Ottumwa weekly courier., 1878-07-24

OUT one SlnRle l0Stauce Wnero JNpt.
Fee has received a cent more than the
law allows him. Either do that or
shut up about what he gets.
The grand jury find the eindictments
and the prosecutor has nothing to do
with that, only to see that they have
the law properly given them. 1t will
not do to say Capt. Fee is responsible
for the number of Indictments
There Is men, every one Of them
sworn to do his duty, who compose
the grand jury, and they are the sole
judges whether an indictment shall
be found or not, and we know that
the grand juries of this district are as
intelligent as any in the land, and we
know that Capt. Fee, nor any other
man, could not get them to find bills
against their will.
And now we appeal to every man
who has been a grand juror since
Capt. Fee came into office, be he DEM
Ocrat or republican, to say whether
Capt. Fee has in any manner, either
directly or indirectly, tried to get him,
or any other grand juror, to find an
indictment when there was not sufii-
cient evidence to support it. We
venture the assertion, and we want it
cOntradicted if it is not true, that ev-
cry grand juror in this district will
say that Capt. Fee has always and Of
ten cautioned them to be careful in
finding their indictments, and not
find unless the testimony was clear,
and if there was any doubt about it to
give the defendant the benefit of the
doubt, in the grand jury, and save a
trial where he would get the benefit
of the doubt, and costs made unnec-
essarily.
We further say, that we have al
ways been informed and believe that
when Capt. Fee was not kept in court
trying cases, he was always with the
grand jury, helping them and trying
to get them through, so that they
could adjourn and stop the costs to
the county, and if this is not true, we
want it cOntradicted.
We further venture to say, that
Capt. Fee has not only greatly help
ed the grand jury in every way he
could, but has always suggested to
them that they ought to be expedi-
tiOus and adjourn as soon as they
could, and if this is not true we want
it contradicted.
We venture another assertion, that
If any question ever came UP upon
which the grand jury or any part of
them differed from him, it was that
some democrats were determined not
to find indictments against men for
selling whisky in violation of law, or
for keeping houses of ill-fame, when
the testimony was clear, they claim
ing that the law ought not to be en-
forced, and he advising that itshould,
and that if any juror refused to en-
force the law he violated his oath, and
if this is not true we want it contra
dicted. We do not say democrats op-
posed the enforcement of the law, but
If there was any difference it was as
we have said, and we are sure the
grand jurors Of the district will SO say,
and if this is not true we want it con-
tradicted.
We further say, that if any of the
half dozen democrats who are candi-
dates for the nomination to the office
of district attorney should be elected,
they will take every dollar the law
allows them, and if this is not 50, we
want it contradicted.
We believe that every man who
has been ON the grand jury, irrespec-
tive of party, knows what we say is
true, and will say so if asked.