Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1883-04-01
Not Very FIattering' Examples Of
How Justice is Mstsd Out In
Kentucky's Chief City.
How a 0uartstte Of Corrupt Mu-
nicipal Officers Escaped the
Penalty of Their Misdeeds.
A Sensational Libel Suit---State
Elections Amuss-
nts--.Chat and Gossip.

l-OOAoNiLLbp hi. AhaiSA OVs-AhCoV oAO
degenerate times, at least as far as city
council and officials are Concerned. We
American freemen seem to have adopted
it as an unwritten article OF our constitu-
tion, that municipal affairs in cities and
towns shall be as loosely and corruptly ad.
ministered as possible. A city official is in
general subject to the Jurisdiction Of coun.
Gil, and as the members of this body gre
generally copartners in the spoils, he can
steal with little danger of decapitation.
This was evinced the other day in the case
of Hinkle, city Auditor. Some months
since the revelation was made through the
city press that embezz!ement was epidemic
at the city hall. 1t was gradually devel.
oped that the officers, who had peculated
from the city crib were Messrs. Hinkle,
city auditor; Levi clerk in the assessors
cfice; Ferguson, back tax collector, and
Cope Snapp, his chief clerk. In the past
two weeks the trials OF these respectable
rogues have been prosecuted and two OF
them determined. Mr.. Hinkle had either
been as immaculate as the undriven snow
or exceedingly, artistic in
Expunging the Traces Of His Rascaiity,
or exceedingly fortunate in the personnel
OF the jury Providence and his lawyers
obtained for him. for he was acquitted. II
was not enough, that he should evade his
legal liability and retain his personal liber-
ty, but the Council which might we'll be
compared to the elegant literati, who adorn
the Market street rookery in Wheeling,
thought to vindicate this poor suffering
artyr, it was incumbent upon IL 70 de.
feat the Impeachment introduced against
him. And this it did amidst the howls OF
an indignant public which, however, will
pt rmit a repetition of the same Council
and like officers at the next election, for in
terest in municipal elections is not in
vogue for some mysterious reason among
the better class of voters.
Mr.. Levi, ex-chief of the fire department,
was the next man tried, whose case being
trihe more serious, or defalcation q tritle
more obvious, or jury triiie more respon-
sible,
Failed to Get a Verdict
from his twelve peers, who agreed to dis
agree.
Mr.. Ferguson, the back tax collector, was
the third light fingered gentleman, who
was nnally accommodated with jury after
an examination OF panel OF li4 persons.
Mr.. Ferguson pleaded not guilty the
first morning, but thought better the sec
ond morning after consultation with
crafty counsel and pleaded guilty. The
law reads that the sentence shall be from
five to twenty years. The nagnanimous
action of Mr.. Ferguson in pleading guilty
so affected the jury, they gave him five
years, as lenient verdict as they had the
right to find.
Cope snapp, his chief clerk, was arraigned
Wednesday, pleading not guilty. A Jury
was elected without much trouble. Mr:
Snapp was acquitted Of the first Indictment
TO the vexation Of the prosecution. 1t was
a case which consultation with witness had
not been thorough enough, and the law
yers for the State not having sufficiently
examined their witness ventured upon an
indictment they could not substantiate,
snd
Suffered the Modification Defeat
accordingly. Judge Jackson being Of the
opinion the case could not be finished by
the end of the March term, reset 1t for
May II. Upon neutrality-suspicious.: OF counsel,
Snapp's bail was reduced from $4,000 to
sc, 900. Mr.. Lewis second trial was also as.
signed 10 May, to follow his brother in
wrong doing, the young and festive Snapp.
Both these gentlemen will likely Le acqult.
ted, while Mr.. Ferguson will not remain long
within the walls Of the hOtc! of State. We
heard il said on the streets that the law.
yeis conducting the defense had persuaded
Ferguson to confess, because in the event
of a trial the verdict would be heavy
one, as the testimony against him was so
dan aging, and by this means there would
rem ain no witness against Snapp. >Eergu-
son. being convicted, cannot testify, and
thus Snapp will go scot free. The former
gentleman then is the only defaulter, who
has or will receive a sentence, and 1t Is
SUI missed that his will not be enforced.
Already petition is lin circulation re-
que, ting a pardon, which is receiving
mary signatures. Public opinio on says
,hst
These Men are Guilty and Ought TO be
Punished
Then why Is Il they so readily avoid the
conse quence of their misdoing? The an
swer seems to be right here. The friends
of Ferguson compose petition and exert
themselves to obtain subscriptions, while
the friends of justice are lukewarm and
organize no protest against the efforts in
his behalf. The latter content themselves
with cynical remarks on the degeneracy OF
the age and the ease with which justice Is
defeated, with apparently no conscious
ness that they are in any way responsible.
And vet, until they do take an active
interest in the dspensatiou OF
justice and seek to oppose the
maudlin sentiment, which is shown for OF.
fcal scoundrels, the same event may be
anticipated in every instance Of public
Another Big Trial
has been in progress during the past week,
the suit of Mrs. Hite against the Courier
Journal for Iibel. wherein $25.0 damage
was asked. The ground Of the suit was an
article published in the Courier.Journal,
in which il was"effirmed that Mrs. Hite
had been the mistress OF Jesse James, the
great bandit; that her laison with the lat.
ter had discompOsed the home circle, and
that her reputation had been of a doubtful
character since her girlhood. A great deal
of interest was manifested in the SUIT,
owing to the hard fight made by the plain
tiff, and the dsshing blonde beauty OF the
Young plaintiff. The testimony Of the de-
Tense. however, was too strong and sup
ported too minutely the facts ayerred In
ibe article, and therefore the Jury, in de.
spite of the romance, beauty, and fasctna-
ton encircling her, refused 10 award
camages. not even the traditional penny,
and so the Courier. Journal stands purgsd
Of the impeachment OF sensauonalism.
Tom Crittenden, Governor OF the great
comnonwealt of Missouri, was q witness
nent who testified that Mr.. Hite, in an
interview with him for the purpose
of obtaining the pardon OF his
son Clarence, had related to him
the trouble which hsd come upon bis
family, and bad said that Jesse James had
corrupted bis wife.
Governor Critienden looks as il he were
q man Of 90 years of age or under; Is OF
mediu m height, with iron-gray h,ir,
silyered Doustsehe and Q resolute eye. sur
mounting reguls ar features. He has the
suggestion of martial life about him, and
for the rest is quiet, unpreteuding, and .
little grsngerisb in disappearance and man
ner.
Kestseky Elects stsse Omeen
in August, and already the political travail
has commenced. which Is 90 harassing TO
the patriots, who are willing TO sacrifice
their interests to the welfsre Of the SoateL
A Democratic nomination is equivalsnt 20
an election gees without telling Up 10
this week Proctor Knott. the famons
Duluth" orator, was considered here the