The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1876-11-02

Woods struck him over the head with
the gun. A scuffle cnsued and Woods
was arrested, and taken before At
wood, Police Judge.
drew complaint against Woods
for assauIting Massey with deadly
weapon. During the examination
Woods said that he had no idea that
Massey was an officer or he would not
have struck him. He was recognized
to appear at the next term of the Dis
trict Court to answer the charge of
the complaint. After the examination
| learned for the first time, and from
Mr.. Massey himself, that he had no
warrant or process of any kind what
ever for the arrest of Woods, and did
not disclose to Woods that he was an
officer. After ascertaining these facts
saw that the probabilities were that
Woods coulp not be convicted at all
in the District Court, or if at all, only
for assault and battery. Any lawyer
with thimbleful of brains who is
honest must admit this-evcn Mr..
Fisher himself ought to see it-and
he is now placed in the sad predica-
ment Of confessing that he is either
too ignorant to comprehend or too dis
honest to admit this fact aud which
ever horn of the dilemma he takes he
is presented in sorry plight for
pure-souled high-minded reformer.
Upon ascertaining the facts, as above
stated, l had only two alternatives, one
to get plea of guilty from Woods of
assault and battery, the other to try
the case in District Court with bare
possibility of convicting him of as
sault and battery, with the probabili-
lies in favor Of acquittal. 1t would
not have taken a lawyer to see which
was the wiser course. To have kept
Woods in Jail and borne the expense
of trial would not have cost less than
$3.50 or 5000, and the county would
have been that much behind. BY al
lowing a plea of guilty fine of $i5
was collected and the county so much
ahead. The result in one way would
have cost, say 5000. AT least as good,
probably better result was reached
in the other way without any cost but
| with Tho oh ool fnnl OK ,LooI
Fisher says had no right to permit
a plea of any kind to be made before
the Justice of the Peace after the party
had been required to enter his appear
ance at court, although no papers had
been sent up by the justice. assumed
the right. l would do it again. The
people elected me for that purpose.
Tax payers would denounce any Off
GER as an idiot or knave who would
permit costs and expenses to accumu-
late unnecessarily and then shelter
himself behind the foolish excuse that
he had no legal right to stop them.
Below will be found Massey's state
ment:
WICHITA, October rs, 1876.
In attempting to make the arrest of
George Woods last September l had
no warrant or process of any Kind for
that purpose, but was acting on the
suggestion of one of the city police
men. Mr.. Stanley consulted with me
regarding the acceptance of a plea of
guilty of assault and battery and
readily consented to it as the best
thing In the premises.
A. L. MASSEY.
This much in relation to what Fisher
and the Beacon say about me. But
since they have thrown down the
glove and invited to the contest take
it up very gladly and propose to have
my say about them, and yet It may not
be best to say much about the Beacon
as Il and its managers are so low as to be
| almost beneath notice, aud certainly
far outside the pale of decent and hon
orable controversy. Its own nastiness
is bringing OH its death. But with
reference to Fisher,who has been about
the country villifying and abusing
every man on the opposite ticket, de-
nouncing the different churches for
bringing on the war-a new idea-and
proclaiming his own virtues and what
great reforms he will bring about if
elected. And as he has again foisted
himself on the people as candidate
will refer to some things to show the
insincerity and hypocracy Of his pre-
tentions. First, he is chronic Office
seeker, He ran for County Attorney
in 1872 For the Democratic pomina-
ton in 1874; for Representative in 1875,
aud for County Attorney again in
1876; for City Attorney in 1875, where
in he edged In between two other can
didates, and for the same position
again in 1876. A candidate six times
in four years, and every time but one
defeated by overwhelming majorities,
and yet this jewel says he is reform
err and that the Office ought to seek the
man and not the man the office. He
has been an Abolitionist, a Wing, a
Republican. peoples man, Demo-
crat and Reformer, and yet he pushes
himself before the people as the advo-
cate of consistency-and still he is not
happy. He has been crying out
against high taxes. yet had B. Ii.
Fisher honestly returned his own
property for taxation somebody would
have less taxes to pay. An exposi-
ton of Fishers tax business will I'M
doubtedly hurt and he will whine and
cry about it, but it's his own fault. If