The Illinois free trader and LaSalle County commercial advertiser. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1841-1843, 1842-12-23
TO THE PUBLIC,

n vember observed communication signed
az. X. Potter" in which was The following cerii-
ficate:
al also stated that you had taken illegal fees as
Justice OF the Peace, and thatyo docket would
show It; and that you had received good current
funds in payment of judgment rendered by You
as JtSiice Of Tie Peace 10 favor OF one Ramsey VS..
Josiah Sey bo!d, and paid out scrip IN lieu thereof
to the plaintiff. All of which charges and state
ments were false aud untrue IN every Particular, |
and were only made FOR oec,lonecrlng purposes. |
regret having made them, and deem IL an act OF
simple Justice to make this acknovled gment Us
the only reparation can offer.
c. Il. BURGESS"
The communication concludes US follows:
Fellow -citzens-You have the facts before
you, and leave them without further comment
bid them do their worst. | desplse then malice
and scorn their lies"
Being apprehensive that there may be addl-
tonal facts connected with this matter that have
not been referred to by hir. Potter, and knowing
his extreme anxiety that the whole matter should
be made known, | have been induced to trouble
the public with the following aiiidavits In relation
to the charge that Esq. Potter had received good
current funds, in payment OF a Judgment rendered
by him as Justice Of the Peace, IN favor Oh one
RAMSEY VS.. Josiah Seyboid, and paid out scrip IN
lieu thereof to the plaintiff. hope that the state
ment is sufficiently authenticated 10 shield II from
the "scurn' Of MIR. Potter:
Personally appeared before me c. Elliott, a
Justice of tho Peace for Lasae county and state
OF illinois, Josiah eybold, who deposeth aud saith
that on Judgment or execution against ne OH
ESD G. Il. Potter's docket in favor Of Michael
Ramsey, he paid g. L. Potiera one hundred dol
! lar bill on the state Bank OF Illinois to close up
| the concern part Of the money he having pre-
viousy paid to constable Thatcher, and Potter
| paid me back the change in good current money,
and further this dcponent saith not.
JOSIAH SElBOLD.
.Scol7, to, and subscribed btjpe me, IN the county
gjaesaid, This Uh day # Sept. 4. d., 6i2.
4. T.. ELLior'r, j. =.
! Personally appeared before me e. C.. Elliott, a
Justice of the Peace for Lasallc county and state
of Illinois, Jonathan TuIlis, who deposelh and
sailh that on judgment on Esq. e. X Pouer's
docket, in favor of Michael Ramsey and against
Josiah Seybold, the said Potter paid over to me as
agent for said Ramsey the amount Of said iud5-
ment in scrip, which | objected to tax! at the
time, but he Potter said that it was all that he
could get, but this deponent has since been Inor-
med and venly believes, that said Potter received
OF said eybold good current money on sad judy
| nlen,, and farther this deponcnt saith not
JONATHAN fLLLlS.
S!co,n 10, and subscribed d.tpe ne, in The coaty
aforesaid, THIS Gu dag n s pr. a. d., 1872
q. G.. ELLiorr, }. i.
1t is utterly impossible that the above ailija-
WITS" and Esq. iotter's denial of the charge can
all he true, las it will be seen OF comparing them
together that they conflict IA evgry particahT.'
~ deem il an act u jgstiec' to myself and to
the public, to explain III what manner the cerlll-
cate to which my name is attached in the COM
nunicaiun referred to, was obtained. 1t Is true
that during the CANVASS previous to the August
election, when applied to for my reasons for vo-
ting against Mr.. Potter, | did mention The report
that he had received good money as Justice, and
paid scrip in lieu of it TO the person cnlitled To It,
never mentioned 1t except when applied to for
my reasons for opposing Mr.. Polter's election, nor
DID ever speak Of II Tor electiongefng purposes.
On the 30,h of August last, Esq. Potter and
| Mr.. Chunasero called ON me with the certificate
referred to, and said that the report was false, aud
threatened me with prosecution for SANDER if
did not sign the certificate, and pay the lawyer
Ten Dollars for his services. | objected /, it
| Potter then urged as reason for my signing it,
that II would cost me Fifty Dollars Tor lawyer fees
if | was prosecuted. After considerable threat
ming, being very much alarmed, signed the GER
titicatc and gave my note for Ten Dollars to Mr.
Cbumasero Upon subsequent enquiry found
''ie i'I'it I" az w \ioi ptoV vi NH!Ch IClCi w
the above aidavits) u then applied to Mr.. Potter
for the certliicate-he told me could have it but
that Mr.. Chumascro had it, Mr.. Chumaseio told
me that Mr.. Potter had it, and did not get it.
Previous to my signing the certificate, stat
to Mr.. Potter that | had only told the story as
hearsay. He replied ''that makes no difference,
| can maintain an action against you JUS, al well
as though YOU originated the report cnqui-
red Of Mr.. Chumaiero-he told me that was the
law. have since been credibly informed that
| Mr. Potter bnased that no never could have OBJ
tanned my signature had he not frightened me to
it..
Mr.. Potter says GAN ask of this community
is even handed justice and have tie highest as.
surance that do not ask in VAIN
II a candidates character be good, and he is ca
pahlc OF dscharging the duties OF the Office To
which he aspres, it is always expected that he will
run ahead OF his ticket III his own neighborhOod
y ct, we find Mr. Potter had but six votes in his
own precinct, and but eight in the al Joining one.
In Sandy, where he Is pretty well known, he did
not receive single vote. On the whole south
side Of the river, (whcre Mr.. p. rcsides) he reco
we'd but 40 votes out Of the 215 polcd Tor Sheriff
Without saying whether the charges against Mr.
Potter are true or not, | think that the inference
to be drawn from the vote in his own and the ad-
joining precincts is, that Mr. Potter has received
that even handed justice which intelligent
community are always ready 10 bestow and which
he 50 earnestly so!leits.
JACOB G. BURGESS.
Nov. 30. lS42. 2J-lw