The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1872-05-10

been voted TO railroads, ETC., Sur
orders were made by two
members of the court to iegaliEe the
bonds. The county attorney and
other officers assisted in the matter.
When the fraud vas discovered,
great excitement prevailed. Sew
eral arrests were made, and one OF |
the gentlemen concerned in the OBJ |
berry committed suicide. The people
threatened 10 lynch others. Two or
three of them made their escape.
Judge Stevens, of the county court,
and j. r. Cline, county attorney,
had been arrested and were under
bail. Some two or three weeks
ago they were passing over the
road from Paola, Kansas, 10 Holden,
Missouri, and when the train stop
ped at Gun City, nearly midway
between .Harrisonville and Holden,
it was surrounded by armed and
disguised men, and Judge Stevens,
j. II. Cline, and q man named netro
were murdered in cold blood. The
excitement was SO great for some
days after the murder that several
companies of militia were ordered
to HarrisonVille by Gov. Brown TO
preserve order. Even the bonds
men of Stevens and Cline had to
/ leave the country.
The press generally has been very
severe in its dehunciatiOns of the
people of Cass county, applying to
them every epithet in the catalogue,
while the robbers have generally
ben spoken of in the finest terms.
OF course we would not attempt to
defend the action OF these murder
ers, were we disposed to, but ii
would seem if there ever could be
an instance in which the people
could be, excused in administering
vengeance, it would be when men
, whom they had hon ored and trust
ed, could SO far forget the peoples
interests as 10 betray and barter
them away for the sake of putting
little money into their pockets. II
this day of schemiHg and dishonesty
in the practice of lawyers aud courts
when rogues are turned upon soci
ETY. on tho merest technicalities O.
the law, when q sort of mock sym
!. patty is often enlisted in behalf o
: the greatest scoundreis, and whei
the ends of justice are often defeat
, ed by imbecility, it is not snrprisinI
that the people. have little or no con
fidence in courts neither is it sur
prising that they, under aggravat
ing circumstances, sometimes tax
the Law in their own hands. Thes
i, two men had been placed In posi-
I ton 10 protect the people. Instead
G of this they used the positions givel
a them to rob their fellow citizens
: The crime was heinous one. Ste
r vens and Cline seemed to entertaii
e no doubt but that they would b
i: cleared. They were sharp AIT
= wiley. They had their ill-gotte'
gains in their pockets. The peop'
: seeing several of the robbers ha'
" escaped, and fearing these would
X became exasperated, and Visite'
e punishment upon the black-heartet
II Williams who bad betray ed aud rob
bed them. They did wrong. The
= committed great crime, one Whic
Q it will take years to wipe out. But
a without intending III the least t
exSuGe them, we make this poin
Q for the people of CaSs county, thei
II OrOV OcGtiOTa acGs perry great. Th
q time is coming when, in some way
n public officers-men who have bee
= placed III position by the people,
= must be taught that they canno
e rob the people, and trample thei
n sacred rights under foot for III
Is sake of making money. The quick
e err they understand this the better
u 1t is veiy nice to talk about "sat
scenes" the "dear old fathers an
, mothers at the coffius" aud all thai
1t would be as well, also, TO cons;d
!, er the robbed treasury of the liyini
the people who go without tn
"a comforts of life, almod, that sue
: Williams as Cline and Stevens were
may live in ease aud wear "purpl
: and fine linen. There are Gel tainl
e two sides to this CAss county affair