The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1884-05-07


To the Public.
Whether as mag istrate or citizen, I
think my course towards Mr.. Knight,
whose advertisement appears above,
needs no apology, and, therefore, shall
be satisfied with a plain statement of
facts as sworn to by reputable witnesses,
or within the knowledge of persons now
in Palatka.
On the morning of May LIST as the pro-
cession of firemen was being formed, po-
liceman Ryals came to me and said
ing, and Knight had threatened to whip
Graham. I urged upon the policeman
the necessity of keeping peace on such
a day, and told him if he could not do so
without it, he must lock Knight up. l
was on horseback with the procession
when I heard there was fight in another
part of the town, but never once thought
of Knight or Graham, although I saw
/ the crowd was at the door of Graham's
Hotel. Afterwards a policeman (the
same One) told me Knight had whipped
! Graham and was still cursing about the
streets. then said, IF you do not ar
rest the man, will have you fined to-
morrow for neglect of duty" [ heard
no more until after dark when citizen
told me that Knight had whipped Cole
man and sad ne would beat another man
before he slept. then sent for another
! policeman, ana told hlm II he dldn
lock knight up L would report nm TO
the Mayor and urge his discharge from
the force. Sui nothing was done.
Early on the morning OF May 2nd Invent
to the Mayor, stated these facts, ana Ills
Honor hned both policemen Tor neglect
OF duty. Knight was also hhed Ior DIS
tlTblng the peace,
Mr.. Graham came to the office OF
the County Judge, ana made afhdaVlt OF
simple assault ana battery against
Knight issued a warrant ; the Deputy
Sheriff arrested Knight; he was ar
ralgned oeIofe a jury OF MS peers, found
guilty, ana sentenced 10 forty days IN the
county JAN 10 thoSe OF my teloW-cltl-
zenS who THINK the sentence hard, lhaVe
this to say: NO matter what the provo
! cation, the testimony shows that, III the
pubic room OF a motel, within the hear
ing of ladies, knight used language too
foul for the lips of a hog, and blasphe
nous enough for the lower regions; that
the assault was not committed on the
impulse of passion at the moment of
provocation, but deliberately, after am
pie time for reflection, and continued
brutally even in default of resistance;
that he selected a day when our streets
were thronged with the city's honOred
visitors, and every good citizen was es-
pecially anxious for the preservation of
order. As to the imprisonment instead
of a fine, he said distinctly to the court
that he had made two thousand dollars
during the past season and was able to
pay any fine the court might impose
Now, our idea is that the penalties for
misdemeanOrs are intended for punish
ment for wrong-doing; Knight had
avowed his willingness to pay fine of
any magnitude, and I considered myself
debarred by such expression from the in
Fiction of fine. If Jay Gould was to be
punished by magistrate whose limit
as to jurisdiction was small, would the
infiiction of fine even OF one hundred
dollars be dreaded? But if Jay Gould
thought he might be shut up in our Jail
for few days, he would probably be
careful as to his infringement of our
laws. So with Knight, the timer.
would remind those citizens who diff
fer with me, that the offence was aggra-
waited, and committed in cold blood; to
those who would believe me capable of
prejudice in such matter, 1 would say
that the punishment was small in pro-
norton TO what MIGHT have inflicted .