Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1878-12-25
Value Of Charact terri efore theLaw

Value Of Chara terri etore theLaw
Under the above heading the Rich
land County Observer, whose editor
bad an opportunity of hearing the
case Of our esteemed towusman,
Edward Harris, before the u. s.
District Court, has the follow, ng to
say:
A case was tried last week before the Unit
ed States court al Madison in which TIE dlsad-
vanlagcs of defendant To criminal action
were iortihIy illustrated One Cornelius Nc
Giuns, haing from Chicago, and salesman of
u patent mlddiings purifier, some time last
summer discount cd n note at the bank of VIII
son IL Harris, of Mineral Point. Thee weeks
atterward he rehppaared at the bank, claim
ing to have received $50 counterfeit bill, and
with The threat Mat Mr. IL. should replace 1t
or stand criminal suit for passing counterfeit
money. His calm was supported by one Bill
Clark, whose credlbiliy rs II witness was i'm
peuched both IN the preliminary anc on the
trial. Mr.. Harris refused to come down with
the $50 and = little later he was summoned to
appear before United States court cDmmls-
silner, at Madison, for preliminary eyanna-
non. MT. lihlIlN tphliUCu tllil uc HCH ht udu
not given McGinni> a $50 bill, from clrcurn-
stance that he had counted one ont to hin
hut at McGmns' request exchanged it for
smaller ones McGinniS sole c0uOherating
witness was impeached and the best evidence
of Mr.. Harris integrity, vcracily and business
probity was at hand On The trial his stand
ing in these respects was shown To be OF the
highest character by a. good pope as the
State can boast. DWtng the trial MrGinnIs
T., int inlil n u>p
by thrca .cning him with persecution il he dar-
ed testify against hire. The case was conduct
ed 10y District Attorney Lewis tor the prosecu
ton, and Messrs Wilson and ChynoWcth for
the defense. he jury returned verdict OF
nos guilty, which was sustained by every at
tcndant upon the court during the progress of
the trial
But what is chiefly remarkable about the
case, is that il should have been tried at all
Indeed il is remarkable that lhe district attOr-
nrV should have caused a warrant To hc issued
and more remarkable that court commission
or should have held Mr.. Harris toalswer and
pr ieuariy SO Whtu the district attt m y de-
cared at The ciueG of the examination, THAT he
could not beconvicted on the testimony there
presented when il shai become the law of
the land that one accused OF crime shall be
deemed guilty Ill he shall prove himself mno-
cent. lien such an extraordinary procedure
will be dr!tnsibIe. But whic in law and in
fact, one accused - 10 hC deemed innocent III
proven guilty, such an order by court can
not be too severely cri iyi,ed The law re-
qurF~, in such cases, that the evidence heard
shall establish probable guilt. In this instance
there was the testimony Of an unknown man,
supported by IN inpcuChcd witness, against
The testimony Of the defendant, man Of char
acter and pr perty, supported 10y Others equal
" responsible before the law, and respected
by weil.knowu and worthy citizens cl the State,
The lesson OF this arrest, examination and
trial though Mr.. Harris was eXoncrntrd from
the charge before a high court, and by jury
otcXceiient men, Is 10 encourage compound
iug of felony Estimating Il reasonable Zee Tor
lawyers, Mr.. iIarris' expense in defending hun
self was 500, The expense of MCGmls as
prosecuting witness was paid by the United
SAFES. For $50 Harris could have escaped the
anunyanc' of a suit and been the gamer by
$3.50 Another lesson is, that every man do
ing business with the public may he summon
ed from his home and business and held to an
Swcr the complaint o! some uuinown advcn.
turcr or tramp, Tor pas>i4g counterfeit money.
Such, We say, are the legitimate differences
the arrest and examination IN This case Afford.
No one will rest, re Hnrris his money. and 20
one can overcome the wrong he suffered While
resting under the foul impulation. But we
trusl that wide spread knowledge of this
case may awaken officials 10 a krcnrr sense of
the value Of character, and that they may hes
itatc long before putt'ag it in jeopardy.