The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1885-11-17

NO HOPE FOR MACkiN.


His Last Resort Decides Against Him.
Tho Penitentiary Looms.
CHICAGO, Nov. H. Tho Illinois suprem,
court has refused the writ of orror asked fol
by the attorneys OF joseph G. Mackin, and
holds that Mackin's conviction for
per- jury was secured corIing to law
Mackin will ba taken to the pen
tentiary in day or twn The opinion wa
rendered by Justice Scott and filed with tbs
clerk of the supreme court at Ottawa
After giving he facts o. hiackin's indict
ment for perjury - the Cuoi
dictment was basel, the court takes up the
points made in the record and argument
and disposes of them one at a time, Th1
opinion in substance declares that there wa
no error in the finding of the Indictment by
the special grand jury; TINT Mackin was
not bound to answer crimina ting ques
tions when summoned before the
grand jury, but answering them
he must do 50 truthfully; that if Mackin
was asked a question involving several
points. and was asked to answer as to the
entire question, and the assumption of the
question contained one or more false par
ticulars the defendant far as he under.
took to answer WAS obliged to speak the
truth.
The alleged variance between the indict-
mont and the p 'oof did not exist The in.
dictment charges that the ballots vera or
dsred and received from s. b. Wright and
w. II. Wright and it is insisted that they
were oriersl only from :. t. Wright, II or
derai at all. Both the Wrights were pres-
ent when tho ballots were ordered, and both
were iuterestel in doing the work, and it is
therefore true in law aud fact that the
spurious ballots were ord red from both Of
them.
Lastly It is insisted that the evidence j.
not sufficient to warrant the conviction Of
the accused. and the reason stated in sup,
port of that position il that only ona wit
ness swors to the facts upon which the per,
jury is assigned. This is "a misapprehensior
of the evidence. Thera is The tastim ony o!
more than two witnesses swearing directl,
to the fact that the ccuSed ordered spurious
tickets OF ballots to be engraved or printed
There Is also the te stimony of two wit
nos.es to the other fact upon which perjury
is assigned, that the package said to con-
tain the spurious ticketS or ballots were do
livered to the defendant. As respects tho
contents of the package, there is the direct
testimony of ono witness and such corrob-
Grating testimony rs hayes no reasonable
doubt that it contained the spurious tickets
or ballots that had just that afternoon been
printad IN such great haste by the parties
at the request Of the defendant himself.
without entering on any critical analysis
of the evidence, it is sufficient to say it has
been closely examinsl, and in the opinion
of this court it fully warrants the conyc
tion of the accused
joe Mackin received the announcement
of the decision coolly and talks very little.
He thinks the supreme court has erre | in its
decision, and says he ia giiltless of perjury.
He speaks feelingly OF MS wife and said, re-
ferring to her: There is where it hurts
me. ! can stand it myself as well as
any man can. hut the disgrace Of
this comes hard upon an innocent and good
lady, who has stood by mo like brave
woman through all this trouble. Sine and
the members of her family are the worst
sufferers in this" His attorneys will make
an application for rehaaring but are not
sanguine Of obtaining it,