: struction as contemplated by them to get rid some of these ney men and to purify the Order, generally. Hence one cause of the order to cl the doors of the Wigwam. Another cause ts to found in the fact that the new Tammany G Committee 18 NOT RECOGNIZED by the more ancient sachems as having been regularly elected. If this were so then were ts present no Tammany General Committee. But course the braves who form the committee, such ag! it is, laugh at the impotency of the ancten® sachems to oust the 1, and don’t care a Continental! about them so long as they have the great man-) damus man at their back, It Is contended ag against the regularity of the election of the come mittee that ivis a distinct and positive rule of the’ society that the General Committee shall be el not on any day of the year on which it is to act such committee, but on some day near the close the preceding year—that ia, THE GENERAL COMMITTEE OF 1872 could only be properly elected in 1871. Hence thes action of the opposing sachems against the opening: of the Wizwam, The question, 4 WHO ARR THE PARTIES IN INTERES on either sido of this pretty little quarrel is tne eu Ys most diffienlt to cuswer, All the parties eng were for so long a pertod, and tiil so tatel; friends and cllents and prolégés of tke ex-Gran Sachem that to suppose eitner side was against htt would denote a depth of political depravity, culicult to contemplate, But cording to Cocker, the old war horse’s shves have been strack Off an | he ts sent for the present out to pasture, whether to’ be ever trotted in to take his ‘ap place ip the public crib or not it were hard to tell P BRENNAN [8 THE POLITICAL STINK of the hou. He won't show his hand, but moves im most mysterious ways his wonders to perform. A ail events, the rival chieftains are terribly exerci with his diptomacy. and they say they can’t 1X Ditte Ir he were pronounced a Tweed man y friends would rally round him; if for the reform sachems, then Tweed’s friends would be reformet too, and would leave the old war horse in the qt enjoyment of his pasture for an indefinite pert But he is neither the one thing nor the other, still both at the saine time; and this is the political puzzle without a key to it which bothe all the politicians whe desire to see a new Me arise or an old Moses restored, capable of xing, things as they were before, WHAT THE EX-''BUSS” SAYS ABOUT IT. 5 Whatever side either party may take, whether a@ to partial reconstruction or entire reconstruct " one thing 1s certain, that the dificuity on both si 1s as to the first move on the board. Ifthe “oss” has friends among the reformiog sachems who would gladly see fiim restored to some of his ol honors in the society they are afraid to give proof the faitn that ig in them. If the recalcitrant Gene- ral Commiltee faver the Boss, that favor they are afraid to announce. And so it Is conjectured thas, while these two parities stand paralyzed in tae presence of each other, the wily Brennan, by a coup Wétal, will throw the balance of power into one side or the other, and thus control the whole party and monid the future political action of the democ. racy ofthe city. But us to what the “Boss” nimselfl thinks of the situation, all that can be ascertained ; on that point is twat he has deciared the ELECIION IRREGULA upon which the new iammaay Gétiéval Committee agsumo to act, Freni this it would appear that the ex-"'Boss! does tio! pect much from the heads the factions of which that committee is com les aa can he expect much consideration from the reforwing sachems, for if they truly endeavor ta enact the role of reformers he, ‘poor man,” cam never expect to sit among the elect in that New j ieee into which Tammany 1s soon to be trans ormed. In any aspect of the case, no matter who may rise to the surface of politics in the new order of thi or Who may go under, never to appear avain, course of political events in this city demands the best attention of all our citizens, s) POLITICAL MOVEMENTS AND VIEWS. “The One Term Dogma.” (From the Albany Journal (republican), Jan. 18.) The whole principle of one term proceeds upon the assumption that the President will regard evil practices as more eifective than good ones, and na- turally take to the former, If this be the correct, view of human nature it should be appated to all officers, Make the one term untversal. But the argument Is inconsistent with itself in another re- spect, It assumes thac the President will have @ natural tendency towards the ba J and then it poe to make him practically irresponsi- le. He is to know from the outset that his career is not to be passed upon by the people, and that whether né makes @ good or @ bad President cannot affect his personal fortunes, And this is to be the guarantee of good conduct. Is 1t philosophical or rational? Ina word, and to sum up the case In & sentence, the theory files in the face of reason because it assumes that the ame bition tor re-election will prompt a President to bad conduct instead of good; in the face of facts, be. cause it assumes that fifty thousand ofice- holders can control six millions of voters; 1n the face 07 his- tory which teaches that the Presidents who de« served to be re-elected have been, and that those ‘who did not have not been; in the face of a solemn warning which impresses the trath that there m be exigencies when it is vital to re-elect a Presi dent; and tn the iace of plain common sense which suggests that the peoplo should have the opportu. nity of re-electing a good President if they choose, Temperance Congress in the West. (From the Cnicago Post, Jan. 12.) The Legislature at Springfeld, 11),, has done a’ most commendable taing inthe passage of an act to provide against the evils resulting from the sale of intoxicating liquors in the State of Ilinoig, While the ae eticable bitin at entire pronivie tow is abandoned the responsiollity for the tratio is placed where it belongs. Hereafter a rumsetier will be compelled to pay for the ravages produced vends 1900 ls made ) Darter with bin to his liabitiess ee