Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1884-03-02
GlbSONIANA,
issTc; -'hDistrict Cengressman's
kn,.erto "Boss" Atkin-
sens Defiance.
Comparative Statements from Re.
ports of Attorneys General
Since 1879.
PROPORTIONS of Business to Fsss
GObbIed by Wss' Myr-
mid0ns.
Illuminating Defendants to Prevent
Exposure Of Numerous
Flimsy Prosecutions.
Professional Witnesses Who Mere
Kept on Pay to Swear
Generally.
Sham Arrests hads TO Sscurs
New Clothes and Pocket
Money.
HConshlns Figures and a General
Ventilation of the Real
Situation.
Illuminating Defendants to Prevent
Exposure Of Numerous
Flimsy Prosecutions.
Professional Witnesses Who Mere
Kept on Pay to Swear
Generally.
Sham Arrests Made TO Securs
New Clothes and Pocket
Money.
HConsains Figures and a General
Ventilation of the Real
Situation.
S,e-iql to ne REGISTER.

S7e-iql to ne REGISTER.
WASHINGTON, VI trch l.-As telegraphed
you some days since, Congressman Gibson,
OF tie Fourth District has been engaged
curing the past week in gathering facts
s. q figures to demOlish Marshal George w.
Atkinson. The following resume Of the
results Of his Investigations thus far fur
rishsd Ue yesterday, will illustrate how he
is getting along:
Il have made comparative statements
{ ON the reports Of the Attorney General,
for the years %, 80, 81, 50, IS, Of the IN
ternal revenue cases alone, and they al
show how enormously West Virginia has
been imposed upon and advertised to the
world as the great criminal State Of the
Union, her average population Of aoout
tive hundred thousand people bearing the
burden OF from one-sixth to One-tenth OF
ail the criminal prosecutions carried on by
Federal courts against the whole 50,0OO,0O0
Ieoyle Of the United States.
On July lsf, 1879, there we're 95i cases
pending, while SOS hsd been disposed Of
that year, making the enormous total OF
l,4l2; making about one-sixth Of all the
criminal prosecutions carried on by Fed
eral courts in the United States, whereas
her proportion, all things being even =,
ought only % have been one and one
hundredth.
"For this year her msrshals gob5led
So. S23 out Of the total expenditures OF
S53,7I3 IS, being more than double the
proportion Of the marshals of other states
according to population. Besides this, out
OF the appropriation for 50, the msrshAls
got further sum Of 81, $40 for 70.
you see this was about the time when
Atkinson was organizing and carrying out
his scheme for crushing and buying out
our end Of the STATE with the Federal
Courts and the purse OF the nation.
More About Marshall Fees.
July l, lSSO, there were 766 criminal &C
lions pending, while sol had been disposed
of during the year making about one
eighth OF all the criminal prosecutions for
that wear in the United States, IN
stead Of about OEeoue hundredIh,
This year does not seem 10 have
been y good year for marshals. Still our
West Virginia marshals came in for little
more than q dOub share. The total eI
peuditure for these officers IN the nlted
States was S32l, 800. West Nirglnla'5 fair
proportion would have been about 5000:
But her msrshals got 5000; with total
EXPENDITURE in the State by the Federal
Court Of S47 252 ~. July l, ISL, there
were pending 4OO cases, while for that year
IL had been disposed Of, making total OF
~. about one tenth Of all the criminal
prosecutions for that year in United States
Courts for all the States and Territories.
This year our Marshais come in tor 81 -
back pay rls79, another sum OF $1,000 for
l,SO, and s. 2l3 for ISL; and the total sp
pTopriatiOn for Federal court for IVES,
NiTgiuia for this year was so, l26 20. So
that this year our msrshals got about their
proportion with other marshsls; while the
court expenses were nearly
Double n Due Proportion.
FOR the year endirg July LIST, lSN2, there
were l-G crimiual prosecutions pending,
while 90 had been disposed of for that
year, usking 8 total Of I'3. The total
number Of prosecutions In the Unlted
States for that year was 8. $50; so that west
Virginia figures With the lions share Of
about One-ninth, instead OF about one
hUndIedth.
Again in this yesr the Msrshals flourish
with rack psy. For l>SO they got SIlo u,
for 1851 they got S2iI 22; while for lNS2
thew luxurIated in 80 10 and the total
Court expenses were $54, 30 O6. For this
year acaiu the West Virginia Marshals
gathered in from the public treasury ABOUT
double their proportion OF the sWaS tha'
other Marsbals got; aud the Court expenses
were about dOuOIe also N proportion 70
other States ana Territories.
Under the AIkinSOn Regime.
But for the year ending July l, 1883,
they fairly went Wild. They increased
= .a.Hn - ~
and ran up their fees from $1,000 10 about
SIG. 90. and, marx you, With less business
than any former wear. At that date there
were only 35S cases pending, and there
had only been 90 convictions during tcat
wear, and at the same time they ran up the
witness fees from 5000 in lSS2 70 over
$4,000 in lSS3. You see We had
Congressional elsc tons in our State
after July, ,lSS2, and that was
l,S3; and the marshal boss and all the
little bosses were very active about that
time, and they thought they would carry
tie State.
But there is some other things / desire
70 call attention 10. Out OF this grand
tOtsl Of 4 80 cases for three years, 1889
we're dismissed, because there WAS nothing
Il them, and 222 were acquittals.
IntImIdatIuK Defendants.
But this does not tell all the tale. Hun
crsds Of parties, IS the nearest and least
expensive way, with the assent OF the DIS
Glct Attorney and the Court, plead golIty,
and The Court, satisfied that the cases were
irvOlous, ordered, as it bad the rlgnt 20 90
snd ought % have done, q suspension OF
Judgment in them. Take the amount OF
Tie aggregated judgments and the amouat
o. ines collected, sad one can easily see
mat al least half OF the cases reported IS
eoDvicts' were Of this nature. PGrue5
sirestsd were sometimes threatened oy
ihsse mSrshals with conviction and pun
Roneni il they dared employ q lawyer 20
Csisrd them. / know myself OF one s9en
ose. ] believe this kind OF Intimidation
vas carried on largely. They were mfos
0rtly upon the mercy of the court ana
We district attorney. OF course these
"t'sSsre not knoEn to these officials
Professional Witnesses
ItsTe has been another species OF fraud
Ilgs!y carried Oh by these msrshsls ana
"a stt Of professional witnesses. Some
" ben' would enter into COLLISION Sltn
~ Ps 70 prefer charges against them ar
80 hFn, take them 10 Charleston or PARK
.enigh, where. q course, upon iuVesn-
800. they would be acquitted, and tnen
% msrshsl ard witness fees the pms
S,I Nouid b. decked out in q Jew suit OF
ana they would all come home