Page:Life and Select Literary Remains of Sam Houston of Texas (1884).djvu/592

 are unknown, they may well be imagined to extend to existing sources of power anywhere in the country. The objects about which this combination was employed have been shown to have been of the most comprehensive and varied character. But seldom, indeed, has any record of crime offered more convincing proofs of guilt, or displayed more numerous and more ingenious varieties of transgression, than that written in the history of the Watrous conspiracy.

Every object that cupidity could devise, or that fraud could suggest, seems to have been embraced in the designs of this stupendous company. It was its object to plunder the public domain of Texas, to seize upon it by fraud and forgery, and to fasten upon whole communities the most audacious frauds ever sought to be practiced upon State or people.

It was its object to deal in fraudulent land certificates, and to sustain these dealings by corrupting and seducing the courts, thus adding crime to crime. It has been seen that the most open propositions of corruption were made, and the traffic was carried on with the direct countenance and assistance of Judge Watrous, whose agent explored the bar-rooms and groggeries of the State for customers.

It was its object to conceal their operations, and especially to remove them from the action of Texan juries. For this service it has been shown how the machinery of Judge Watrous' court was employed, and how in that court the great suit of Phalen vs. Herman, seeking to substantiate these worthless certificates, was instituted, and removed out of the State in less than seventy-two hours, and that done out of term-time.

It was its object to plunder private property, and to secure to its members vast bodies of lands in Texas, and to despoil the settlers of their just and hard-earned rights.

It was its object to acquire interests in land within the jurisdiction of Judge Watrous' court; to further these speculations by the corrupt use of that court; and through its protection to escape responsibility to Texas juries.

It was its object to have the federal court absolutely subservient to its designs; and for this purpose servile juries were sought to be selected, and an order made by Judge Watrous to exclude from jury duty citizens of four counties, which counties embraced the chief portion of the company's known field of operations.

It was its object to impose upon the courts a forged muniment of title to a vast estate, and to sustain the forgery by perjured and purchased testimony. The whole history of the forged power of attorney is overwhelming in its evidence of the black and redoubled crime of Judge Watrous and his confederates, in seeking to sustain a forgery of the most monstrous description, by devices of fraud, by bolder acts of bribery, and, at last, by direct subornation of perjury.

It was its object to betray suitors in Judge Watrous' court, by collusion between the court and counsel, and between opposite counsel, and to divide out among themselves the gains.

It was its object to oppose all unfriendly parties who attempted to sue in the federal court, and, through the favor of this judge, to practice revenge upon them, to strip them of their rights and to mock them.