Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1873-07-17

HIGHLAND. July 7th, 1873.

IL u eaiu Iuii PARTICULARS are given, Is OcFci
| oped by the examination at Ayoca." II
seems TO me that more than "fuil particulars
are given. Please allow me to review the ar
ticle little, and then say few words on the
other side of the question:
1t does not appear from that examination
that Mr.. Jones, after being knocked down,
got up and started for the house, as stated
in the TRIBUNE; but that he went in almost
directly an opposite direction. 1t does not
| appear that "Mr. Ellsworth had his hand on
Jones shoulder''-that must be Jones' own
s'atement-(and he was not examined before
The Justce) 1t does not appear that Els
worth kept striking him all the time until
they reached the gate - but that the trouble
| BEGAN AT THE GATE" 1t does not appear
that Jones fired over his shoulder that
must be Mr.. Jones' Observation-Disclosures the
| boys do not know much about that, except
! that they saw the fash aud heard the report.
| 1t does not appear that Jones repeatedly told
Ellsworth to desist y but that he only said so
once
| True, these are not very grave differences,
| but you will remember the tabled injury to
| the poor camel by the additional weight of a
| feather. Trifes are sometimes of great inn
portance, when the guilt or innocence of any
one is in question 1t is also said in that arti-
Gle that every unprecedented person must ad-
nit the verdict (>ef-defense) to be wise and
JUST A wise man centuries ago said, He
who decides matter without first hearing
both sides, though he may decide right, does
not do JUSTICE"
1t might be, Mr.. Editor, that you did not
intend TO do injustice it may be that future
developments will show your judgment to be
right, still the old maxim applies, and you
have been unjust to Mr.. Ellsworth OF course
you entirely free from all blame in pub
public ought to have been allowed to form
their own opinions. Perhaps the article was
an advertisement, and paid for as such by the
friends of Mr.. Jones, but that Cf true) is a
business transaction between you and the
parties.
Permit me to say few things on the other
side, although there is much that cannot be
written up until after the matter has been
thoroughly sifted in the courts. 1t is true
that the parties have been at enmity. After
the occurrence in which Mr.. Jones struck Mr.
Ellsworth with club, which was the last
trouble between the parties up to the shoot
ing at Avoca, Mr. Ellsworth was urged by
some Of his friends not to let matters rest as
they then were. Mr.. Ellsworth replied that
he wonld do nothing in the matter If the
Joneses let him alone he would never harm
them.
During last winter threats made by JONES'
against Ellsworth, were told to Ellsworth
and he was urged to be on his guard The
Jones family have expected the affair would
terminate about it has terminated. Mr.
Jones went to Avoca upon the very day the
shooting took place, expecting to have trouble
with Ellsworth, and promised his wife and
sister that he would not shoot Ellsworth, ex-
cept he did it in obedience.
Mr.. Jones aScertained Monday afternoon
that MIR. Ellsworth was going 10 Avoca on
the day following. Why did he not remain
at home and cut the grass he had intended to
cut on Tuesday, before he heard that Els
worth going to Avoca Why employ
! fifteen hours after the shooting took place,
and telegraph to Darlington to retain one OF
them who was absent from home? Why at
tempt to manufacture public opinion by a
paid fer communication, and by relatives of
| Mr. Jones travelling around the county, abus-
| ing Ellsworth and INDUCING in expression,
| something like this at is Il damn pity he
| (Jones) didn't give him two more shots and
| finish him ~ and that, too, long enough aft or
the occurrence for passion to have subsidized.
This last is SO british that it is almost past
belief Why all this, if, in this tragedy, Mr.
Jones hands are so free from all guilt And
in the light of such conduct and such impress
sions, one might be excused if he said, "Can
the stream rise higher than the fountain i:
Can an evil tree bear good frlit 90
There is something more in all this. Mr..
Ellsworth having his buffalo robe and whip in
his hands, started from the barn after Mr.
Jones did. After getting outside the barn he
turned around and told the BOYS to let the
upper doors of the barn remain open, to make
it cooler for the horses. Thus giving Jones
sufficient start, so that he might have reached
the gate-and the house if he had seen fit
before Ellsworth could possibly have over
taken him. Jones' friends try to convey the
idea that Mr.. Ellsworth intended to assault
Jones when he stopped at the barn door. No
one who knows Mr. Ellsworth entertains the
idea for moment. Mr. Ellsworth has made
what he and his friends, at that time, thought
were the statements Of man who had not
long to live. They now hope for the better.
and he has stated all he knows about the oc-
currcnce. Those who know Mr.. Ellsworth,
know that heretofore he has been a man OF
| undoubted truthfuness that if there was a
| man in Iowa county whose statements, under
any and all circumstances, could be implicit y
relied upon as true, that man was John Ell.
worth. Who believes, then, that when death
| was imminent, when all hope of this world
was gone, when it would seem that every mo-
tive for falsehood was silenced. when he must
soon stand at the bar of God, that Johu Ellis
worth would tell an untruth? No one but a
| prejudiced relative or friend of the man who
| did the shooting
| Mr.. Ellsworth says that when he started
| from the barn, he supposed Jones had gone
| right on to the hotel, and was surprised tc
see him crossing the street. That he first
| thought to turn back, and then, thinking tina,
| perhaps there was no danger, went on ; tina
/ he DaSsed Homes at the uate that IF or that