The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1859-07-25
Babbit,s Lawyer Confesscs TO Ntnt
Thousand Dollars.


Charles Mason, Democratic nominee for
the Supreme Bench, lie ont in the Journal 10
defence Of l.. W. Rabbit.
Judge Mason is regarded as very shrewd
lawyer and possesses better reputation than
most Of the leading legal politicians OF his
party in this State. Hence the party have
been constrained to avail themselves Of the
ability and reputation Of the Judge so fire. |
quently and in such desperate cases as TO
have slightly dimmed the brightness OF ms
reputation and detracted somewhat from his
influence.
We need but recall to public recollection .
few of the critical periods in which the SER
vices Of Judge Mason have been called into
requisition to save the party and defend the
criminality of it's leaders. AT the organize.
tion of the State government he was candi-
date for Superintendent of Public Instruc-
ton on the Democratic ticket. After con-
test of some months Harlan was elected and
Mason defeated. Thereupon Mason, then
fresh from the Bench, declared that the cleo
tion had been held without authority Of law,
and so Harlan having been elected, and not
Mason, the election was annulled.
Again, Hall, Thompson & Co. stole the
poll-books and they were placed in the hands
of Mason as their attorney, who, by conceal
ing them, stroye to swindle Miller out of q
seat in Congress, to which he had been elect
ed.
Last summer the extravaganza OF Buchan-
ans Administration had excited the atten-
ton and aroused the indignation of the peo-
pie, and again Mason was called to the de-
fence of the party leaders, and went into a
lengthy, ingenious and sophistical argument
in defence of the enormous expenditures OF
the Administration. and claimed that these
expenditures were all right and necessary
And little later In the season the Judge en-
tered the field Of newspaper controversy, as
sorting and maintaining through divers
lengthy articles that Judge Springer was no
duly elected Judge of this District, and tina
the general laws passed at the session Of th,
Legislature were not in force.
The necessities OF the party may have de-
manded the services of Judge Mason on al
these occasions, but while they have estab
lished his character and reputation as tn
criminal lawyer of the Locofoco party, wit
a. perpetual retainer on behalf of its leaders
public confidence has been shaken. An
now the community generally take it flo
granted when they find Mason in:the defenc
that the case is very hard one.
With these prelimnaries, we approach hi
artful lawyer like presentation of Babbitt'
defence. He says he desires to correct som
mistakes made by the Gate City. Then h
goes on with long palauer of white-wasf
ing ertenudiions of the crime Of Rabbit
but with no denial of the facts whatever.
We stated that Rabbit had been turne
out of office by President Pierce because
suit had been brought against him by ii
Government years ago, and that the suit ",
still pending and undecided.
Judge Mason does not deny these materi
allegations, but he sets up that Babbi
claimed more than the Government allow.
him under the law, and that, therefore,
ought not to be considered a defaulter.-
Eads also claims more than the State wi
consent to allow him, and, on the same pr
ciple, some Of the Democracy insist that
is not defaulter, but that, on the contrar
the State owes him twenty five thousand d.
lars. This logic may DO for criminal lawy
but it will not answer with plain, honest IN
who have to foot the bills.
The Judge was inclined to think ''that
Law was in Rabbits favor" till he found
what the law was, some months ago, a
now he ssthinks" that it is against Mr.. BE-
bitt; and, in view of this, his last "thin
on the subject, the Judge admits that
amount of Rabbits default is nine thousa
dollars.
The Judge don't like to call Rabbit q !"
faulter,'' and that seems the only mater
But the Law and the dictionary, as well
public opinion and the GATE riiy, hold t
public officer who fails to square up v
the Government and holds on to its none,
q ssdefaultsr' in spite Of the squeamshn
OF politicians or the protest OF criminal l.
yers.
Mnn stabbed by his wife.
On Saturday last, MIR. Benz. Marshal
farmer in Princeton Tp., was stabbed BY
wife, and bis life il despaired Of.
weapon used BY the woman was butte
knife. The walls Of the abdomen were CT
plsteiy severed, causing the intestines to !
trude. The victim ran some distance f
the house and then fell exhausted. He
manned in this condition several hours, v
Drs. Knox and Gait arrived and rendered
the assistance they could under the Giro
stances. Mr.. and Mrs. Nj. had the rep
ton Of living unhapplly together, but