The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1873-01-30
" LEARNED IN The Law ABOVE
HIS FELLOWS"
District Attorneys Charges Against
Judge Abel Anderson.

Ia IL, Human the .Seaate o1d Houac d
Ltsi' or,. "''r,S \ the stare az HiSsjse. vi
GLAT-LADN: Fir, usiGsr.igu.a would re
present unto yuur honorable body, that II
November, A. ID. 1871. he was elected Dis
trIct Attorney of the Third Judicial Distric
OF Mississippi, by very large majority
amounting TO an ALMOST Unanimous Won.
but THAT he has been unable adequately +,
discharge the duties Of SAID office, beiDo
continually hindered and obstructed there,
IN, by the Judge of said district, the Hon
! Abel Anderson.
AS the assertion that his inconpctencv i
such as to approach imbecilty, or that he i,
wiltully corrupt, might be deemed too vague
ana general for your honorable body 10 act
upon, i make the following sDecflic CHARGE.
against the said Abel Anderson.
de has taken one side or the other % every
/ important criminal trial brought iuto CONT
since l have been District Attorney so tfnt
the question: (which side is Anderson on -
is of frequent recurrence.
He has caused false entries to be made on
! the records of his court
After parties charged with crime have
! been found guilty on the strongest most
! direct ana positive testimony, lie has grant
! ed them new trials, and released Them ON
merely nominal bail.
! lie is constantly in the habit of permit
ting parties litigant to approach him. and
converse in reference to cases pending i'm
his court. This, he asserts from the hpIich
| they nave right 70 do, and that il is his
uuIy 10 listen to them. Hence he comes TO
SIT In judgment, in almost every case. win
his mind warped and biased. Whereas. he
ought to hold the scales of justice with i'm
partial hand.
He is in the habit Of threatening ana in
sultlng Grand Ju rr, 10 force chem To find
bills, when he thi they should be found
having obtained b a1oWlcdge OF the cases
only from hea sa, Or. ~tlll worse, from the
unsworn statemeL --oi parties protesting to
be aggrieved.
He has, from the bench, announced 10 the
Grand Jury that he would not, il himself
cited as a witness before it, attend, unless
paid by the State for so doing.
He has insulicd and unplirtd the usefnI-
ness OF the Dis,rct ATTORNEY by threaten
ing IN adVaAci. TO remove him and anpoi,t
another IA his place, should he oar,. ptrf,r,n
his sworn duty, by advising tie I,r.tud mr., |
contrary I" The instructions which lee bad |
given them. 49,
He has forced the District Attorney 10 AL /
Tor "a continuance in murder case y,ha, bo .
had announced that the State wa, ready for
triaI' anu this. because he did not wish u
take upon himself the responsibility of
granting the continuance asked for bv me
defense. - ''iN
Ia one instance, where Petit Jury had
defendant Of one Of mo most
helhous offences known 10 our law. that at
rape, he frightened the jury into ,hlnuing
lhelf verdict 10 one Of assault and bitfrrT
lie has repeatedly so declared himself ~
~ convince everyone that he viii never pro-
nounce the death penalty Feeliu,, ror
Vlnced myself that il would be useless -
convict OF the capital offence, i'm a case
y men Iiad been pending ia the court for
i0out SIX years, | permitted the patty 10
1 .aea EuliIy OF manslaC ghter. IL was
'ase 81 WilIul, deliberate murder. without /
me single extenuatibg circumstance. IT,
udge was familiar with the facts, and vet
us sentence was only five years in tue men. !
Tertiary. ~ PSlI-
n al
rhine. ~" OF
ne refused ~ case OF wilftl dcliberat,
hu pfemeultited murder, TO allow lie u,o.t .
otent testimony by which the jury could
sceftaln, with positive certainty. the natttre |
! the crime (evidence OF threat, made -
II hour before the killing. TO 20 to Tie
new trial. 0'""1-
He has decided motions at very late a
our OF the night when the defendants at
Court. NV Z
lie has dismissed State cases from the
ocket without the motion OF the Prose ~.
Is Judgment.
lie has officiOusly interfersd repeafedIv
various ways with the management 81 al
e prosecution by the District Attornev
e mas compelled him, uniformly, 20 close,
men the most able and talented LAWYERS ~ tr
e par were employed to assist him: and
some instances where from the very ma
re OF inc cases, the District ATTORNEY was d.
% so well fitted TO close as the Ass0cista q
)unsel. iate -
ne mas approached witnesses for the State
an important murder case and Ord L,
3 70 leave while the trial was prog rrssl IT
Z; ana on their not complying win ~ II
shes, ruled their testimony out Vii, ms
ne ne ea SHADOW OF an excuse for so doin@ Tue -,
Lhese are but some of the instas. pl
ALL y administration which / might Give "a liz
ex,en ae Isle. nslegion, and the recital of them
z. III. stiles of
district Attorney Third District. N