The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1880-06-24
e.Warden. Keen a Cell for Me 81,

:. warden, Keep Cell 10f Me"
Ed. Sutherland, the young man charged
with rape, Jointly with Edgar Meacham
was brought back from Point Pleasan
last week by officer Owens. Sutherland
waived an examination, and was released
on $500 bail.
1t is very distasteful to us to be com
PEELED, in our capacity as journalist, tc
record these cases, but when whole COM
munity is aroused over the enormlty OF
the offense charged, it cannot be expected
that it will pass by unnoticed by the press
If the boys are innocent, it is due to Their
parents that their trial and acquittal
should have the utmost publicity. If
they are guilty, no punishment would
seem to be too severe.
And while on this subject, let us say a
word to one of these parents. On Tues
day morning of last week, Elijah d.
Meacham came into this Office and hand
ed the writer half-sheet of legal cap,
upon which was written the following:
ssAIR. MAcKLEY:
Please do not mention my name in
connection with my sons case it might injure me
with the house, and would kill his ma.
Yours, F. d. MEACHAM."
We did not mention his name, but in
giving report of the preliminary trial,
of course had to mention his sons name.
The reference to 'the house." means
the business house in Cincinnati, for
which E. D. Meacham is salesman. We
did not promise to make no mention of
the trial, and Meacham left with the un-
derstanding that we would report the
case. We have been informed that
Meacham has been busy, in conjunction
with two or three low-lived copperhead
Democrats, circulating the story that we
mentioned the case because he was poor
man and that we promised not to report
it. When MI. Meacham makes this as
sertion, he bears false witness, and, fur
! ther, he knows that he is lying. Meach-
ANS Democratic friend who is assist
ing" him with most zeal, is doubtless sor-
ry for the boys, and perhaps has sort of
fellow feeling.
If boys should go to the bad, parents
are not wholly responsible. The path of
the young man is beset by sin, and many
fall by the wayside; but the human heart
will assert itself; the father feels as bit
ter heart-pangs at the grave of him who
was wayward, even wicked, in his life
time, as at the grave of him who was of
purer life. The mother or sister will
strew with flowers the last resting-place
of the wicked son OF brother, with as ten
der care as that of him who was possess
ed Of nobler attributes. Hence 1t is not
to be wondered at that the parents of
these boys should feel an interest in them
still. We have known these boys all their
lives, and they have had every opportu-
nifty and inducement to become good and
useful men.
We wish to caution Mr.. Meacham, how
ever, that he cannot compel the acquittal
of his boy by attempting to create pub
lie sentiment, based upon sympathy,
which would allow SO hellish crime to
go unpunished. If the boy is innocent
and we sincerely trust that he is-no man
will be more eager to congratulate father
and son than we will. But so long as
there is any evidence pointing to his
guilt, the sympathy of the public will be
apt to abide with the poor outraged Or
phan girl. Just reverse the case. Sup
pose a young girl of Jackson were COM
ing home in the evening, and two strap
ping fellows from the country should
seize and outrage her, would not MI.
Meacham be one of the first to call for
vengeance? Must we hold to the belief
that because this little fourteen-year-old
girl is from the country, and compare
lively unknown in town, she shall be
made the victim of lustful brutes, simply
because one of them happens to be poor?
Or does our friend want one man pun
ished because his parents are well-to-do,
and the other acquitted because his fa-
ther does not save his money? In con-
clusion we will say to Mr.. Meacham that
if his son and Mr.. Sutherland's son are
innocent, the fact will doubtless be prov
EN- at the trial, and it is consequently of
no use for him to lie about us, nor for his
brother Jim to get drunk and howl
around the streets about us. We have
just as much sympathy for one of these
boys, as for the other-we hope both are
innocent. J. H. NJ.