The comet., 1881-06-11
Card fro,n capt. Teu ell ExcalpatsnE
the United states District Al
tOrncy.
MERIDIAN. June 8. 1881.

tOrn"y.
MERIDIAN, June 8, 1881
To the Editor Of the Comet
The first pleas Of "noio coatsndcre'
that were permitted to be fled In til,
United States Court for the Southern
District of Mississippi was filed in I
case in which L was council for thu
defendants being certain informa
ton of citizens Of Clarke county fol
alleged violations Of the United States
election laws. AS certain publications
In the newspapers are calculated tt
create the impression that the cOuri
and the District Attorney have held
out to persons presented before the
court in such cases, the privilege o.
entering such pleas, and that the
court and District Attorney have desir'
ed such pleas to be entered, | deem
it an act of simple justice to state that
in the cases in which l was counsel
the first cases in which these pleas were
permitted-there Was no offer on the
part of the Court or District Attorney
to allow such pleas; but that, Oh the
contrary, the pleas were permitted to
be filed upon my earnest request and
solicitation and that both the court
and District Attorney were reluctant
to allow that course. do not know
anything about other cases nor desire
to interfere in matters that do not con-
cern me; but have thought that as
this practice was inaugurated in this
court by myself and permitted by my
urgent solicitation, it was proper to
state that, in my cases, the conrt and
District Attorney, did not offer or sug-
gest such pleas nor any other course
except trial.
In this connection l will further call
the attention of the pubic to the
United States statutes which provide
that the District Attorney is, in
case of trial-no matter what the re-
suit may be--entitled to u fee, from
the Government of $40 in each case
tred-whereas in cases where pleas of
"noto contendere" are permitted and
entered, his fee is only $40 in each
case. So that it is obvious that instead
of being actuated by sordld or selfish
motives in the matter of the allow
ance Of such pleas, the District At
torney in fact sacrifices his own per-
sonal interests to the extent of just.
one-half Of the fees to which he il
entitled. The fees of the clerk are
also much less in cases where these
pleas are filed than in cases tried.
So far as | know OF have reason to
believe, the court and District Attor-
ney and clerks of the United States
Court referred to have administered
their offices faithfully to the govern
ment and fairly to the public, and /
think those who know the gentlemen
who fill these offices will acquit them
Of any charge rejecting on their per-
sonal or official integrity. 1t is proper
to say that / write this communica-
ton upon my own suggestion. Praise
from 50 humble source may be of no
value TO these gentlemen; praise from
a Democrat may be calculated TO do
Them injury; but praise from any
source actuated by considerations of
Justice cannot be cause OF offence to
any one, and l trust will not be so con-
'idered. The fact that this card Is
by certain reflections on the |
referred TO contained in late
number Of your paper cannot be
AIKEN as evidence OF n purpose on my
'art, 10 engage in any controversy on
he subject Of those reflections; for /
lave no infopmation on that subject
nd don't eXpr' IS any opinion with
eference to the same, except IN so far
IS these reflections, by their general
Iature, concern the conduct of the Off.
ials above named in relation to the
ases in which plea of ''noio contcn-
'ere" was first permitted in this
ourt. Respectfully,
JOHN w. Jewell.