The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1860-09-24


average amount of business, perhaps hardly
up to the average amount. But suppose we
take them as a fair average for the year.
There were two terms of the Circuit Court
The Fees taxed by him for the April
term were Sl53.60. Making that the av-
age, there would be for the two TERMS
fees s2672O
For the Aug. Term of the Common Pleas
Court, fees taxed were $l+7.95. For the
four terms of the Common Pleas there
would be fees taxed ............... S59l 80
Making total of fees taxed $4,000
THE SHERIFFS DEFENSE.
But the Sheriff will say that all of these
services of writs, &C., we're not done by
bailiffs, but by himself and deputies, and
for so much he could legally tax fees
Grant it. Yet how very small portion of
these services does he or his deputies per
form. We are informed by those who are
cognizant of the facts, that it is made the
special duty of the bailiffs to serve these
writs during term time; that the Sheriff or
his deputy is necessarily always in the Court
Room that Office business of executions,
sales, and collections requires the time of
one person, the Sheriff or his deputies; and
that there is scarcely any time for either of
them to serve the processes of the Courts
and that in point of fact the bailiffs do ae-
tually serve almost the entire mass of the
writs But in order to give him all that he
and his friends can possibly claim for him,
we will allow that he does do one fifth of
the services and this certainly is liberal,
when it is remembered that at every term
of the Court there are from four to eight
bailiffs employed, whose special duty it is to
serve these processes. Deduct one-ifth of
$S59-the estimated amount of fees taxed
and there remains as illegal, extortionate,
unjust, the sum of SIX HUNDRED AND
EIGHTY SEVEN DOLLARS AND TWEEN
TY CENTS.
Here it is, plainly staring us in the face
so plainly that even Sheriff Gavitt will not
deny it. The law says that for service per-
formed by their bailiffs, when such bailitfs
are receiving pay by the day from the county,
sheriRs shall MOI be entitled to any fees.
Yet upon the most liberal allowance in his.
favor, we find the gross sum of six hundred
and eighty-seven dollars illegally taxed by
our model Sheriff. No wonder satisfaction
by legal procedure has become so pro-
verbally expensive-no wonder the poor
man is willing to bear the extortions and
wrongs of his stronger or more cunning
neighbor, rather than brave redress by the
Courts, when his last cent is to be filched
/ from him by such leeches in the very Tenn
| pie of Justice. Oh, shame upon the name
Here is no Court or blind or corrupt
judge, behind which the Sheriff may shield
| himself. Here is no doubtful construction
| of law or the custom of dishonest officials
to be plead in his behalf. What can any
honest and candid citizen, who loves Justice
and hates dishonesty, say, but that it is
plain, downright, willful extortion
THE SHERIFF SPECULATES OUT OF
THE MISFORTUNES OF MEN.
BY the humane provision of our Legislas
ture noble Asylum for the Insane has
been provided at Indianapolis. 1t is a noble
| testimony to the humanity of our people,
that when the Almighty in his providence
| withholds the light OF reason from any of
his creatures and makes him poor, gibber-
| ing idiot, or when misfortune has changed
him into an Infatuated madmen, there is an
asylum where friends or the officers of
humane law may bear him. And how
mean, how unworthy officer of tAat hui
name law must he be, who will illegally and
extortionately enrich his pocket with filthy
gains when carrying out that law, we will
leave our readers to judge.
After the proper preliminary inquest over
an Insane person, it is provided that the
| Clerk shall issue his warrant to the Sheriff
or other person, to take the lunatic to the
Asylum at Indianapolis. The act in refer