The daily gazette., 1881-04-05
OUR LEGISLATIVE LETTER,
DoxER. Anril 3. 1881.

Corr fespondence of the Gazette
AS to the "rum-heated cheek"
we could not swear that his dirty,
greasy red complexion was the d.
rect result of rum because we did
not see him drink; nor did we get so
close to the man as TO be fouled by
his breath. Our information upon
this point came second hand. But
this heresay evidence corroborated
by the circumstantial emanating
from himself convinced me that the
facts, as given in Fridays issue of
the GAZETTE, were to be relied
upon. When q noted liar accuses a
gentlemen of q false>hood the noe
ted liar merely adds one more link
to the leg chain that sooner or later
drags him the slums of ambition
Now let us look at the circumstan-
tial evidence which helped me to
the conclusion above. White in the
beginning attempted to handle his
own case. His questiouibss were
so ridiculous that during the exami-
nation Of every witness, at least a
great laugh was raised both by friends
and opponents. Some one whisper.
ed "hs must be drunk" Your cor
respondent, then, from the goodness
of his heart, made several sugges-
tlons as to what questions should be
asked and what answers be pro
pound. White accepted the advice
and the case proceeded.
| In the evening when man after man
not only recited his past unenviable
history but that they would not be-
lievs him upon his oath he seemed ut
ter oblivians TO the true nature of the
charges, the character Of the men max
ing them aud the opprobrium that
must necessarily attach. lie sat loose
ly reclining with head bent a little for
ward and to one side, smoking a cigar
which he held between his front and
middle finger the small end Of which
cigar was saliva swollen and torn. His
manner was the mark of all. When
one of his friends gave in the testimony
that his character was "mixed," and
another that he was "gas house and
always blowed and talked too much. "
thought with many others that the
man was drunk. A number of men
were sitting in the library talking
about the case, and giving their opin-
ions some said that he 'must have
been drunk" some said that he was
"insane," said that he was drunk
and not one of the number gainsaid
my opinion. Now / was wrong and |
am glad of it for no man should be
so foolish as to bring such q case be-
70 the Legislature, and give such
personal attention unless he were
drunk. (There may be glass houses
but till there are houses of thin air,
and say 70 the writer of that article
which was placed in the editorial space
of the Morning NesOs, lay on McDuff }
For the information of the persons
who do not fully understand how the
Morning Netos and the Republican have
berally triad to blast the charac er OF
Esquire Morris and foist a miserable
mongrel pup from Virginia, the forest
of Kent county, Maryland, the West
Indian River Hundred and the South
ern army, give the verbatim testi-
mony Of Jacob Moore, Esq, of George
town:
Jacob Moore was sworn and said -
l have known Derrick b. Morris since
1850 or thereabout; can safely say
that l have known him more than ~
years and ever since he became Jus.
tioe of the Peace; have had business
with him, as Justice of the Peace,
on some two or three and likely more
occasions; he resides some nine miles
from whore live; he had been very
obllging and accommodating to me;
have requested him TO come to INV
office to see me in relation to business
before him and he has frequently
done so and | am compelled to say
that he has acted in the discharge o
his official duties, so far as / know
with fairness and impartiality anc
ability; | have never known him te
be guilty OF any act, as a Justice o
the Peace, that struck me in ths
slightest degree as being wrong or i'm
proper; / know nothing of The circum
stances of the hearing before hin
when John NJ. White was arrested
except from rumor; have seen Mr.
White but cannst say that / woult
know him il he were to come into lhiI
room; have no feeling In the matter
II is one OF perfect indifference to me
/ l have never heard from any membe
: OF the sussex bar any charge or accu
sation against Mr.. Morris as an un
fair Justice Of the Peace; reeollec
1 one instance where q matter wa
brought before him, in which Mr.
A. +. Robinson was counsel, and Mr.
Robinson came to me aud asked me {,
r see Mr.. Norris about it, it was in re
, lation to putting . plea of sst-off upol
. record in tho case, and at my reques
. Esquire Morris came to me at m,
office and stated to me the facts of th
3 case and asked me what thought b
J. ought to do and said to him that
0 thought he should grant the reaues
: OF the party desiring the plea of SET
t on on his record, aud 30 far as
d know, he did it.
know that recently client OF min
d was sned before him, q man name
johnson, In IN action of trespass undn
he statute. / wrote a letter 10 M,
A Morris asking him to see me about tn
n case before It went TO trial, he came an
explained my clients case to him: IN
case has not yet been tried, but In rel,
tion 10 the matter 1 can say that h
aoted with great fairness and impart,al
ny, and saw nothing in his condno
A that savored In the slightest degree of
: desire on his part 30 act badly. Unfe
II tunately mem bers OF the bar freouentI
n nave complaints made TO them ~ ali,