Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-05-10
Fitzhugh's Trunk.

We ought to have mentioned day
or two ago that the bile Of the Louis
vile Courier Journal had been seri-
ously disturbed by dispatch which
appeared in the Inter Ocean of April
25th relative to Colonel Fitzhugh, the
Confederate Doorkeeper of the House.
The dispatch alluded to was simply a
copy of three indictments found by
Kentucky courts against Fitzhugh, one
tor Larceny one tor Arson, and one
for Perjury. Our correspondent gave
them as they appeared in the records.
One would not suppose this to be a
very helnous offe4se and yet we find
the Courier Journal taking up the
matter In column article, headed
thus: Colonel l.. Ell. Fltzhugh-
the Reckless Inter Ocean takes up a
gauzy yarn about the Doorkeeper of
the House of Representatives The
real facts Of the case, etc., etc-man-
ufactured political capital" The
Courier Journal then goes on to give
the substance. of an interview with
Fitzhugh's lawyer, by which it ap
pears that. true enough the ,ndct-
ments were found, but Fitzhu2h was
not convicted. The Courier Journal
says: The Inter Ocean wished 10
make political capital out of yarn it
"knew 10 be acithout even the SEM
blance of TRUTH" and therefore did
not mention the fact that the accused
was not sent to Stale's Prison. THIS
is an error, We failed to state in so
many words that Fitzhugh was not. IN
States prison, because we had heen
speaking of the disgrace of his being
elected Doorkeeper of the House, and
We supposed that oruirary minds
would comprehend that he couldnt
very well be officiating at the Capitol
as doorkeeper and be in the peniten-
tlary at the same time We did say
this, however, which the Courier
journal must have seen: The last
indictment for perjury explains bow
tltzhugh escaped the peuitentiary for
bis other ofenses." Il seems to US
this ought to have been plain enough
even for the comprehension of the
Courier Journal But about their be-
ing mot even the sem blance of tru Ii
IN our story, let US see We said he
had been three times in cted The
Courier Journal admits II, and inter-
views Fltzhugh's lawyer to find out
how he escaped. What does that pa
per mean. then, by its reckless asser-
t'cn that there is not ''sembance of
truth" in the story?
One thing more Fitzhugh was in
dlcted and arrested for larceny. The
Courier Journal thus explains this:
1t appears from the testimony that the
families OF Jones and Fitzhugh had divided
between themselves certain OF the bed
clothing and table furniture belonging to
the hotel: for the separate use Of their re-
spective families. That used by Fitzhugh
was Kept IN trunk in his private room.
When the fire occurred which, destroyed the
Springs Hotel this trunk was removed,
with other of Fit7hugh's property, to an
other rcom in one of the buildings not
burned. The trunk was found and opened
oy Jones, and upon this state of facts the
cnarge OF larceny vas preferred
We give this explanation as it ap-
pears, in justice to Fitzhugh, or
Jones, or whoever it is designed to
vindlcate. We have endeavored to
thlnk under what process of legal or
moral reasoning Fitzbugh could have
been indicted for larceny because
Jones found his (Fitzhugh's) trunk
and ''opened" it, but we fail to grasp,
as 1t were, this intricate legal proceed
ing What appears obscure to us will
doubtless be plain to the friends Of the
Democtatic Doorkeeper, and so we
give the statement as it stands. If
1T is true, however, that Fitzhugh was
arrested and tried because Jones broke
open the Doorkeeper's trunk, we can
see that he may have been indicted
TOR arson because Jones burned the
house, and was prosecuted for perjury
because Jones swore a lie! It is evi-
dent that Mr.. Fitzhugh is a persecu-
ted saint, another Bob Briefly in the
''Ticket-of-leave Man," and he de-
serves sympathy. The Courier Jour-
nal forgets one or two minor matters,
however 1t does not explain the
perjury case, nor the little matter Of
attempted bribery IN Texas, state
ment of which is sworn to by the
United States Marshal, and appeared
with the other documents relating to
Fitzhugh in The Inter Ocean. These
are trifing matters, but while Mr..
Fitzhugh's champion is about it
'twould be well enough to clear up the
entire record Chicago Inter- Ocean.
A RIVER OF INK.-In Algeria there
is river of genuine ink. It is form
od hv thn nniOn of two c+roon,c -