Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1881-04-13
Let Us Have Peace.

The Mower county jury has acquitted
Riley Of the charge Of attempting to assas-
sinate Mr.. Sherman Page. This result
was generally anticipated after the prose-
cution rested their case. The eliminating
evidence, although fairly strong Of its
kind, consisted so largely of alleged con-
fessions made 10 hired detective, with
no witnesses present, that a legal convic-
ton seemed wholly improbable, no matter
what might be the probabilities in the
minds of the jurors. The necessity for
finding the accused guilty beyond reas-
enable doubt before a conviction could be
properly reached was fatal 10 the Page
side, tor in the absence of any definite and
positive testimony connecting Riley with
the shooting, more or less doubt must at
tach to the evidence of a professional spy
kept in the pay of the prosecuting witness.
We 10 not thus speak of the service rem
dered by Detective Wood with a view TO
rejecting upon men of his class IN general
or upon him in particular, but II is a
weakness inheriny in every case based
largely upon detectives testimony, that
the probability OF their being pecuniarily
interested in conviction added to The
habilual Justification which their vocation
implies, casts suspicion on their most SOL
emn utterances and renders necessary cor
roborasive proof OF anything they may al.
lege under oath. Mr.. Page disappoint"d
an expec,ant public by no, br,aging for
ward that correborative proof. Riley is
free, innocent or not innocent, and the in
famous crime which was certainly CON-
milted, by some miscreaDt, last August
still goes unpublished. There is now little
room for hope that the real author of the
outrage will ever be caught and punish.
ed, but the failure to catch and punish
him is quite ss great misfortune 10 the
state of Minnesota as to the man whose
life was aimed at.
In dropping this matter out of sight, for
1t is now a matter of history, it is not out
Of plmce TO express the hope that the sen.
sible portion of the Austin community
will now unite in a sincere and persistent
effort TO stop the foolish vendetta that ha 8
30 long given them bad eminence, and
bred passions whose natural expression
and fruitage is violence and murder. Mr..
Page himself, as one Of he chief actors
in that vendetta, may well ask himself
whether it is not about time tor him to be-
gin the suppression Of those personal
traits which have arrayed against HIM as
enemies large share Of all the people
that ever had any relations with him, and I
to cultivate those amenities and character
lstics which make for peace. Such feud
in rural community IS worse for its NOR
al and material interests than polygamy
and grasshopper scourge combined, tor
new people seeking homes and that pros
perity which comes with peace do not care |
to cast in their lot with a hornets nest.
The world is wide and the heavens are
high, and there are other issues and no.
bier themes than this everlasting tom.fool-
cry of Page and anti.Page. This nuis-
ance, with its antecedenls and conse.
quents, has occupied quite space enough |
in the public press and the public pa
thence. Lei it be decently but promptly
buried away from the sight and the
smell OF men.-Minneapolis Tribune, Ap-
ri2 10th.