Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-03-24
THE MEMPHIS JEFFREYS.


Judge is Maae ef-Rich, Rare and
Raey.
From the Memphis Avalanche. March q.
The following, like the irishman's gun,
speaks for itself:
CELISA, ONO, March 10th, lS67.-To
the Editor Of the Avalanche: | see by the
public press that one William Hunter, of
your city, is producing quite sensation
by his arbitrary and vindictiye course as a
Judge.
A short biography Of this dispenser Of
justice may assist your people in forming
just appreciation Of his moral worth, il
they have not already fully comprehended
him.
He came TO Mercer county, Ohio, about
the year 1847. He professed TO be Demo
crat, and acted with that party. He gained
the confidence of the people of this county
10 such an extent that, in 35l, they elected
him Treasurer of the county, and in 1853
he was reelected. Soon after bis re-elec-
tier he was snspecsei of beidg defauiter,
and at the June session of the County Com
missioners an investigation was had, and
he was found to be in arrears to the amount
of six thousand one hundred and eight dol
lars and seventy-eight cents, (S6l0S 78).
This amount he left for his bail to pay.
He has never even offered to refund to his
bail any portion of the amount paid by
them for his defalcation. His bondsmen
we're not only his political but personal
friends.
A man of honor would have at least
manifested some disposition to relieve those
who had befriended him, and were made
the sufferers by his misdeeds bat such has
not been the case with this man, who, if he
had any honor, would never have been Sc
lected by the Radicals as a fit instrument
to do their bidding and dirty work.
The amount for which he was defaulter,
and the manner in which he deported him.
self before and after his defalcation was
known, led the people to believe that il
was case of embezzlement, and it was
laid before the Grand Jury at the Novem-
Der term 1856 of the Court of Common
Pleas and an indictment for embezzlement.
A warrant was issued, and this delectable
criminal Judge, of Memphis, Tennessee, was
arrested aud put in Jail. At the April
term of court, following, in said county ne
applied through his counsel for a change
Of venue, upon the grounds that the public
sentiment was against him, and that an i'm
partial trial could not be had in the coun-
~, and the court granted his request. 1t
Is not my purpose to call in question the
decision of the Judge, but it has alwaye
appeared to me that no set of men are so
we'll qualified TO do impartial Justice to
one on trial as those who are best ac-
quainted with the mao, and with
uuhoua ba hoe liual Is g h.
man, they know it, aud il would
have its weight in his favor. II,
however, the reverse be true, then a
change of venue would be quite necessary
to secure an acquittal; and Billy's case
came under the latter head, in his judg-
ment. At the same time he feigned pow
erty, and applied for an allowance to pay
his counsel, and the court allowed one hun
dred dollars for the purpose; and at the
same time he had relatives in this and one
of the adjoining counties, who were album
dainty able to furnish money, and would
have done so, if they had believed him
either innocent of the charge or unable to
furnish means of his own for his defense
The removal of the case to an adjoining
county, the difficulty in forcing the at
tendance Of witnesses, etc, ont Of the coun-
~ whore ih, Odeuee vas committed, to-
gether with the conlinnal increase of liza
bllllles upon the county, induced the Com
missioners TO direct a aOtie prosegai to be
entered, which was done. After the re-
lease of this criminal, he left for the West,
and took up his abode in the State of Illi-
nois, where he resided until the beginning
of the late war. Report says be commanded
a regiment in the Union army. If SO, l
suppose ii was for the purpose Of gain, and
not out of love of country, or devotion to
! public liberty. Ii was from the same cause
that induced Beast Butler to join the army
and gather in the spoons, and Banks to
sacrifice the army under his command to
save the cotton. From the day he left
here he has acted with the Republican
party and made speeches in favor Of Radi-
ealism. This was TO be expected; for as
soon as a man disgraces himself, he is sure
to seek refuge in the Republican party, and
Is soon taken up and placed in power by
them. OF his legal qualifications | need
not speak. If he possesses any he has ae-
quired them since leaving here.
| Why he should have been appointed OF
elected ] cannot divine. / suppose, how.
ever, it was for the reason that he is a PHI
ant tool in the hands of Governor @ Brown
low, the divine and the Rump.
The questions "Is he honest? Is hi
capable p are no longer asked by those dis
pensing favors in Tennessee; but Is h,
for Congress? Can he steal and will h,
sacrifice his country and race for party p
are the questions that must have been pro
pounded to the men who now hold Office il
that State.
The facts / have presented are matters O
record in this county, and can be well es
tablished, not only from the records, bu
from the mouths of all our citizens VIII
lived here at the time they occurred.
| With great respect, / have the homo
to be, Yours, etc,
X. q. BLAKE.
PROBATE JUDGE's OFFICE, MERCEl
| COUNTY, CELINA, OHIO, March 10, 1861
EDITORS MEMPHIS AYALANCHE-DEAl
SIRs For the truth of the above statemen
| refer you to Hon. +. G. LeBlond, ex
member of Congress from this district.
further certify the same to be correct.
Given under my hand and official seal th
dav and year above written.