Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-08-28

Prentiss of La Crosse, and wished to
retain me that he understood very
we'll that he was about to commence
upon men who were formidable and
would resist to the end. The District
Attorney had not yet come into the
Office, and | advised Mr.. K. that l
thought he would be in before very long
when we would lay the matter before
him. Mr.. K. waited until nearly noon
when the District Attorney not coming
in, he desired me to draw the necessary
complaints for him to subscribe, as he
wished to go away on the train in the at
ternoon. | did so, and at noon requested
Justice Woodwork to call at my office
at / P. NJ, and there meet Mr.. King
ston, and examine him as to the facts
charged in the complaints. At the
hour named the parties met at my office
and while talking the District Attorney
came in, and stated that he had been
out of town. The whole matter was
fully explained to him the nature of
the complaints, who they were against,
and the fact that Judge Prentiss and
myself were retained to assist him. He
expressed his willingness to take hold
of the prosecution, and said he was
very glad that Judge Z. and [ were
employed, as he would doubtless need
assistance, and we were entirely salts
factory to him. 1t was then talked
over and agreed by Kingston, Cassidy
and myself, that as there were several
defendants, some of whom were known
to be on Yellow river, and others at
work on the railroad in another direc-
ton, and the exact whereabouts Of the
rest unknown, it would be some days
before the defendants could all be ar
rested and brought before the magis-
trate, and as they would then doubt
less want time to procure witnesses or
counsel or both, that subpenas should
not issue for the States witnesses until
after the Defendants were arrested,
when they were to be consulted, and a
time for the hearing mutually agreed
upon, if possible, but at any rate fixed,
and that sufficient time was to be Sc
cured to enable me to notify Kingston
and other witnesses at Necedah, and
Judge Prentiss at La Crosse, and that
witnesses for the State in this county
should then be subpenad, a list Of
a0hich Mr.. K. left NTH Cassidy for tie
purpose With this express arrange
ment Mr. Kingston went home. Mr..
Cassidy wrote the warrants, and they
were delivered to the sheriff, the com
plants being retained by the justice In
whose keeping they belonged The
following Saturday, Mr.. Cassidy I'M
tremendously left my Office, and took
up his abode at the Court House. The
sheriff, being detained by other bust
ness, did not 90 to serve his warrants
for some days but after time he did
60 to Yellow river, and arrested Rem
ington, and such others as he could
find there and brought them here in
custody, arriving on the one o'clock train
of July oath. Mr., Cassidy says there
were Of them ''ten or fifteen young
men besides Remington. The Sheriff,
apprehending no bad faith on the part
of any one, told the prisoners to 60 to
the Hotel and get their dinners, while
he went home and got his. Upon his
return from dinner, the sheriff learned
from Remington that Mr.. Cassidy had
given HIM and other defendants per
mission to go Immediately home. The
defendants were still in the lawful Gus
tody of the sheriff, and the District
Attorney had no authority over them.
Nevertheless, the sheriff saw Mr.. Cassi-
dy and was informed by him that he
had given defendants such permission
and the sheriff let them 90. Mr.. Cas-
sidy told the sheriff that the prisoners
were to come here whenever he, Gas
sidy,) should send for them! [, who
was retained with Mr. Cassidy's APP
prevail to advise with him, and who it
was understood was to communicate
with Mr. Kingston, was not consulted !;
the sheriff, in whose custody the pris-
oners were, was not consulted; the
Justice, before whom the warrants com
handed that the prisoners should be
taken, was not consulted none Of the
'sten or fifteen men were placed under
recognizance to appear, as the taao re-
guires-no one was consulted but the
District attorney and the DEFENDANTS !
And after this consultation between
Mr.. Cassidy and the defendants had
ended, that Conscientious ''public Off
cer'' went, in company with Major
Clark, counsel for the defendants. be-
fore Justice Woodwork, who issued
the warrants, and tried to dismiss the
suits Justice Woodwork, who SEEM
ed to know something, advised Mr..
Cassidy that there were no cases as yet
before him that no warrants had been
returned and no defendants bad appear
ed. Mr.. Cassidy then stated in sub
stance that he aoould dismiss the cases
as soon as an opportunity aoas Afforded
him! Mr.. Cassidy in his ''open'' let
ter speaking of the events of the day
here spoken of, says: LAS Mr.. Kingston
the complaining witness was not here,
by mutual consent Of all parties, they,
i (the defendants, were let go home, -
&c. The foregoing will explain who
Mr.. Cassidy means by "aH parties, F."
and his effort on the same day to DIS
miss the cases aItO0ether. explains about