Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1878-11-21
THE SPY OF THE Jury ROOM.

the SPY Of the JURY ROOM.
More About the Correspondent Who Gives
Publicity to Important Secrets.
We stated yesterday that J. N. Rea had
also sent a telegram to the Chicago Tribune
in which he sought to create further preju.
dice against DR.. Livingston. As the matter
has created considerable public interest,". We
give the telegram entire, that our people
may be able to Judge just what kind Of a
creature Nj. Rea is. This is the telegram:
Yankton, D. T., Nov. 15.-The grand
Jury of the United States district court is
hearing the governments evidence against
DR.. Livingston, late Indian agent at Crow
Creek. 1t is very voluminous, and SCENE to
have been prepared with the care Of . GEN.
aus report. Gen. Hammond, the Indian in
spector, has been for two days before the
Jury. Hammond is not burdened with
friends here. The atmosphere il against
him. There are 140 witnesses summoned
nearly all in the Indian cases. There are
fifty Indians witnesses, who have come " tn
their tepees and village paraphernalia. Be
sides Livingston, every effort will be made
TO indict his clerk and trader, and several
parties at the Lower Brule agency, who
were upset the same time Livingston was.
Defendants are reported ready for trial.
MI. Rea is favored with facilities not ac-
corded to the balance of the profession. He
not only knows that the grand jury is
hearing evidence against DR.. Livingston, but
he knows that that evidence is very volumi-
nous and has been carefully prepared and
tina. Gen. Hammond testified two days be.
fore the grand jury against DR.. Livingston,
He knows also that every effort will be
made to ,ndict DR.. Livingston's clerk and
trader, and several parties at
Lower Brula. He is made the
custodian of secrets which belong to the
grand jury and to no one else, He is given
Information which reflects seriously upon
honorable men and every syllable of that
information is contraband, undtr the mild
est Interpretation of the law and the instruc
lions Of the court. What we desire to
know is, what authority has Mr.. Rea for
acquiring and circulating this information ?
and who is the party who have informed
him? If the newspaper reporters from the
states are privileged beyond
the newspaper reporters of
our own territory then it is time for us to
be informed as to who is the go-between
who d%iscriminates against home enterprise
and in favor of outside bohemians, brought
here at government expense and maintained
here at government expense. Mr.. Rea is
the party who is directly responsible for the
circulation of the most scandalous reports
ever penned against human character-re-
ports based upon the u~nsubstantiated testi.
mony of irresponsible witnesses. He has
thus identified himself with the powerful
organization which has arrayed itself
against a number of Dakota's best citizens
and is endeavoring, in his capacity Of news
paper reporter, to prejudice the public mind
against the men whom he seeks to destroy
by means the most cowardly and despicable.
In these operations of the Hammond ring
VI have defended the gentlemen who were
so vigorously assailed by this hostile com.
bination. We have defended them upon
the simple propositisnJ lat no man is guilty
until guilt has been proven upon him. But
with all our earnest zeal in their behalf we
have made no effort to force upon the grand
Jury our beliefs and disbeliefs regarding the
case now In their hands, and we have made
attempt to procure information for public
Use upon the subject ofits daily transactions.
The special correspondent of the prosecuting
ing has devoted himself most assiduously
0 the task of digging out these con-
secrets and giving them to
he public in violation Of the most
xplicit instructions of the court and
+ all regard for a decent observance of the
laims Of those who are thus made the vic
inns Of his misrepresentation. He is here
Or that purpose and, through the manipula-
tions of those who are accounta Bile for his
presence, the government treasury is made
0 pay him the price of his work.
To the people of southern Dakota we take
his occasion to remark that Mr.. Reals pres
nee in Yankton is for a two-fold purpose.
Ie is here in the interest of q clique of St.
'aul schemers who have on foot a plan de-
idedly adverse to the interests of this Sec
of the territory. He is hero in The in
erests Of Gen. Hammond, whose objects have
lready been generally commented upon.
During his visit to our city his commune
atoms have been burdened with the alander
f our people and with direct hostility to
ur best plans for progress. We assail him
a defence of southern Dakota and not with
ersonal malice. He means mischief and
accomplish it if he can.